askedthelearnedman.

"isaweverything,asyoushallhear.but-itreallyisnotprideonmypart,asafreemanandpossessingtheknowledgethatido,besidesmyposition,nottospeakofmywealth-iwishyouwouldsayyoutomeinsteadofthou."

"ibegyourpardon,"saidthelearnedman;"itisanoldhabit,whichitisdifficulttobreak.youarequiteright;iwilltrytothinkofit.butnowtellmeeverythingthatyousaw."

"everything,"saidtheshadow;"forisawandknoweverything."

"whatwastheappearanceoftheinnerrooms?"askedthescholar."wasittherelikeacoolgrove,orlikeaholytemple?werethechamberslikeastarryskyseenfromthetopofahighmountain?"

"itwasallthatyoudescribe,"saidtheshadow;"butididnotgoquitein-iremainedinthetwilightoftheante-room-butiwasinaverygoodposition,-icouldseeandhearallthatwasgoingoninthecourtofpoetry."

"butwhatdidyousee?didthegodsofancienttimespassthroughtherooms?didoldheroesfighttheirbattlesoveragain?weretherelovelychildrenatplay,whorelatedtheirdreams?"

"itellyouihavebeenthere,andthereforeyoumaybesurethatisaweverythingthatwastobeseen.ifyouhadgonethere,youwouldnothaveremainedahumanbeing,whereasibecameone;andatthesamemomentibecameawareofmyinnerbeing,myinbornaffinitytothenatureofpoetry.itistrueididnotthinkmuchaboutitwhileiwaswithyou,butyouwillrememberthatiwasalwaysmuchlargeratsunriseandsunset,andinthemoonlightevenmorevisiblethanyourself,butididnotthenunderstandmyinnerexistence.intheante-roomitwasrevealedtome.ibecameaman;icameoutinfullmaturity.butyouhadleftthewarmcountries.asaman,ifeltashamedtogoaboutwithoutbootsorclothes,andthatexteriorfinishbywhichmanisknown.soiwentmyownway;icantellyou,foryouwillnotputitinabook.ihidmyselfunderthecloakofacakewoman,butshelittlethoughtwhosheconcealed.itwasnottilleveningthativenturedout.iranaboutthestreetsinthemoonlight.idrewmyselfuptomyfullheightuponthewalls,whichtickledmybackverypleasantly.iranhereandthere,lookedthroughthehighestwindowsintotherooms,andovertheroofs.ilookedin,andsawwhatnobodyelsecouldsee,orindeedoughttosee;infact,itisabadworld,andiwouldnotcaretobeaman,butthatmenareofsomeimportance.isawthemostmiserablethingsgoingonbetweenhusbandsandwives,parentsandchildren,-sweet,incomparablechildren.ihaveseenwhatnohumanbeinghasthepowerofknowing,althoughtheywouldallbeverygladtoknow-theevilconductoftheirneighbors.hadiwrittenanewspaper,howeagerlyitwouldhavebeenread!insteadofwhich,iwrotedirectlytothepersonsthemselves,andgreatalarmaroseinallthetownivisited.theyhadsomuchfearofme,andyethowdearlytheylovedme.theprofessormademeaprofessor.thetailorgavemenewclothes;iamwellprovidedforinthatway.theoverseerofthemintstruckcoinsforme.thewomendeclaredthatiwashandsome,andsoibecamethemanyounowseeme.andnowimustsayadieu.hereismycard.iliveonthesunnysideofthestreet,andalwaysstayathomeinrainyweather."andtheshadowdeparted.

"thisisallveryremarkable,"saidthelearnedman.

yearspassed,daysandyearswentby,andtheshadowcameagain."howareyougoingonnow?"heasked.

"ah!"