"There is no disputing about tastes," Elmhorst said, with a shrug; "but I am afraid that Herr Waltenberg has become so entirely estranged from his native land in all his habits of life that he will find it impossible to live here."
"We have no idea of doing so," Veit replied, with blunt frankness. "How under heaven could we ever reconcile ourselves to the dull existence led here? We shall leave Germany as soon as possible."
Involuntarily Wolfgang breathed a sigh of relief. "You appear to have no special love for your native land," he observed.
"None at all. As Herr Waltenberg says, one must outgrow all national prejudices. He delivered me a long sermon upon that text when on the ship coming home a bragging American undertook to revile Germany."
"What! you quarrelled with him for so speaking?"
"Not exactly. I only knocked him down," Veit said, coolly. "It did not come to a quarrel; he picked himself up and ran to the captain, who made himself rather disagreeable, but Herr Waltenberg finally interfered, and paid the man for his outraged dignity, and I was quite a distinguished person thereafter. Not another word was uttered in dispraise of Germany."
"I had a deal of trouble, however, in arranging the affair," said Waltenberg, who overheard the last words. "If the man had refused to be appeased, we should have had no end of annoyance. You behaved like an irritable game-cock, Gronau, and the provocation was not worth it."
"Why, what would you have had me do?" growled Gronau.
"Shrug your shoulders and keep silent. Of what importance is the opinion of a stranger? The man had a right to his views, as you had to yours."
"You seem indeed to have outgrown all 'national prejudice,' Herr Waltenberg," Wolfgang said, with evident irony.
"I certainly consider it an honourable distinction to be as free from prejudice as possible."
"But under certain circumstances one neither could nor should be thus free. Doubtless you are right, but I should have been in the wrong with Herr Gronau; I should have acted as he did."
"Indeed, Herr Elmhorst? Such sentiments from you surprise me."
"Why from _me_?" The tone in which the question was put was sharp and cold.
"Because you seem to me perfectly capable of preserving your self-control. Your entire personality is indicative of such decision, such perfect command of circumstances, that I am convinced you always know what you are about. Unfortunately, that is not so with us idealists; we ought to learn of you."