BUTifthehumansoul,ortheheart,orthemind—callitwhatyouwill—isaninstrumentuponwhichcountlessmelodiesmaybeplayed,itiscapableofrespondingforverylongtonosingleone.Timedullsthemostexquisiteemotions,softensthemostheartrendinggrief.Thestoryisoldofthephilosopherwhosoughttoconsoleawomanindistressbytheaccountoftribulationsakintohers,anduponlosinghisonlysonwassentbyheralistofallkingssimilarlybereaved.Hereadit,acknowledgeditscorrectness,butweptnonetheless.Threemonthslaterthephilosopherandtheladyweresurprisedtofindoneanotherquitegay,anderectedafinemonumenttoTimewiththeinscription:Aceluiquiconsole.
WhenBerthavowedthatlifehadlostallsavour,thatherennuiwasunending,sheexaggeratedasusual,andalmostgrewangryondiscoveringthatexistencecouldbemoresupportablethanshesupposed.
Onegetsusedtoallthings.Itisonlyverymisanthropicpersonswhopretendthattheycannotaccustomthemselvestothestupidityoftheirfellowsfor,afterawhile,onegetshardenedtothemostdesperatebores,andmonotonyevenceasestobequitemonotonous.Accommodatingherselftocircumstances,Berthafoundlifelesstediousitwasacalmriver,andpresentlyshecametotheconclusionthatitranmoreeasilywithoutthecascadesandwaterfalls,theeddies,whirlpoolsandrocks,whichhaddisturbeditscourse.Themanwhocanstilldupehimselfwithillusionshasafuturenotlackinginbrightness.
Thesummerbroughtacertainvariety,andBerthafoundamusementinthingswhichbeforehadneverinterestedher.Shewenttoshelteredpartstoseeiffavouritewildflowershadbeguntoblow:herloveoflibertymadeherpreferthehedge-rosestothepompousbloomsofthegarden,thebuttercupsanddaisiesofthefieldtotheprimgeranium,andthecalcellaria.Timefledandshewassurprisedtofindtheyearpassimperceptibly.Shebegantoreadwithgreaterzest,andinherfavouriteseat,onthesofabythewindow,spentlonghoursofpleasure.Shereadasfancypromptedher,withoutaplan,becauseshewishedandnotbecausesheought(howcantheysaythatEnglandisdecadentwhenitsyoungladiesaresostrenuous!).Sheobtainedpleasurebycontrastingdifferentwriters,gainingemotionsfro