"I have principally studied chemistry and physics, and I think of
devoting myself to the latter."

"Physics, oh yes. A wide and beautiful sphere. So much is included
in it. Electricity, galvanism, magnetism--those are all new
faculties very little known; and as regards submarine telegraph the
knowledge cannot be too useful."

"These sides of the question have not hitherto interested me. I ask
of physics the unlocking of the nature of things. It has not yet
given me the key, but it is something to know on what insecure,
weak, and limited experiments our vaunted knowledge of the existence
of the world of energy, of matter and their properties, depend."

Frau Ellrich looked at him approvingly.

"You speak beautifully, Herr Eynhardt, and it must be a great
enjoyment to hear you lecture."

"You will soon have a professorship, I suppose?" remarked Herr
Ellrich, turning around to the blushing Wilhelm.

"Oh, no!" said he quickly, "I do not aspire to that; I believe in
Faust's verse: 'Ich ziehe... meine Schuler an der Nase herum--Und
sehe dass wir nichts wissen konnen;' and I also bilde mir nicht ein,
Ich konnte was lehren.' I wonder at and envy the men who teach such
things with so much influence and conviction, and I am very grateful
to them for initiating me into their methods and power of working
properly. But there has never been a likelihood of my venturing to
approach young men and saying to them, 'You must work with me for