the　time；　but　went　up　to　my　room　and　began　writing　my　letters；　one
  of　which　was　to　my　lawyer；　sending　him　an　important　receipt。　　The
  dinner…bell　sounded　before　I　had　half　finished　this　letter；　but　I
  wrote　on；　determined　to　have　done　with　it　at　once；　in　case　the
  afternoon　should　offer　any　expedition　with　Bourgonef。
  At　dinner　he　quietly　intimated　that　Ivan　had　informed　him　of　my
  visit；　and　apologized　for　not　having　been　able　to　see　me。　　I；　of
  course；　assured　him　that　no　apology　was　necessary；　and　that　we　had
  plenty　of　time　to　visit　sculpture　together　without　intruding　on　his
  private　hours。　　He　informed　me　that　he　was　that　afternoon　going　to
  pay　a　visit　to　Schwanthaler；　the　sculptor；　and　if　I　desired　it；　he
  would　ask　permission　on　another　occasion　to　take　me　with　him。　　I
  jumped　at　the　proposal；　as　may　be　supposed。
  Dinner　over；　I　strolled　into　the　Englische　Garten；　and　had　my
  coffee　and　cigar　there。　　On　my　return　I　was　vexed　to　find　that　in
  the　hurry　of　finishing　my　letters　I　had　sealed　the　one　to　my
  lawyer；　and　had　not　enclosed　the　receipt　which　had　been　the　object
  of　writing。　　Fortunately　it　was　not　too　late。　　Descending　to　the
  bureau　of　the　hotel；　I　explained　my　mistake　to　the　head…waiter；　who
  unlocked　the　letter…box　to　search　for　my　letter。　　It　was　found　at
  once；　for　there　were　only　seven　or　eight　in　the　box。　　Among　these
  my　eye　naturally　caught　the　three　pink　letters　which　I　had　that
  morning　seen　Ivan　drop　into　the　box；　but　although　they　were　SEEN　by
  me　they　were　not　NOTICED　at　the　time；　my　mind　being　solely　occupied
  with　rectifying　the　stupid　blunder　I　had　made。
  Once　more　in　my　own　room　a　sudden　revelation　startled　me。　　Everyone
  knows　what　it　is　to　have　details　come　under　the　eye　which　the　mind
  first　interprets　long　after　the　eye　ceases　to　rest　upon　them。　　The
  impressions　are　received　passively；　but　they　are　registered；　and
  can　be　calmly　read　whenever　the　mind　is　in　activity。　　It　was　so
  now。　　I　suddenly；　as　if　now　for　the　first　time；　saw　that　the
  addresses　on　Bourgonef's　letters　were　written　in　a　fluent；　masterly
  hand；　bold　in　character；　and　with　a　certain　sweep　which　might　have
  come　from　a　painter。　　The　thrill　which　this　vision　gave　will　be
  intelligible　when　you　remember　that　Bourgonef　had　lost　or　pretended
  to　have　lost　his　right　arm；　and　was；　as　I　before　intimated；　far
  from　dexterous　with　his　left。　　That　no　man　recently　thrown　upon　the
  use　of　a　left　hand　could　have　written　those　addresses　was　too
  evident。　　What；　then；　was　the　alternative？　　The　empty　sleeve　was　an
  imposture！　　At　once　the　old　horrible　suspicion　returned；　and　this
  time　with　tenfold　violence；　and　with　damnatory　confirmation。
  Pressing　my　temples　between　my　hands；　I　tried　to　be　calm　and　to
  survey　the　evidence　without　precipitation；　but　for　some　time　the
  conflict　of　thoughts　was　too　violent。　　Whatever　might　be　the
  explanation；　clear　it　was　that　Bourgonef；　for　some　purposes；　was
  practising　a　deception；　and　had；　as　I　knew；　other　means　of
  disguising　his　appearance。　　This；　on　the　most　favorable
  interpretation；　branded　him　with　suspicion。　　This　excluded　him　from
  the　circle　of　honest　men。
  But　did　it　connect　him　with　the　murder　of　Lieschen　Lehfeldt？　　In　my
  thought　it　did　so　indubitably；　but　I　was　aware　of　the　difficulty　of
  making　this　clear　to　anyone　else。
  VI
  FIRST　LOVE
  If　the　reader　feels　that　my　suspicions　were　not　wholly　unwarranted；
  were　indeed　inevitable；　he　will　not　laugh　at　me　on　learning　that
  once　more　these　suspicions　were　set　aside；　and　the　factthe
  damnatory　fact；　as　I　regarded　itdiscovered　by　me　so　accidentally；
  and；　I　thought；　providentially；　was　robbed　of　all　its　significance
  by　Bourgonef　himself　casually　and　carelessly　avowing　it　in
  conversation；　just　as　one　may　avow　a　secret　infirmity；　with　some
  bitterness；　but　without　any　implication　of　deceit　in　its
  concealment。
  I　was　the　more　prepared　for　this　revulsion　of　feeling；　by　the
  difficulty　I　felt　in　maintaining　my　suspicions　in　the　presence　of
  one　so　gentle　and　so　refined。　　He　had　come　into　my　room　that
  evening　to　tell　me　of　his　visit　to　Schwanthaler；　and　of　the
  sculptor's　flattering　desire　to　make　my　personal　acquaintance。　　He
  spoke　of　Schwanthaler；　and　his　earnest　efforts　in　art；　with　so　much
  enthusiasm；　and　was　altogether　so　charming；　that　I　felt　abashed
  before　him；　incapable　of　ridding　myself　of　the　dreadful　suspicions；
  yet　incapable　of　firmly　believing　him　to　be　what　I　thought。　　But
