Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/622

 "Has not the body its rights as well as the soul?"—he had demanded. For some days he received no answer from Eduard to his letter and poem. He had misgivings. He waited uneasily. "—I shall never find his like—one does not meet twice such a pair of eyes." This last touch is eloquent of the nature of Platen's sentiment. But at last came Schmidtlein's answer (Oct, 18)—"a horrible letter from Eduard," in which Schmidtlein in a stern and formal communication (addressed "Herr Graf") broke off any and all further relations between them, forbade Platen to write him, to speak to. him, even to look at him on the street,—after such an evidence of his "monstrous lasciviousness." etc. etc. Platen was overwhelmed; but even now he declares that this letter is "what I have deserved." .. "I shall never see him again: I will leave his country .. I regard myself as a wretch who fears himself. The weight of his curse is on me." He sent his Diary, along with a full letter of 'confession' to that good and true old friend Max von Gruber. Gruber returned the Journal, with the judicious answer already cited; and also prophecied that Schmidtlein would resume friendly relations with. Platen "—even if he will never love you again." Curiously enough, Platen had sealed up part of the Diary from even Gruber; but Gruber broke the seals and read all—not to Platen's regret.

Gruber had prophecied right. Despite that robust tempest, certain brief, pacific notes were presently exchanged; and when Platen and Eduard met again, at Erlangen University, each promptly "made up" their violent difference. And the more carefully we look into this romantic bond and its episodes, between two young men not over well-suited to be too. closely linked, the more its obscurities clear. There is no doubt that Eduard Schmidtlein cared deeply for the intellectual, enthusiastic Platen: but also little doubt that Eduard availed himself of a merely passing incident to break their tie