"So much the better for you if she tames you a little." said Clement, sharply. "Tame! that she will never make me! when I look at her, and her graceful figure and beautiful face, faith, it is not to grow tamer! Don't believe that I would do her any harm; but do you know that I sometimes think that if she did ever love any one, it would be a wonderful love; one like her, who sees not, only _feels_, and such _feeling_, so delicate and strong and charming, such as one never can find elsewhere; he will be a happy man round whose neck she throws her arms!" "You would do better to keep your thoughts to yourself." "Why? whom do they harm? and whom should I injure if I were to make her, at least, a little in love with me, just to see how the nerves will extricate themselves out of the difficulty? so much of the inner fire is usually cooled by the eyes--but here-- "Beware how you try experiments upon her!" Clement burst out. "I tell you solemnly, that for the future, I will neither hear nor see aught of this--so beware!" Wolf cast a keen side-long glance at him, seized his arm, and said laughing, "I really believe that you are in love with the girl and want to keep the experiment for yourself. How long have you grown so particular? you used to listen readily enough when I said what I thought of women." "I am not your teacher! What have I to do with your foul thoughts? But I think that I _have_ a right to prevent your sullying one with them who is so dear to me, and who is a thousand times too pure to breathe the same air with you." "Oho! oho!" said Wolf, carelessly. "Too good! too good! you are a fine fellow, Clement! a very fine fellow! out of my sunshine, my dear boy." He gave him a slight blow and turned away. Clement stood still; his cheeks grew suddenly pale. "You shall explain what you mean by these words," he said sternly. "Not such a fool! ask others if you want to know. You will soon find one who has a greater fancy to preach to deaf ears than I have." "What do you mean? Who are the others? Who dares to speak ill of her? Who?" He held Wolf with a hand of iron. "Fool!" growled Wolf, angrily; "you spoil my walk with your tedious cross-questionings. Let me go free!" "Not from this place do you move till you have given me an explanation;" said Clement, wild with rage. "Indeed! Go and settle it with the sacristan's son if you happen to be jealous; poor devil! to go on with him till he was ready to jump out of his skin, and then to give him his marching orders. Pah! is that honourable? He complained to me, and I consoled him. She is just like other women, I told him, a coquette. Now she is trying it on upon me, but we know how to manage matters, and are not going to let our mouths be shut, and have other good fellows fall into the same snare." "Retract your words!" shouted Clement, almost beside himself, shaking Wolf violently by the arm. "Why? It is true, and I can prove it. Go--you are a child!" "And you--are a scoundrel!"