'Why, I perceive I must explain to you what love is,' said Otto.

'Its measure is kindness. It is very possible that you are proud;

but she, too, may have some self-esteem; I do not speak for myself.

And perhaps, if your own doings were so curiously examined, you

might find it inconvenient to reply.'

'These are all set-offs,' said the young man. 'You know very well

that a man is a man, and a woman only a woman. That holds good all

over, up and down. I ask you a question, I ask it again, and here I

stand.' He drew a mark and toed it.

'When you have studied liberal doctrines somewhat deeper,' said the

Prince, 'you will perhaps change your note. You are a man of false

weights and measures, my young friend. You have one scale for

women, another for men; one for princes, and one for farmer-folk.

On the prince who neglects his wife you can be most severe. But

what of the lover who insults his mistress? You use the name of

love. I should think this lady might very fairly ask to be

delivered from love of such a nature. For if I, a stranger, had

been one-tenth part so gross and so discourteous, you would most

righteously have broke my head. It would have been in your part, as

lover, to protect her from such insolence. Protect her first, then,

from yourself.'

'Ay,' quoth Mr. Gottesheim, who had been looking on with his hands

behind his tall old back, 'ay, that's Scripture truth.'

Fritz was staggered, not only by the Prince's imperturbable

superiority of manner, but by a glimmering consciousness that he

himself was in the wrong. The appeal to liberal doctrines had,

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