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fellow；〃 I said； 〃I should take some satisfaction in seeing you
immediately leave Homburg。〃
〃Immediately？〃
〃To…dayas soon as you can get ready。〃
He looked at me； surprised； and little by little he blushed。 〃There
is something I have not told you；〃 he said； 〃something that your
saying that Madame Blumenthal has no reputation to lose has made me
half afraid to tell you。〃
〃I think I can guess it。 Madame Blumenthal has asked you to come and
play her game for her again。〃
〃Not at all！〃 cried Pickering； with a smile of triumph。 〃She says
that she means to play no more for the present。 She has asked me to
come and take tea with her this evening。〃
〃Ah； then；〃 I said； very gravely； 〃of course you can't leave
Homburg。〃
He answered nothing； but looked askance at me； as if he were
expecting me to laugh。 〃Urge it strongly；〃 he said in a moment。
〃Say it's my dutythat I MUST。〃
I didn't quite understand him； but； feathering the shaft with a
harmless expletive； I told him that unless he followed my advice I
would never speak to him again。
He got up； stood before me； and struck the ground with his stick。
〃Good！〃 he cried； 〃I wanted an occasion to break a ruleto leap a
barrier。 Here it is。 I stay！〃
I made him a mock bow for his energy。 〃That's very fine；〃 I said；
〃but now； to put you in a proper mood for Madame Blumenthal's tea； we
will go and listen to the band play Schubert under the lindens。〃 And
we walked back through the woods。
I went to see Pickering the next day； at his inn； and on knocking； as
directed； at his door； was surprised to hear the sound of a loud
voice within。 My knock remained unnoticed； so I presently introduced
myself。 I found no company； but I discovered my friend walking up
and down the room and apparently declaiming to himself from a little
volume bound in white vellum。 He greeted me heartily； threw his book
on the table； and said that he was taking a German lesson。
〃And who is your teacher？〃 I asked； glancing at the book。
He rather avoided meeting my eye； as he answered； after an instant's
delay； 〃Madame Blumenthal。〃
〃Indeed！ Has she written a grammar？〃
〃It's not a grammar； it's a tragedy。〃 And he handed me the book。
I opened it； and beheld； in delicate type； with a very large margin；
an Historisches Trauerspiel in five acts； entitled 〃Cleopatra。〃
There were a great many marginal corrections and annotations；
apparently from the author's hand； the speeches were very long； and
there was an inordinate number of soliloquies by the heroine。 One of
them； I remember； towards the end of the play； began in this fashion
…
〃What； after all； is life but sensation； and sensation but
deception？reality that pales before the light of one's dreams as
Octavia's dull beauty fades beside mine？ But let me believe in some
intenser bliss； and seek it in the arms of death！〃
〃It seems decidedly passionate；〃 I said。 〃Has the tragedy ever been
acted？〃
〃Never in public； but Madame Blumenthal tells me that she had it
played at her own house in Berlin； and that she herself undertook the
part of the heroine。〃
Pickering's unworldly life had not been of a sort to sharpen his
perception of the ridiculous； but it seemed to me an unmistakable
sign of his being under the charm； that this information was very
soberly offered。 He was preoccupied； he was irresponsive to my
experimental observations on vulgar topicsthe hot weather； the inn；
the advent of Adelina Patti。 At last； uttering his thoughts； he
announced that Madame Blumenthal had proved to be an extraordinarily
interesting woman。 He seemed to have quite forgotten our long talk
in the Hartwaldt； and betrayed no sense of this being a confession
that he had taken his plunge and was floating with the current。 He
only remembered that I had spoken slightingly of the lady； and he now
hinted that it behoved me to amend my opinion。 I had received the
day before so strong an impression of a sort of spiritual
fastidiousness in my friend's nature； that on hearing now the
striking of a new hour； as it were； in his consciousness； and
observing how the echoes of the past were immediately quenched in its
music； I said to myself that it had certainly taken a delicate hand
to wind up that fine machine。 No doubt Madame Blumenthal was a
clever woman。 It is a good German custom at Homburg to spend the
hour preceding dinner in listening to the orchestra in the Kurgarten；
Mozart and Beethoven； for organisms in which the interfusion of soul
and sense is peculiarly mysterious； are a vigorous stimulus to the
appetite。 Pickering and I conformed； as we had done the day before；
to the fashion； and when we were seated under the trees； he began to
expatiate on his friend's merits。
〃I don't know whether she is eccentric or not；〃 he said； 〃to me every
one seems eccentric； and it's not for me； yet a while； to measure
people by my narrow precedents。 I never saw a gaming table in my
life before； and supposed that a gambler was of necessity some dusky
villain with an evil eye。 In Germany； says Madame Blumenthal； people
play at roulette as they play at billiards； and her own venerable
mother originally taught her the rules of the game。 It is a
recognised source of subsistence for decent people with small means。
But I confess Madame Blumenthal might do worse things than play at
roulette； and yet make them harmonious and beautiful。 I have never
been in the habit of thinking positive beauty the most excellent
thing in a woman。 I have always said to myself that if my heart were
ever to be captured it would be by a sort of general gracea
sweetness of motion and toneon which one could count for soothing
impressions； as one counts on a musical instrument that is perfectly
in tune。 Madame Blumenthal has itthis grace that soothes and
satisfies； and it seems the more perfect that it keeps order and
harmony in a character really passionately ardent and active。 With
her eager nature and her innumerable accomplishments nothing would be
easier than that she should seem restless and aggressive。 You will
know her； and I leave you to judge whether she does seem so！ She has
every gift； and culture has done everything for each。 What goes on
in her mind I of course can't say； what reaches the observerthe
admireris simply a sort of fragrant emanation of intelligence and
sympathy。〃
〃Madame Blumenthal；〃 I said； smiling； 〃might be the loveliest woman
in the world； and you the object of her choicest favours； and yet
what I should most envy you would be； not your peerless friend； but
your beautiful imagination。〃
〃That's a polite way of calling me a fool；〃 said Pickering。 〃You are
a sceptic； a cynic； a satirist！ I hope I shall be a long time coming
to that。〃
〃You will make the journey fast if you travel by express trains。 But
pray tell me； have you ventured to intimate to Madame Blumenthal your
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