Wilhelm Tschirch

“ But now, it seems to me that the rising is just as beautiful-rising in all the crimson glow to light the earth, to rule over it, to bring the day. I cannot make it out—I do not understand; but since that sermon on Sunday—I don’t believe Dr. Crawford made it himself he couldn’t: he is not the man to think the things he said—since then, everything has seemed different: even myself. It is as though I had wings, and were pluming them for flight—only I do not know whither.”
She was scarcely speaking to John Carteret now. ”

“ If you are going to be a preacher, you will have to know more than he does. You must learn what these things mean. Do you know? Can you tell me?”
And the scornful tone changed into pleading, as she finished her speech.
“ Can you tell me?”
Did he know? So he asked himself, and he answered within himself—
“ Not until now.”
And now the revelation came—came to him through his own soul; and his own soul told him that, in the crimson morning light of awakening, the Soul beside him was struggling into existence—was beginning to feel, to hear, to speak. ”

“ ONE must ascend into poetry from prose, and also descend into prose from poetry. There are few who have not felt this; and, perhaps, to ascend and descend gracefully is the art of living—in an aesthetic sense. ”

“ The world is not half full yet; the world is not over-crowded; the world is not drained of its resources. The fault is in the man, and not in the world. Look to it, ye who study mankind, and know the successful and the unsuccessful ones.
So John Carteret fell to musing; and his musing brought to him a new spirit of strength. It was early morning, with the fresh, invigorating hope-breezes playing upon his brow. The noontide had not come: there had been no time for scorching and withering.
Diana also fell to musing ”

“ Life is an alternation of the two conditions, though the proportions in each individual life differ greatly according to circumstances. In some lives, the prose greatly predominates; indeed, in some, but a passing gleam of the poetic is experienced. In others, the prose and poetry are tolerably balanced; and some favoured few get even more than a due share of the latter, though in none does the poetic entirely prevail.
Diana's first interview with John Carteret had been under the poetic condition. Her second partook of the prose side of life. ”

“ Seaton, who had been watching the colour rising in Diana’s face, and expected an outburst, proposed that Mr. Carteret’s opinion of the new piano should be asked.
“ Will you look at it?” asked Diana, endeavouring to crush down her anger, as she saw John Carteret’s quiet glance fixed upon her.
“ With pleasure.”
But as they passed through the hall, Diana said—
“ It is too hot to stay in the house. It is very cool among the pines, and the view is worth seeing.” ”

“ The storms had been fewer of late, for Diana had taken less notice of the manifold small vexations of life that had heretofore called forth her indignation. In fact, she had scarcely perceived them; for it is wonderful how blind happiness makes one to annoyances that would at other times sorely try the temper! Ah! it is very easy to be pleasant and amiable when one is very happy. All the world has felt it ”

“ I have an intuitive feeling when I can trust a person.”
“ I feel flattered,” he answered. “ May I consider, then, that you will add me to your list of friends?”
Diana’s eyes gleamed with a deeper light.
“ Yes,” she said; “I shall be glad to have you for a friend. I have only three: Signor Neri, and his sister, and Madame de Mouline.”
“All foreigners!”
“ No; Madame de Mouline is Jasper’s sister. She is much older than Jasper, and married a Frenchman. But she will not be my friend long, I am afraid—I think she will die, though Mrs. Seaton will not hear of such a thing. ”

“ Crawford.”
“ No—Di has not favoured me,” replied Dr. Crawford. “ Any Worcestershire sauce, Smith?”
“ Di plays beautifully now, doctor. Signor Neri has quite done his duty. And you can’t imagine the immense relief it is to me that Di can sing and play so well; it quite does away with my being obliged to invite poor little Neri to do the musical part for me at my dinner parties. To be sure, he only came to coffee: for one could not invite him to sit at table with one’s guests.”
“ Why not?” interposed Diana, suddenly. “ If one can accept a favour from a person, one puts oneself on an equality.” ”

“ Honourable!” exclaimed Diana, fairly roused. “John Carteret is an angel. How dare you to speak of him so?—you, who are not to compare to him in goodness and in—”
“ Don’t go into a passion, Di,” interrupted Jasper, calmly. “ If Mr. Carteret is honourable, as you seem to believe, he may take my view of things when I have spoken to him, and laid the subject clearly before him. He has not a penny, I hear; and you”— here he hesitated slightly—“are penniless. It is ridiculous. At any rate, I have to act for your good. And if you persist in your folly, you will have to wait until you are of age ”

“ Crawford?” she asked, flinging down her hat with an impetuous jerk.
“ Because he is of the earth earthy?” asked her companion, without directly replying to the question. “Nonsense—what are you going to do in the world?”
Diana looked up in wonderment, and then she answered, in so mournful a voice that John Carteret could not help smiling—
“ I don’t know.”
“ Every one has two sides,” began John Carteret.
“ That is just what I dislike,” interrupted Diana. “ People ought only to have one.”
“ Entirely good or entirely bad? The world would then be peopled with either monsters or angels ”

“ There is an air of—of—something that is not quite respectable about the very word itself—suggestive of spies, contrabandists, agitators, subverters of order, innovators—and there is nothing so much to be guarded against as innovation of any kind. ”

“ An odd sensation flitted through John Carteret’s mind at this mention of Jasper for which he could not account, and a strange curiosity to know something about him.
Presently he was satisfied, for Diana went on—
“ Jasper is my guardian. You would not like him, though he can be agreeable enough if he chooses—but no one can depend upon him. He thinks one thing one minute, and something quite different the next—just according to the humour he is in. Besides, he is very passionate ”

“ And Diana began to play at poverty in her scantily furnished rooms, and found it very easy work. People did not want half the things they thought they required. She was just as well off without curtains, and, soft carpets, and gilded furniture ”