"I heard him as he thus spoke; he was looking at a
spider's web, and he continued, 'Thou cunning little weaver, thou
dost teach me perseverance. Let any one tear thy web, and thou wilt
begin again and repair it. Let it be entirely destroyed, thou wilt
resolutely begin to make another till it is completed. So ought we
to do, if we wish to succeed at last.'
"It was the morning of Easter-day. The bells sounded from
the neighboring church, and the sun seemed to rejoice in the sky.
The master of the castle had watched through the night, in feverish
excitement, and had been melting and cooling, distilling and
mixing. I heard him sighing like a soul in despair; I heard him
praying, and I noticed how he held his breath. The lamp burnt out,
but he did not observe it. I blew up the fire
