Hills of the Shatemuc Part 59

"O he," said the naturalist, -- "he knows it all before."

"Then why didn't you tell me!" said Elizabeth.

"I wasn't asked," said Winthrop smiling.

"Wint'rop comes to my room the nights," Mr. Herder went on, -- "and he knows pretty well all what is in it, by this time.

When he is tired himself wiz work at his books and his writings, he comes and gets rested wiz my stones and my preparations. If you will come there, Miss Elisabet', I will shew you crystals of quartz, and onyx, and all the kinds of chalcedony, and ozer things."

"And I too, Mr. Herder?" said Rose.

"Wiz pleasure, Miss Rose, -- if you like."

"Mr. Herder," said the young lady, "don't you love everything very much?"

"I love you very much, Miss Rose," said the naturalist, turning his good-humoured handsome face full upon her, -- "I do not know about everyzing."

"No, but I mean all animals and insects, and everything that lives?"

"I do not love everyzing that lives," said the naturalist smiling. "I do not love Mr. Heinfelt."

"Who is Mr. Heinfelt?" said Rose.

"He is a man what I do not love."

"No, but Mr. Herder, I mean, don't you love other things very much -- animals, and such things? You have so much to do with them."

"No -- I have no love to spare for animals," he said with a grave face.

"Don't you love birds and animals, that you are always after and busy with?"

"No," said the naturalist, -- "I do not love them -- I love what is _back_ of all that -- not the animals. I keep my love for men."

"Do you think you have any more in that direction, for keeping it from the others?" said Elizabeth.

"I do not understand --"

"Do you think you love men any better because you don't give animals any love at all?"

"I do love some animals," said Mr. Herder. "I had a horse once, when I lived in Germany, that I did love. I loved him so well, that when a man did insult my horse, I made him fight me."

Rose exclaimed; Elizabeth smiled significantly; and Winthrop remarked,

"So that's the way your love for men shews itself!"

"No," said the naturalist, -- "no, -- I never did ask a man to meet me more than that one time. And I did not hurt him much.

I only want to punish him a little."

"Why, Mr. Herder!" Rose repeated. "I didn't think you would do such a thing."

"Everybody fight in Germany," said the naturalist; "they all fight at the Universites -- they _must_ fight. I found the only way was to make myself so good swordsman that I should be safe."

"And have you fought many duels?" said Elizabeth.

"Yes -- I have fought -- I have been obliged by circ.u.mstances to fight a good many. -- I have seen two hundred."

"Two hundred duels, Mr. Herder!"

"Yes. -- I have seen four men killed."

"Were _you_ ever hurt, Mr. Herder?" said Rose.

"No -- I never was wounded. I saw how it was -- that the only thing to do was to excel ozers; so as in ozer things, I did in this."

"But how came you, who love men so well, to have so much to do with hurting them, Mr. Herder?"

"You cannot help it, Miss Elisabet'," said the naturalist.

"They fight for _nozing_ -- they fight for _nozing_. I never asked one, but I have been oblige to fight a good many. The students make themselves into clubs; and the way is, when two students of different clubs, get in a quarrel, their presidents must fight it out; -- so they meet people in duels that they have never spoken to, nor seen. I will give you an instance. -- One of these fellows -- a great fighter -- he had fought perhaps forty times, -- he was bragging about it; 'he had fought such one and such one,' he said; -- 'perhaps he ought to have fought Herder, in order to say that he was the best man with the sword of all the German students, -- perhaps he ought to have met Herder, but he didn't care about it!' And a young fellow that heard him, that was by, he took it up; 'Sir,' said he, 'Herder is my friend -- you must fight him -- come to my room to-morrow morning at seven o'clock -- he will meet you;' -- 'very well,' they agree upon the matter togezer. The next morning he come bouncing into my room at a quarter after seven -- 'Herder! Herder! come on! -- Lessing is waiting to fight you in my room.' -- 'What is the matter?' -- 'O, Lessing said so and so, and I told him you would fight him at seven, and it is a quarter past' -- 'Well, you tell him I didn't know of this, I am not keeping him waiting; I will come directly.' -- I was not up. So I got myself dressed, and in ten minutes I was there. A duel is finished when they have given twelve blows" --

"Twelve on each side, Mr. Herder?"

"Yes -- when they have both of them given twelve blows apiece.

Before we begun, Lessing and me, I whispered to somebody who stood there, that I would not touch him unless he touched me; and then I would give it to him in the ribs. I received ten blows on my arm, which is covered wiz a long glove; the eleven, he cut my waistcoat -- I had one blow left, and I gave it to him in the ribs so long --"

Mr. Herder's words were filled out by the position of his fore fingers, which at this juncture were held some seven or eight inches apart.

"O Mr. Herder! -- did you kill him!" exclaimed Rose.

"Not at all -- I did not kill him -- he was very good friend of mine, -- he was not angry wiz me. He said, 'when I get well, Herder, you come to breakfast wiz me in my room;' and I said, 'yes!'"

"Is that kind of thing permitted in the Universities, Mr.

Herder?" said Elizabeth.

"Permit? -- No, it is not permitted. They would hinder it if they could."

"What would have been done to you if you had been found out?"

"Humph! -- They would have shut us up!" said Mr. Herder, shrugging his shoulders.

"In your rooms?"

"No -- not exactly; -- in the fortress. At Munich the punishment for being found out, is eight years in the fortress; -- at ozer places, four or five years; -- yet they will fight."

"How many Universities have you been in, Mr. Herder?" said Rose.

"I have been in seven, of Universites in Europe."

"Fighting duels in all of them!"

"Well, yes; -- no, there was one where I did fight no duel. I was not there long enough."