(He rises to leave.)

"Madam, our usual order is reversed. I stand the instructed, and you the teacher are. I acknowledge my

mistake."

"I do not decide against your character by a single untoward action. I wait to see if your errors be not the consequence of a defective training, of an early, superstitious faith, the brambles and briers brought from the 'wild woods' of false theologies, sticking even to one who strives for the highest truth; but if ye ever repeat the attempt to subdue my will, to reveal my mind to your too curious scrutiny in this unhallowed way, and above all, to make my pure, noble, and loving husband the puppet of your capricious will in this design, I'll scorn you like an imp of hell. For I would as soon clasp hands with a fiend and turn my face straight towards the under-world, as carelessly to join myself by means of magnetism to one whom I had not, by long and tried companionship, read through and through, who did not use the power invested in him with the same holy sense of responsibility with which the Christ performed his miracles. And know this, O presumptuous man! that for the amusement of a passing hour ye may wield an influence given you to bless with, as a temptation and a curse to some one who, sad and solitary, climbs up a steep and stony way; who in glad innocence may yield a hand to one who seems able to lead her across life's precipices, but who, instead of replying to her confidence, throws her among the lions. Beware, beware of the evil that lurks, as it may seem, in flowers and music, and may, like ravenous beasts, tear your own soul if not another's."

(He moves with sad and repentant aspect towards the door.)

"I leave you. Forgive the injury, forget the lonely wanderer who, from no baseness, but a pure desire for a spiritual friendship hitherto denied him, sought through a means, by God appointed as I deemed, to win the blessing from you. For in starlight visions in the desert, it was

revealed to me that, far west of Sinai's heights, I should discover the twin complement of my soul, and this sign of dual unity sealed between us should be the test to guide me to her. This I found in you. Mother, sister, wife are all denied me, and miserable that I am! this more ethereal boon I have now lost by a too eager grasp. Farewell!" (She rises.)

"Do we understand each other?"

"Ay."

"And do my words seem just and reasonable to you?" "Even so."

"Then we will give the usual sign of friendship, (clasping hands), and you will be a brother in the same great cause to which my husband and I have pledged ourselves, a safe inmate in our family, a friend to rely upon, not a wizard to guard against."

"I pledge myself."

"And now we know the meaning of a spiritual friend. ship, which shall liken us to the angels of God in heaven A common zeal and mutual labor in the great cause of humanity and truth; sanctifying all life's aims, labor, mental culture and beautiful tastes; holding in unbroken unity and awful sacredness, the ties of husband and wife; superadding it may be a third, companionship in open faith avowed and with his full approval, in which each shall draw from the other all that is loveliest and rarest from our souls, while the triennial chain shall never rust in either link, but grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect day, when there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage, but all are as angels of God in heaven."

I hear the voices of Lina and Mr. Körner coming up the yard. I will read this chapter of my Tale to them, and see if they approve it. They give me right cordial encouragement in my work, but tremble a little for my free pen. I fear that this will startle them-Hilda

and Zoë, too! and better still, the little three-year-old. You are welcome, friends; be seated, pray. And seeing

refresh

that my larder is unfurnished with dainties for your ment, shall I give you a tit-bit from my romance? or are you not in the mood for it?"

"O yes," said all at once; 66 pray give it us."

"I like to see your progress; go on, you will be read, never fear,” said Mr. Körner.

"When are we to be immortalized, dear Lisbet?" said Mrs. Körner," for I see your fashion is to serve us up for the benefit of the public."

"Yes, I am acting upon your motto, 'make your friends useful as well as ornamental.' Do you feel damaged thereby?"

"O no! I like myself very well, idealized as I am. But are you sure that every one you dress up in this way will?" "I have not asked them. They must get used to it. My revelations are nothing to what will be made of them at the day of judgment, when we shall know as we are known. Won't that be a glorious time?"

“Ha, ha! a woman's heaven that, where her curiosity will be fully gratified. But why don't you imagine characters, or take them from a greater distance? Novelists usually do, I believe," said Mr. Körner.

"O you and a few others are good enough for me; only tip you off with a little glory here and there, excepting you, however, who do very well just as you are. But paint people at a distance! What a question? Did you ever know an artist stand a thousand miles off from the subject of his sketch? You think I am a witch, do you, brother mine? Imagine, create characters! What a wicked thought! God only does that. What are you thinking of? I must use for my story what he has made for me, and be very thankful that he allowed me to be born and to live with such interesting people. So you may consider yourself as predestined to shine in this way from all eternity; for I am compelled, by the exacting spirit that strives within my little person to write a book, so here you all are."

66

“What you just now said reminds me,” said Hilda, “ of what Miss Ingemann told us yesterday, that women were not creative in the character of their minds, only imitative; that men were the inventors.”

"Worthy of Miss Ingemann's farsighted wisdom! Excuse me, Hilda. She is not the only one in these hard times whose cold, steel point of an intellect pierces the eyes of their souls out so that they live and grope about in mental and spiritual blindness. Is not that a paradox? There is a certain volume somewhere, which says 'that men have sought out many inventions,' and don't speak of it as much to their credit either. I agree, they are very inventive. It is enough for the women to imitate, combine, arrange, group, and show off to good advantage, by the gift of their idealism and common-sense, the materials which a good God has strewn abundantly around in life, history, and nature, and in that way they stick to the truth, which is what we were made to live for in this universe. Men want to build a world of their own, and so they set about inventing, and they make poor work of it, seeing they cannot fly out of themselves, or get entirely away from the rule of their Maker, try as hard as they may; but they have contrived thus much, to turn the world topsyturvy with their abortive attempts at creation. But the women will set it all right in time; let them have free scope."

"But when is this happy revolution to be made? for I suppose you date it from the publication of your book."

"O! of course. That depends upon my publisher. I see he dreads to throw up the reins of government himself, as well as to see them drop from the hands of his fellows, so he delays. If he were not a man of honor he would, I fear, burn my manuscript; but being such, he contents himself with keeping back my proof-sheets, telling me something like this, that my Tale is not of much But I will now give you my last chapter."

account.