“But then you do not want to tell everybody what you do think,” said the naturalist.

“I don’t care much about it!” said Elizabeth.  “I think that is a trifle, Mr. Herder.”

“Which is?” —­ said the naturalist.

“What people think about me.”

“You do not think so?”

“I do.”

“I am sorry,” said the naturalist.

“Why?”

“It is not goot, for people to not care what ozer people thinks about them.”

“Why isn’t it good?  I think it is.  I am sure it is comfortable.”

“It shews they have a mind to do something what ozer people will not like.”

“Very well! —­”

“Dat is not goot.”

“Maybe it is good, Mr. Herder.  People are not always right in their expectations.”

“It is better to go smooth wiz people,” said the naturalist shaking his head a little.

“Or without them,” said Elizabeth.

“Question, can you do that?” said Rufus.

“What?” said his brother.

“Live smoothly, or live at all, without regard to other people.”

“It is of the world at large I was speaking,” said Elizabeth.  “Of course there are some few, a very few, whose word —­ and whose thought —­ one would care for and strive for, —­ that is not what I mean.”

“And who are those few fine persons?” said Mr. Herder significantly.

“He is unhappy that doesn’t know one or two,” Elizabeth answered with infinite gravity.

“And the opinions of the rest of men you would despise?” said Rufus.

“Utterly! —­ so far as they trenched upon my freedom of action.”

“You can’t live so,” said Rufus shaking his head.

“I will live so, if I live at all.”

“Wint’rop, you do not say nozing,” said the naturalist.

“What need, sir?”

“Dere is always need for everybody to say what he thinks,” said Mr. Herder.  “Here we have all got ourselves in a puzzle, and we don’t know which way we stand.”

“I am afraid every man must get out of that puzzle for himself, sir.”

“Is it a puzzle at all?” said Elizabeth facing round upon him.

“Not when you have got out of it.”

“Well, what’s the right road out of it?”

“Break through everything in the way,” said Rufus.  “That seems to be the method in favour.”

“What do you think is the right way?” Elizabeth repeated without looking at the last speaker.

“If you set your face in the right quarter, there is always a straight road out in that direction,” Winthrop answered with a little bit of a smile.

“Doesn’t that come pretty near my rule?” said Elizabeth with a smile much broader.

“I think not.  If I understood, your rule was to make a straight road out for yourself in any direction.”

Elizabeth laughed and coloured a little, with no displeased expression.  The laugh subsided and her face became very grave again as the gentlemen made their parting bows.