34-第3部分

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ok　them　with　her　one　night　to　a　select　symposium；　held　in　honor　of　several　celebrities。　
Jo　went　prepared　to　bow　down　and　adore　the　mighty　ones　whom　she　had　worshiped　with　youthful　enthusiasm　afar　off。　But　her　reverence　for　genius　received　a　severe　shock　that　night；　and　it　took　her　some　time　to　recover　from　the　discovery　that　the　great　creatures　were　only　men　and　women　after　all。　Imagine　her　dismay；　on　stealing　a　glance　of　timid　admiration　at　the　poet　whose　lines　suggested　an　ethereal　being　fed　on　‘spirit；　fire；　and　dew'；　to　behold　him　devouring　his　supper　with　an　ardor　which　flushed　his　intellectual　countenance。　Turning　as　from　a　fallen　idol；　she　made　other　discoveries　which　rapidly　dispelled　her　romantic　illusions。　The　great　novelist　vibrated　between　two　decanters　with　the　regularity　of　a　pendulum；　the　famous　divine　flirted　openly　with　one　of　the　Madame　de　Staels　of　the　age；　who　looked　daggers　at　another　Corinne；　who　was　amiably　satirizing　her；　after　outmaneuvering　her　in　efforts　to　absorb　the　profound　philosopher；　who　imbibed　tea　Johnsonianly　and　appeared　to　slumber；　the　loquacity　of　the　lady　rendering　speech　impossible。　The　scientific　celebrities；　forgetting　their　mollusks　and　glacial　periods；　gossiped　about　art；　while　devoting　themselves　to　oysters　and　ices　with　characteristic　energy；　the　young　musician；　who　was　charming　the　city　like　a　second　Orpheus；　talked　horses；　and　the　specimen　of　the　British　nobility　present　happened　to　be　the　most　ordinary　man　of　the　party。　
Before　the　evening　was　half　over；　Jo　felt　so　completely　disillusioned；　that　she　sat　down　in　a　corner　to　recover　herself。　Mr。　Bhaer　soon　joined　her；　looking　rather　out　of　his　element；　and　presently　several　of　the　philosophers；　each　mounted　on　his　hobby；　came　ambling　up　to　hold　an　intellectual　tournament　in　the　recess。　The　conversations　were　miles　beyond　Jo's　comprehension；　but　she　enjoyed　it；　though　Kant　and　Hegel　were　unknown　gods；　the　Subjective　and　Objective　unintelligible　terms；　and　the　only　thing　‘evolved　from　her　inner　consciousness'　was　a　bad　headache　after　it　was　all　over。　It　dawned　upon　her　gradually　that　the　world　was　being　picked　to　pieces；　and　put　together　on　new　and；　according　to　the　talkers；　on　infinitely　better　principles　than　before；　that　religion　was　in　a　fair　way　to　be　reasoned　into　nothingness；　and　intellect　was　to　be　the　only　God。　Jo　knew　nothing　about　philosophy　or　metaphysics　of　any　sort；　but　a　curious　excitement；　half　pleasurable；　half　painful；　came　over　her　as　she　listened　with　a　sense　of　being　turned　adrift　into　time　and　space；　like　a　young　balloon　out　on　a　holiday。　
She　looked　round　to　see　how　the　Professor　liked　it；　and　found　him　looking　at　her　with　the　grimest　expression　she　had　ever　seen　him　wear。　He　shook　his　head　and　beckoned　her　to　come　away；　but　she　was　fascinated　just　then　by　the　freedom　of　Speculative　Philosophy；　and　kept　her　seat；　trying　to　find　out　what　the　wise　gentlemen　intended　to　rely　upon　after　they　had　annihilated　all　the　old　beliefs。　
Now；　Mr。　Bhaer　was　a　diffident　man　and　slow　to　offer　his　own　opinions；　not　because　they　were　unsettled；　but　too　sincere　and　earnest　to　be　lightly　spoken。　As　he　glanced　from　Jo　to　several　other　young　people；　attracted　by　the　brilliancy　of　the　philosophic　pyrotechnics；　he　knit　his　brows　and　longed　to　speak；　fearing　that　some　inflammable　young　soul　would　be　led　astray　by　the　rockets；　to　find　when　the　display　was　over　that　they　had　only　an　empty　stick　or　a　scorched　hand。　
