Page:Stories Translated from the German.djvu/206

 tongue, because he could neither find winged nor crawling words in the foreign language. In this emergency, a beautiful girl, a younger sister of the traveller, then stepped forward as interpretress. and translated the ideas of the lecturer, who delivered them in the German tongue to this kind intervening angel.

This method of philosophical conversation was afterwards adopted, in preference to the earlier one. The hours devoted to philosophy became more and more frequent, and also more confidential. Both these charming young women hung upon the lips of their persuasive teacher, who uttered so many new things, such as they never had heard before. They thought that they understood him, and he, who saw their admiration, did not doubt of it. It was not unnatural, therefore, that after the constrained lecture hours, they should refresh themselves with lighter conversations; and here again the young professor showed the ladies all kinds of arts of his German gallantry.

The lecturer met his female scholars in different parties, at the houses of their mutual friends, but he preferred visiting them at their own residence. It was natural, and could not be taken amiss, if