Good Books

. . in all the pride
and worth of strength, and invincible vigor!--how much better than the
puling, feeble, sickly existence, led by the majority of men to-day! I
dwell apart from them as much as I can,--I steep my mind and body in the
joys of Nature, and the free fresh air,--but often I feel that the old
days of the heroes must have been best,--when Gorm the Bold and the
fierce Siegfried seized Paris, and stabled their horses in the chapel
where Charlemagne lay buried!"
Pierre Duprez looked up with a faint smile. "Ah, _pardon_! But that was
surely a very long time ago!"
"True!" said Gueldmar quietly. "And no doubt you will not believe the
story at this distance of years. But the day is coming when people will
look back on the little chronicle of your Empire,--your commune,--your
republic, all your little affairs, and will say, 'Surely these things
are myths; they occurred--if they occurred at all,--a very long time
ago!"
"Monsieur is a philosopher!" said Duprez, with a good-humored gesture;
"I would not presume to contradict him.


Pages:
208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232