Page:Stories Translated from the German.djvu/208

 Thus stood the affairs. The philosopher was daily more and more adored by his admirers, who really had come to the town partly on his account. They wrote letters and billets to him, containing the most touching expressions of devotion, appearing to the happy man almost to border upon adoration, which however he blamed in secret. He purchased some rose-coloured gilt-edged note paper, in order to be able to answer his fair correspondents in a suitable manner; and was only extremely perplexed that the pure French characters were rounded off so clearly and distinctly, like copperplate, but which, notwithstanding, were sometimes read with great difficulty, on account of their extreme similarity. He had again given a lecture, and was enjoying the expectation of seeing his lovely friends, the following evening, at a party in the house of the ambassador.

Early in the morning, he received a long letter from the learned lady traveller, the elder sister. Some of his most confidential friends were assembled at his house at breakfast. The letter was opened, and the young professor read it with enraptured countenance. He communicated the contents to his friends. It contained the so