  more　than　this；　there　came　the　new　interest　awakened　in　me　by　his
  story；　and　when；　in　the　course　of　his　story；　he　accidentally
  disclosed　the　fact　that　he　had　not　lost　his　arm；　all　my　suspicions
  vanished　at　once。
  We　had　got；　as　usual；　upon　politics；　and　were　differing　more　than
  usual；　because　he　gave　greater　prominence　to　his　sympathy　with　the
  Red　Republicans。　　He　accused　me　of　not　being　〃thorough…going；〃
  which　I　admitted。　　This　he　attributed　to　the　fact　of　my　giving　a
  divided　heart　to　politicsa　condition　natural　enough　at　my　age；
  and　with　my　hopes。　　〃Well；〃　said　I；　laughing；　〃you　don't　mean　to
  take　a　lofty　stand　upon　your　few　years'　seniority。　　If　my　age
  renders　it　natural；　does　yours　profoundly　alter　such　a　conviction？〃
  〃My　age；　no。　　But　you　have　the　hopes　of　youth。　　I　have　none。　　I　am
  banished　for　ever　from　the　joys　and　sorrows　of　domestic　life；　and
  therefore；　to　live　at　all；　must　consecrate　my　soul　to　great
  abstractions　and　public　affairs。〃
  〃But　why　banished；　unless　self…banished？〃
  〃Woman's　love　is　impossible。　　You　look　incredulous。　　I　do　not
  allude　to　this；〃　he　said；　taking　up　the　empty　sleeve；　and　by　so
  doing　sending　a　shiver　through　me。
  〃The　loss　of　your　arm；〃　I　saidand　my　voice　trembled　slightly；　for
  I　felt　that　a　crisis　was　at　hand〃although　a　misfortune　to　you；
  would　really　be　an　advantage　in　gaining　a　woman's　affections。
  Women　are　so　romantic；　and　their　imaginations　are　so　easily
  touched！〃
  〃Yes；〃　he　replied　bitterly；　〃but　the　trouble　is　that　I　have　not
  lost　my　arm。〃
  I　started。　　He　spoke　bitterly；　yet　calmly。　　I　awaited　his
  explanation　in　great　suspense。
  〃To　have　lost　my　arm　in　battle；　or　even　by　an　accident；　would
  perhaps　have　lent　me　a　charm　in　woman's　eyes。　　But；　as　I　said；　my
  arm　hangs　by　my　sidewithered；　unpresentable。〃
  I　breathed　again。　　He　continued　in　the　same　tone；　and　without
  noticing　my　looks。
  〃But　it　is　not　this　which　banishes　me。　　Woman's　love　might　be　hoped
  for；　had　I　far　worse　infirmities。　　The　cause　lies　deeper。　　It　lies
  in　my　history。　　A　wall　of　granite　has　grown　up　between　me　and　the
  sex。〃
  〃But；　my　dear　fellow；　do　youwounded；　as　I　presume　to　guess；　by
  some　unworthy　womanextend　the　fault　of　one　to　the　whole　sex？　　Do
  you　despair　of　finding　another　true；　because　a　first　was　false？〃
  〃They　are　all　false；〃　he　exclaimed　with　energy。　　〃Not；　perhaps；　all
  false　from　inherent　viciousness；　though　many　are　that；　but　false
  because　their　inherent　weakness　renders　them　incapable　of　truth。
  Oh！　I　know　the　catalogue　of　their　good　qualities。　　They　are　often
  pitiful；　self…devoting；　generous；　but　they　are　so　by　fits　and
  starts；　just　as　they　are　cruel；　remorseless；　exacting；　by　fits　and
  starts。　　They　have　no　constancythey　are　too　weak　to　be　constant
  even　in　evil；　their　minds　are　all　impressions；　their　actions　are
  all　the　issue　of　immediate　promptings。　　Swayed　by　the　fleeting
  impulses　of　the　hour；　they　have　only　one　persistent；　calculable
  motive　on　which　reliance　can　always　be　placedthat　motive　is
  vanity；　you　are　always　sure　of　them　there。　　It　is　from　vanity　they
  are　goodfrom　vanity　they　are　evil；　their　devotion　and　their
  desertion　equally　vanity。　　I　know　them。　　To　me　they　have　disclosed
  the　shallows　of　their　natures。　　God！　how　I　have　suffered　from
  them！〃
  A　deep；　low　exclamation；　half　sob；　half　curse；　closed　his　tirade。
  He　remained　silent　for　a　few　minutes；　looking　on　the　floor；　then；
  suddenly　turning　his　eyes　upon　me；　said：
  〃Were　you　ever　in　Heidelberg？〃
  〃Never。〃
  〃I　thought　all　your　countrymen　went　there？　　Then　you　will　never
  have　heard　anything　of　my　story。　　Shall　I　tell　you　how　my　youth　was
  blighted？　　Will　you　care　to　listen？〃
  〃It　would　interest　me　much。〃
  〃I　had　reached　the　age　of　seven…and…twenty；〃　he　began；　〃without
  having　once　known　even　the　vague　stirrings　of　the　passion　of　love。
  I　admired　many　women；　and　courted　the　admiration　of　them　all；　but　I
  was　as　yet　not　only　heart…whole；　but；　to　use　your　Shakespeare's
  phrase；　Cupid　had　not　tapped　me　on　the　shoulder。
  〃This　detail　is　not　unimportant　in　my　story。　　You　may　possibly　have
  observed　that　in　those　passionate　natures　which　reserve　their
  force；　and　do　not　fritter　away　their　feelings　in　scattered
  flirtations　or　trivial　love…affairs；　there　is　a　velocity　and
  momentum；　when　the　movement　of　passion　is　once　excited；　greatly
  transcending　all　that　is　ever　felt　by　expansive　and　expressive
  natures。　　Slow　to　be　moved；　when　they　do　m