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“`Butterfly？“heasked，withanunbelievingandhumorouseagerness。
“`Nothingsoperfect，“Ianswered，feelingsuddenlydispiritedwithallsortsofdoubts。“Aman!“
“`Achso!“hemurmured，andhissmilingcountenance，turnedtome，becamegrave。Thenafterlookingatmeforawhilehesaidslowly，“Well——Iamaman，too。“
`Hereyouhavehimashewas；heknewhowtobesogenerouslyencouragingastomakeascrupulousmanhesitateonthebrinkofconfidence；butifIdidhesitateitwasnotforlong。
`Heheardmeout，sittingwithcrossedlegs。Sometimeshisheadwoulddisappearcompletelyinagreateruptionofsmoke，andasympatheticgrowlwouldcomeoutfromthecloud。WhenIfinishedheuncrossedhislegs，laiddownhispipe，leanedforwardtowardsmeearnestlywithhiselbowsonthearmsofhischair，thetipsofhisfingerstogether。
“`Iunderstandverywell。Heisromantic。“
`Hehaddiagnosedthecaseforme，andatfirstIwasquitestartledtofindhowsimpleitwas；andindeedourconferenceresembledsomuchamedicalconsultation——Stein，oflearnedaspect，sittinginanarm-chairbeforehisdesk；I，anxious，inanother，facinghim，butalittletooneside——thatitseemednaturaltoask：
“`What’sgoodforit？“
`Heliftedupalongforefinger。
“`Thereisonlyoneremedy!Onethingalonecanusfrombeingourselvescure!“Thefingercamedownonthedeskwithasmartrap。Thecasewhichhehadmadetolooksosimplebeforebecameifpossiblestillsimpler——andaltogetherhopeless。Therewasapause。“Yes，“saidI，“strictlyspeaking，thequestionisnothowtogetcured，buthowtolive。’
`Heapprovedwithhishead，alittlesadlyasitseemed。“Ja!ja!Ingeneral，adaptingthewordsofyourgreatpoet：Thatisthequestion……“Hewentonnoddingsympathetically……“Howtobe!Ach!Howtobe!“
`Hestoodupwiththetipsofhisfingersrestingonthedesk。“`Wewantinsomanydifferentwaystobe，“hebeganagain。“Thismagnificentbutterflyfindsalittleheapofdirtandsitsstillonit；butmanhewillneveronhisheapofmudkeepstill。Hewanttobeso，andagainhewanttobeso……“Hemovedhishandup，thendown……“Hewantstobeasaint，andhewantstobeadevil——andeverytimeheshutshiseyesheseeshimselfasaveryfinefellow——sofineashecanneverbe……Inadream……“
`Heloweredtheglasslid，theautomaticlockclickedsharply，andtakingupthecaseinbothhandsheboreitreligiouslyawaytoitsplace，passingoutofthebrightcircleofthelampintotheringoffainterlight——intoshapelessduskatlast。Ithadanoddeffect——asifthesefewstepshadcarriedhimoutofthisconcreteandperplexedworld。Histallform，asthoughrobbedofitssubstance，hoverednoiselesslyoverinvisiblethingswithstoopingandindefinitemovements；hisvoice，heardinthatremotenesswherehecouldbeglimpsedmysteriouslybusywithimmaterialcares，wasnolongerincisive，seemedtorollvoluminousandgrave——mellowedbydistance。
“`Andbecauseyounotalwayscankeepyoureyesshuttherecomestherealtrouble——theheartpain——theworldpain。Itellyou，myfriend，itisnotgoodforyoutofindyoucannotmakeyourdreamcometrue，forthereasonthatyounotstrongenoughare，ornotcleverenough。Ja!……Andallthetimeyouaresuchafinefellow，too!Wie？Was？GottinHimmel!Howcanthatbe？Ha!ha!ha!“
`Theshadowprowlingamongstthegravesofbutterflieslaughedboisterously。
“`Yes!Veryfunnythisterriblethingis。Amanthatisbornfallsintoadreamlikeamanwhofallsintothesea。Ifhetriestoclimboutintotheairasinexperiencedpeopleendeavourtodo，hedrowns——nichtwahr？……No!Itellyou!Thewayistothedestructiveelementsubmityourself，andwiththeexertionsofyourhandsandfeetinthewatermakethedeep，deepseakeepyouup。Soifyouaskme——howtobe？“
`Hisvoiceleapedupextraordinarilystrong，asthoughawaythereintheduskhehadbeeninspiredbysomewhisperofknowledge。“Iwilltellyou!Forthat，too，thereisonlyoneway。“
`Withahastyswish-swishofhisslippersheloomedupintheringoffaintlight，andsuddenlyappearedinthebrightcircleofthelamp。Hisextendedhandaimedatmybreastlikeapistol；hisdeep-seteyesseemedtopiercethroughme，buthistwitchinglipsutterednoword，andtheaustereexaltationofacertitudeseenintheduskvanishedfromhisface。Thehandthathadbeenpointingatmybreastfell，andbyandby，comingastepnearer，helaiditgentlyonmyshoulder。Therewerethings，hesaidmournfully，thatperhapscouldneverbetold，onlyhehadlivedsomuchalonethatsometimesheforgot——heforgot。Thelighthaddestroyedtheassurancewhichhadinspiredhiminthedistantshadows。Hesatdownand，withbothelbowsonthedesk，rubbedhisforehead。“Andyetitistrue——itistrue。Inthedestructiveelementimmerse。“……Hespokeinasubduedtone，withoutlookingatme，onehandoneachsideofhisface。“Thatwastheway。Tofollowthedream，andagaintofollowthedream——andso——ewig——usqueadfinem……“Thewhisperofhisconvictionseemedtoopenbeforemeavastanduncertainexpanse，asofacrepuscularhorizononaplainatdawn——orwasit，percha
