"You, like so many others, have misunderstood Hegel," replied Reising, as he assumed an ominous lecturing posture, and placed his finger against his nose.
"Come, now, no college lecture! If you positively must choose, I will help you. Just go through the days of the week and muster these seven saints."
"You are right," whispered Reising, as he passed his hand through his hair, and pushed it up, although it stood rebelliously high enough already, without his doing so. "Do you see the eldest there with the two plaits, that is Euphrasia! She is not good looking, but coquettish! You must allow that those two plaits are only suitable for girls before they are confirmed; the mother was, I believe, a Russian, and now the daughter always coquettes with these two ribbon-interwoven plaits. It looks Panslavistic; I should not wish for Euphrasia at any price."
"Two plaits. You are right," replied Kuhl, laughing, "one is enough for a German professor."
"Ophelia sits beside her!" continued Reising, "she always has something languishing in her glances, in her nature; she is a regular weeping willow! That is not my style! Everything emotional is abhorrent to me!"
"But if you do not take Ophelia," suggested Kuhl, "you will still not get rid of Father Polonius! We will leave Ophelia alone, let her wear the most beautiful wreath in her hair, naturally a willow branch."
"Then follows Emma, that is the little one with the pug-nose. She is not bad, but she has a soul for nothing but cooking, washing, scrubbing, and falls asleep when one addresses a sensible word to her."
"That would not do for a philosopher, who requires an intelligent victim."
"Albertina, that is the biggest one, she has a slight figure, rather too tall, but she is always silent; I have not yet heard her utter three sentences; I might believe that she meditates inwardly upon weighty questions, that she possesses an internal life; but those repulsive, watery blue eyes are so utterly apathetic, I am convinced that she thinks of nothing, and is only silent, because speaking is a labour to her."
"Si tacuisses! Yet for a philosopher Albertina is not to be despised; let us make a cross to her name!"