the prize. The verdict passed upon it was to the effect that the
treatise was thorough in its way, and that it would have been awarded
the prize had the question asked been that of determining the
correlation between History and Fiction in general, but that under the
circumstances it dwelt too cursorily on Romance and was only deemed
deserving of "a very honourable mention."

Favourable as this result was, it was nevertheless a blow to me, who had
made my plans for the following years dependent on whether I won the
prize or not. Julius Lange, who knocked at my door one evening to tell
me the result, was the witness of my disappointment. "I can understand,"
he said, "that you should exclaim: _'Oleum et operam perdidi!'_,
but you must not give up hope for so little. It is a good thing that you
prohibited the opening of the paper giving your name in the event of the
paper not winning the prize, for no one will trouble their heads about
the flattering criticism and an honourable mention would only harm you
in People's eyes; it would stamp you with the mark of mediocrity."


V.

The anonymous recipient of the honourable mention nevertheless
determined to call upon his judges, make their acquaintance, and let
them know who he was.

I went first to Hauch, who resided at that time at Frederiksberg Castle,
in light and lofty rooms. Hauch appeared exaggeratedly obliging, the old
man of seventy and over paying me, young man as I was, one compliment
after the other. The treatise was "extraordinarily good," they had been
very sorry not to give me the prize; but I was not to bear them any ill-