He　bore　it　as　long　as　he　could；　but　when　he　was　appealed　to　for　an　opinion；　he　blazed　up　with　honest　indignation　and　defended　religion　with　all　the　eloquence　of　truthan　eloquence　which　made　his　broken　English　musical　and　his　plain　face　beautiful。　He　had　a　hard　fight；　for　the　wise　men　argued　well；　but　he　didn't　know　when　he　was　beaten　and　stood　to　his　colors　like　a　man。　Somehow；　as　he　talked；　the　world　got　right　again　to　Jo。　The　old　beliefs；　that　had　lasted　so　long；　seemed　better　than　the　new。　God　was　not　a　blind　force；　and　immortality　was　not　a　pretty　fable；　but　a　blessed　fact。　She　felt　as　if　she　had　solid　ground　under　her　feet　again；　and　when　Mr。　Bhaer　paused；　outtalked　but　not　one　whit　convinced；　Jo　wanted　to　clap　her　hands　and　thank　him。　
She　did　neither；　but　she　remembered　the　scene；　and　gave　the　Professor　her　heartiest　respect；　for　she　knew　it　cost　him　an　effort　to　speak　out　then　and　there；　because　his　conscience　would　not　let　him　be　silent。　She　began　to　see　that　character　is　a　better　possession　than　money；　rank；　intellect；　or　beauty；　and　to　feel　that　if　greatness　is　what　a　wise　man　has　defined　it　to　be；　‘truth；　reverence；　and　good　will'；　then　her　friend　friedrich　Bhaer　was　not　only　good；　but　great。　
This　belief　strengthened　daily。　She　valued　his　esteem；　she　coveted　his　respect；　she　wanted　to　be　worthy　of　his　friendship；　and　just　when　the　wish　was　sincerest；　she　came　near　to　losing　everything。　It　all　grew　out　of　a　cocked　hat；　for　one　evening　the　Professor　came　in　to　give　Jo　her　lesson　with　a　paper　soldier　cap　on　his　head；　which　Tina　had　put　there　and　he　had　forgotten　to　take　off。　
〃It's　evident　he　doesn't　look　in　his　glass　before　coming　down；〃　thought　Jo；　with　a　smile；　as　he　said　〃Goot　efening；〃　and　sat　soberly　down；　quite　unconscious　of　the　ludicrous　contrast　between　his　subject　and　his　headgear；　for　he　was　going　to　read　her　the　Death　of　Wallenstein。　
She　said　nothing　at　first；　for　she　liked　to　hear　him　laugh　out　his　big；　hearty　laugh　when　anything　funny　happened；　so　she　left　him　to　discover　it　for　himself；　and　presently　forgot　all　about　it；　for　to　hear　a　German　read　Schiller　is　rather　an　absorbing　occupation。　After　the　reading　came　the　lesson；　which　was　a　lively　one；　for　Jo　was　in　a　gay　mood　that　night；　and　the　cocked　hat　kept　her　eyes　dancing　with　merriment。　The　Professor　didn't　know　what　to　make　of　her；　and　stopped　at　last　to　ask　with　an　air　of　mild　surprise　that　was　irresistible　。。。
〃Mees　Marsch；　for　what　do　you　laugh　in　your　master's　face？　Haf　you　no　respect　for　me；　that　you　go　on　so　bad？〃　
〃How　can　I　be　respectful；　Sir；　when　you　forget　to　take　your　hat　off？〃　said　Jo。　
Lifting　his　hand　to　his　head；　the　absent…minded　Professor　gravely　felt　and　removed　the　little　cocked　hat；　looked　at　it　a　minute；　and　then　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed　like　a　merry　bass　viol。　
〃Ah！　I　see　him　now；　it　is　that　imp　Tina　who　makes　me　a　fool　with　my　cap。　Well；　it　is　nothing；　but　see　you；　if　this　lesson　goes　not　well；　you　too　shall　wear　him。〃　
But　the　lesson　did　not　go　at　all　for　a　few　minutes　because　Mr。　Bhaer　caught　sight　of　a　picture　on　the　hat；　and　unfolding　it；　said　with　great　disgust；　〃I　wish　these　papers　did　not　come　in　the　house。　They　are　not　for　children　to　see；　nor　young　people　to　read。　It　is　not　well；　and　I　haf　no　patience　with　those　who　make　this　harm。〃　
Jo　glanced　at　the　sheet　and　saw　a　pleasing　illustration　composed　of　a　lunatic；　a　corpse；　a　villian；　and　a　viper。　She　did　not　like　it；　but　the　impulse　that　made　her　turn　it　over　was　not　one　of　displeasure　but　fear；　because　for　a　minute　she　fancied　the　paper　was　the　Volcano。　It　was　not；　however；　and　her　panic　subsided　as　she　remembered　that　even　if　it　had　been　and　one　of　her　own　tales　in　it；　there　would　have　been　no　name　to　betray　her。　She　had　betrayed　herself；　howe