“If the undertaking fails in Halle, we must starve, then,” said a trembling voice.

Eckhof said nothing; he crossed the room to his writing-table, and took out a well-filled purse.  “I do not say that we shall succeed in Halle, that is, succeed as the merchants and Jews do; we go as missionaries, resolved to bear hunger and thirst, if need be, for the cause we love and believe in.  Look, this purse contains what remains of my profits from the last two months and from my benefit last night.  It is all I have; take it and divide it amongst you.  It will, at least, suffice to support you all for one month.”

“Will you accept this?” said Joseph, with glowing cheeks.

“No, we will not accept it; what we do we will do freely, and no man shall fetter us by his generosity or magnanimity, not even Eckhof.”

Eckhof was radiant with joy.  “Hear, now—­I have another proposition to make.  You have refused my offer for yourselves, but you dare not refuse it for your children; take this money and divide it equally amongst your wives and children.  With this gold you shall buy yourselves free for a while from your families.”

After a long and eloquent persuasion, Eckhof’s offer was accepted, and divided fairly.  He looked on with a kindly smile.

“I now stand exactly as I did when I resolved two years ago to be an actor.  Before that I was an honest clerk; from day to day I vegetated, and thanked God, when, after eight hours’ hard work, I could enjoy a little fresh air and the evening sunshine, and declaim to the fields and groves my favorite lines from the great authors.  It is probable I should still have been a poor clerk and a dreamer, if my good genius had not stood by me and given me a powerful blow, which awakened me from dreaming to active life.  The justice of the peace, whose clerk I was, commanded me to serve behind his carriage as a footman; this aroused my anger and my self-respect, and I left him, determined rather to die of hunger than to submit to such humiliation.  My good genius was again at hand, and gave me courage to follow the promptings of my heart, and become an actor.  He who will be great has the strength to achieve greatness.  Let us go onward, then, with bold hearts.”  He gave his hand to his friends and dismissed them, warning them to prepare for their journey.

“You are determined to go to Halle?” said Frederedorf, who had remained behind for the last greeting.

“We will go to Halle; it is the seat of the Muses, and belongs, therefore, to us.”

Joseph shook his head sadly.  “I know Halle,” said he.  “You call it the seat of the Muses.  I know it only as the seat of pedantry.  You will soon know and confess this.  There is nothing more narrow-minded, jealous, arrogant, and conceited than a Halle professor.  He sees no merit in any thing but himself and a few old dusty Greeks and Romans, and even these are only great because the professor of Halle has shown them the honor to explain and descant upon them.  But, you are resolved—­I would go with you to prison and to death; in short, I will follow you to Halle.”