A Hero of the Pen

ro of

oper or not. Not that she had any especial inclination for solitary dreamy roamings, but she wished to become acquainted with t

e. Wearied with the long walk, she sat down upon a relic of the old wall, and leaning against the rock, gazed far out into the landscape. The misty veil which, on the

ord, not even when she had seen her mother die of the malady,--not even when it had so overpowered her father in his dying hour. Now, when she trod the soil, to which she, a stranger in all else, still belonged by the sacred right of birth, there rose within her soul, dimly and mysteriously, as it were a dista

w hedge, from whose buds the first green of spring burst forth, when that gray veil enveloped all around, and only the murmur of the river broke through the silence; then it had for the first time awakened, and, in an unaccountable manner, it always attached itself to the form of the man who had at that time stood near her. Jane thought only seldom, and always with a sort of aversion

sight of her. He started back, and made a movement to turn around, but all at once, the impoliteness of such a step seemed to dawn upon him; after a moment's hesitation, he bowed silen

emed that they would preserve the usual silence to-day. The professor had arrived, exhausted, and out of breath; neither the weariness of the long pathway, nor the exertion of climbing, which he had so conscientiously undertaken in response to his physician's order for moderate exercise in the open air, had sufficed t

vigorously lifted her, so easily and safely carried her; and that quick flush of excitement at her question of his strength, had been anything but an indication of illness.

nate silence of the professor left her no choice but to open the conversation, and she had

d, and it seemed as if he made an effort to retai

in the environs of B. I visit

s perhaps v

ummer, when I must dedicate all

earned work?" asked Jane i

the professor with an empha

s curled i

this is both a thankless and fruitless

ehend how one can lay his whole life, a free-will offering upon the altar of science, and write books which, like yours, Professor

nor wounded. He fixed his large melancholy eyes on the young lady's face. She already half regretted having begun the conversation, for if she could

at I do it of my own free will?" he

mself to be forced into such

able, as a youth I was restlessly impelled onward, to exert my capabilities to the utmost, until at last the goal was reached. Whatever I in youth possessed of health or poetry, was irretrievably lost in t

e? Surely if anything could have lowered this man in her eyes it was the confession he had just made. And so, not even from conviction or from inspiration, but from habit, from a vague sentiment of duty, he was working himself to death! To Jane's energe

mountains in their clear, transparent outlines caught a new lustre from the rosy light which enwrapt all the towns and villages lying at the mountain's base; which flashed and flamed in the green and golden waters of the Rhine as they

he dark ivy which had woven around it its thick green meshes, while the wild, luxuriant vines hanging ove

ation, that she had not remarked the professor standing close by her

s admiration from you?" he asked

he weakness of which she had been guilty in this respect. She had certainly always retaine

Professor Fernow, I find some very charming features in this landsc

had not rightly understood, while his glance, in

who, like me, has lived upon the shores of the great Mississippi, who has seen the magnificence of Niagara, who

ushed--a sign that he w

er standards, which might perhaps seem petty to you; but I assure you that your landscapes

know them so

d

able to give so positive a verdict in regard to them. You appear to think our Mississippi region a desert, but you sho

present moment! Your giant river, Miss Forest, with its thousand steamers, with its thriving populous cities and luxuriant shores, can never give

he voiceless silence of every rocky cliff. From our mountains, from our castles, the mighty forms of the past descend; in our cities, the old races rise again in their pristine might and splendor; our cathedrals, memorials of imperishable magnificence and power, tower

with excitement. She listened to the deep, fervid tones of his voice, she yielded to the spell of his eloquence, where word crowded upon word, picture upon picture, and it seemed to her as if here also a misty veil had been riven, a

ole pride and obstinacy of her nature arrayed themselves against this power, which for some moments had held her in willess control, against this influence that had so o

a poet, Professor Ferno

iscord had met his ear; the flush in his

e said in a hal

een saying did not so

, and passed his han

ribe it to my ignorance of the rules of society,--whose first precept is

her vexation, quite overlooked the deep and painful excitement which had goaded the professor to a bitterness so unusual with him; and she did not cease her thrusts. She could not deny herself the dangerous satisfaction of calling forth those lightning-like gleams of anger from the calm, dre

ed this susceptibility in so extraordinary a way; but really, in

h stand infinitely

was created for deeds and not for dreams!

uently you

he resolved to wound; and it seemed indeed as if she had succeeded. A deep red flush mounted to Fernow's forehead. S

mpt, Miss Forest," he said, "and there are t

I have no

et assert its right, like the home-bud at that

atures never betrayed what was passing there? What induced him, with such exasperating clearness, to bring to light sentiments which she herself would not confess? For the first time that indefinable oppression she alwa

your penetrating glance has so deceived you. I alone am accountable for my sympathies and antipathies; besides, I assure you that I thoro

his face, and from his blue eyes darted a lightning glance that would have made any other than Jane tremble. For an instant a

him angry, angry as he had been that day when he had so hastily lifted and carri

t n

s pale but perfectly calm, and his voice lacked that pecul

free an expression of your opinions, I beg leave to remind you that I do not belong to that circle, and will not tolerate direct insults. I shoul

Miss Forest herself had at her command for persons not agr

d looked with sympathetic contempt! The contempt indeed was over, but who could have dreamed that this man, so timid, so helpless in every-day life, could in a moment, when the conventional barriers fell, become so unmasked! In the midst of her resentment, Jane experienc

o had forced upon her the first humiliation; hated him with the whole energy of a proud, spoiled nature, which had deemed itself unapproachable, and now for the first time had found its master. The costly lace of her handkerchief had to atone; it lay torn in pieces on the ground; but she did not care.

th again!' Well, Professor Fernow, you may rely upon it that

teps she swept along the path leading down into the valley. There, dense shadows already lay, while thicker and thicker the twilight wove