It was a pleasant enough place that Mr. Herder called home. A large, airy, light, high-ceiled apartment, where plainly even to a stranger's eye, the naturalist had grouped and bestowed around him all the things he best liked to live among. Enormous glass cases, filled with the illustrations of science, and not less of the philosopher's investigating patience, lined all the room; except where dark-filled shelves of books ran up between them from the floor to the ceiling. A pleasant cloth-covered table, with books and philosophical instruments, stood towards one side of the room, a little table with a lamp at the other; and scattered about, all over, were big stout comfortable well-worn leather arm-chairs, that said study and learning sat easy there and often received visits of pleasure in that room. Elizabeth felt herself as little akin to pleasure as to learning or study, just then. She put herself in one of the great leather chairs, with a sense of being out of her element — a little piece of busy, bustling, practical life, within the very palings of science and wisdom.
She sat and waited. But that pulse of busy life beat never the cooler for all the cool aspect of the place and the grave shade of wisdom that lingered there; nay, it throbbed faster and more flutteringly. She got up to try the power of distraction the glass cases might hold; but her eye roved restlessly and carelessly over object and object of interest that withheld its interest from her; and weariedly she went back to her arm-chair and covered her face with her hands, that her mind might be at least uninterruptedly busy in its own way.
It must have been very busy, or the quick little step of the German professor must have been very soft withal; for he had come within a few feet of her before he knew who she was or she knew that he was there.
"Miss Elisabet'!" he exclaimed with a most good-humoured face of wonderment, — "I never was so honoured before! How did you get in my arm-chair?"
Elizabeth jumped up and shook hands with him, laughing in very relief to see him come.
"How did I get here? — I came up through the sun, Mr. Herder."
"I have asked you to come in better time," said the naturalist, — "that is, better for you — dis is very good time for me. I have nozing to do, and I will give you lesson in whatever you want."
"No sir, — I am come to give you a lesson, Mr. Herder."
"Me? Well, I will take it," said the naturalist, who began at the same time to run about his room and open closet doors and jingle glasses together, apparently on his own business, — "I like always to take lessons, — it is not often that I have such a teacher. I will learn the best I can — after I have got you some lemonade. I have two lemons here, — somevere, — ah! — "
"I don't want it, Mr. Herder."