The wonderful thing to me is that his own estimate of himself should be so different from what he really is. He affirms the motive of the greater part of his actions, and the source of all his strength, to have been self-will. The other day when he was repeating this to me, I asked: “And was it mere act of self-will that led you, as a young barrister, to enter that action against yourself?” He replied, with a frown, “Is that old story not yet forgotten?” “Not yet.” “Then allow me to give you the true reading of it. It was undertaken in no ridiculous spirit of self-sacrifice, but in order to defend my integrity against my money; a thing of priceless worth against that which has a marketable value. My client was the widow of an estimable man and faithful old servant; the money in question his savings honestly earned. How many years back the sum had been in all confidence intrusted to his master’s keeping, the wife did not know. She only knew that his master had repeatedly assured him that the money had been invested in a thoroughly sound mortgage. What the mortgage was her husband had no idea, and as the widow of the baron’s most faithful and devoted servant it would never have occurred to her to ask if her money was safely invested, or in what. All very well, the lawyer said, but why was the woman so stupid? Could she not see what was going on, and how the baron was making ducks and drakes of his property? She had seen it all, but trusted to her lord’s word more than to the evidence of her senses. And for that implicit trust, was she to be made the victim, and was her master’s son to consent to such plunder? Could he? What is your opinion, countess; how would you have acted in his place?” My answer was, “As you did.” “And would that have been anything extraordinary?” “No; only what was right.” “Thank God!” he exclaimed, while a great peaceful joy illumined his countenance; “only what was right. Yes, that is it.” He looked radiant. “Why thank God?” I asked. “Because I have been permitted to justify myself to you.” “You justify yourself--to me!” I said in some confusion. “And because you made it so easy to me, and because you have such a clear insight into things, and such an upright mind. Above all, that you concede that we only do what is right, even must we defend that right doing to our own loss.” “But is not that natural?” “No, egotism is natural. And the world just now prizes it highly. Take up any newspaper, and you will read any number of articles in favor of it and its ally, ‘healthy realism.’ In this age of humanitarianism--strange anomaly--we find idealism arraigned, and every kind of unusual display of self-denial, that groundwork and absolute necessity of humanitarianism, stigmatized as sickly and sentimental.” Here the count, my sister, and Dora came up to us. “Aha, here is the baron laying down the law!” exclaimed the count. And Schwarzburg, looking dismayed, turned apologetically to me, saying: