"One who pays court to 'the ladies,' my fair colleague, may very possibly be no advocate for woman, since, according to my brother Schopenhauer, what constitutes the modern lady is not the strength, but the weakness, of her sex," replied Taun. "True enough," said Johannes. "Such a man might show consideration for weakness,--he can only contend with strength." "Only wait awhile, Herr Professor Herbert!" cried Angelika, shaking her plump little forefinger towards the door of the room. "I shall not forget you,--only wait--I will strip the sheep's clothing from the wolf's back, in full conclave of his lady friends! And you too, Moritz,--I have a word to say to you, but not until we are alone." The gentlemen laughed, and took their hats. "Come, we must not deprive our friend Kern for one moment longer of such a charming curtain-lecture," said Taun. All took their leave, except Heim, Hilsborn, and Moritz. "And so," began Angelika with a pout, "you miserable, detestable man, we are to do nothing but knit stockings?" "One thing beside," said Moritz, seizing both her hands,--"you may kiss--that is a charming vocation." "Nonsense! any stupid fool can do that,--the clever ones must do something better." "No woman with so pretty a mouth can do anything better! Only those who are ugly or old shall knit stockings." "There is no getting a serious word from you, Moritz, but I am sorry for poor Ernestine, and it grieves me that you were so hard upon her." One single stern glance from Moritz's black eyes encountered his wife's; it was enough--it silenced her instantly. "You know," he said kindly, but gravely, as if to a child, "that I do not like to have you undertake to decide upon matters of which you understand nothing." Angelika looked down, and a tear trembled upon her long eyelashes. "What is it?" asked Moritz soothingly, and drew her towards him,--"tears? And why not? Nothing more than a dewdrop in the bosom of a rose,--nothing more." He brushed away her tears, and she smiled at him again. "It is well for you, my son," said the Staatsräthin gently, but gravely, "that your wife's heart is so warm that the frost made in it by unkind words melts to tears and does no further injury." Moritz looked at his mother-in-law, and then at his wife.--"Angelika, was I unkind?" Angelika shook her fair curls and said, in a tone which told all the sweetness of her childlike disposition, "No, Moritz, you were right." "There, mamma, that is a true woman as she comes from the hand of her Creator to be a blessing to the man to whom she belongs," cried Moritz, with a fond look at his wife. The Staatsräthin stood beside them, her eyes resting with unspeakable affection upon her child, but there was a strange mixture of delight and anxiety in her heart.