lofty baldness will assuredly be seen with time.  Meanwhile, you cannot escape the internal intimations of your unsoundness.  A man’s pride is the front and headpiece of his character, his soul’s support or snare.  Look to it in youth.  I have to thank the interminable hours on my wretched sick-bed for a singularly beneficial investigation of the ledger of my deeds and omissions and moral stock.  Perhaps it has already struck you that one who takes the trouble to sit and write his history for as large a world as he can obtain, and shape his style to harmonize with every development of his nature, can no longer have much of the hard grain of pride in him.  A proud puppet-showman blowing into Pandaean pipes is an inconceivable object, except to those who judge of characteristics from posture.

It began to be observed by others that my father was not the most comforting of nurses to me.  My landlady brought a young girl up to my room, and introduced her under the name of Lieschen, saying that she had for a long time been interested in me, and had been diligent in calling to inquire for news of my condition.  Commanded to speak for herself, this Lieschen coloured and said demurely, ’I am in service here, sir, among good-hearted people, who will give me liberty to watch by you, for three hours of the afternoon and three of the early part of the night, if you will honour me.’

My father took her shoulder between finger and thumb, and slightly shook her to each ejaculation of his emphatic ’No! no! no! no!  What! a young maiden nurse to a convalescent young gentleman!  Why, goodness gracious me!  Eh?’

She looked at me softly, and I said I wished her to come.

My father appealed to the sagacity of the matron.  So jealous was he of a suggested partner in his task that he had refused my earnest requests to have Mr. Peterborough to share the hours of watching by my side.  The visits of college friends and acquaintances were cut very short, he soon reduced them to talk in a hush with thumbs and nods and eyebrows; and if it had not been so annoying to me, I could have laughed at his method of accustoming the regular visitors to make ready, immediately after greeting, for his affectionate dismissal of them.  Lieschen went away with the mute blessing of his finger on one of her modest dimples; but, to his amazement, she returned in the evening.  He gave her a lecture, to which she listened attentively, and came again in the morning.  He was petrified.  ‘Idiots, insects, women, and the salt sea ocean!’ said he, to indicate a list of the untameables, without distressing the one present, and, acknowledging himself beaten, he ruefully accepted his holiday.

The girl was like sweet Spring in my room.  She spoke of Sarkeld familiarly.  She was born in that neighbourhood, she informed me, and had been educated by a dear great lady.  Her smile of pleasure on entering the room one morning, and seeing me dressed and sitting in a grand-fatherly chair by the breezy window, was like a salutation of returning health.  My father made another stand against the usurper of his privileges; he refused to go out.