I am
  going ，" I continued ， "going willingly ； but， should I say for ever，
  perhaps I may not keep my word. Adieu ， Charlotte； adieu， Albert. We
  shall meet again." "Yes ： tomorrow ， I think，" she answered with a
  smile. Tomorrow ！ how I felt the word！ Ah ！ she little thought ， when
  she drew her hand away from mine. They walked down the avenue. I stood
  gazing after them in the moonlight. I threw myself upon the ground， and
  wept： I then sprang up ， and ran out upon the terrace ， and saw， under
  the shade of the linden-trees ， her white dress disappearing near the
  garden-gate. I stretched out my arms， and she vanished.
  BOOK II.
  OCTOBER 2O. We arrived here yesterday. The ambassador is indisposed，
  and will not go out for some days. If he were less peevish and morose ，
  all would be well. I see but too plainly that Heaven has destined me to
  severe trials ； but courage！ a light heart may bear anything. A light
  heart ！ I smile to find such a word proceeding from my pen. A little
  more lightheartedness would render me the happiest being under the sun.
  But must I despair of my talents and faculties， whilst others of far
  inferior abilities parade before me with the utmost self-satisfaction ？
  Gracious Providence ， to whom I owe all my powers， why didst thou not
  withhold some of those blessings I possess， and substitute in their place
  a feeling of self-confidence and contentment？
  But patience！ all will yet be well ； for I assure you ， my dear
  friend， you were right ： since I have been obliged to associate continually
  with other people ， and observe what they do ， and how they employ themselves，
  I have become far better satisfied with myself. For we are so constituted
  by nature ， that we are ever prone to compare ourselves with others；
  and our happiness or misery depends very much on the objects and persons
  around us. On this account， nothing is more dangerous than solitude：
  there our imagination ， always disposed to rise， taking a new flight
  on the wings of fancy ， pictures to us a chain of beings of whom we seem
  the most inferior. All things appear greater than they really are ， and
  all seem superior to us. This operation of the mind is quite natural：
  we so continually feel our own imperfections， and fancy we perceive in
  others the qualities we do not possess， attributing to them also all
  that we enjoy ourselves ， that by this process we form the idea of a
  perfect ， happy man，—— a man， however， who only exists in our own
  imagination. But when ， in spite of weakness and disappointments ， we
  set to work in earnest， and persevere steadily ， we often find， that，
  though obliged continually to tack， we make more way than others who
  have the assistance of wind and tide； and， in truth ， there can be
  no greater satisfaction than to keep pace with others or outstrip them
  in the race.
  NOVEMBER 26. I begin to find my situation here more tolerable ， considering
  all circumstances. I find a great advantage in being much occupied； and
  the number of persons I meet， and their different pursuits ， create
  a varied entertainment for me. I have formed the acquaintance of the Count
  C —— and I esteem him more and more every day. He is a man of strong
  understanding and great discernment ； but， though he sees farther than
  other people， he is not on that account cold in his manner ， but capable
  of inspiring and returning the warmest affection. He appeared interested
  in me on one occasion ， when I had to transact some business with him.
  He perceived， at the first word， that we understood each other， and
  that he could converse with me in a different tone from what he used with
  others. I cannot sufficiently esteem his frank and open kindness to me.
  It is the greatest and most genuine of pleasures to observe a great mind
  in sympathy with our own.
  DECEMBER 24. As I anticipated ， the ambassador occasions me infinite
  annoyance. He is the most punctilious blockhead under heaven. He does
  everything step by step ， with the trifling minuteness of an old woman
  ； and he is a man whom it is impossible to please， because he is never
  pleased with himself. I like to do business regularly and cheerfully，
  and ， when it is finished， to leave it. But he constantly returns my
  papers to me， saying ， "They will do，" but recommending me to look
  over them again ， as "one may always improve by using a better word or
  a more appropriate particle." I then lose all patience， and wish myself
  at the devil's. Not a conjunction ， not an adverb， must be omitted：
  he has a deadly antipathy to all those transpositions of which I am so
  fond； and， if the music of our periods is not tuned to the established，
  official key， he cannot comprehend our meaning. It is deplorable to be
  connected with such a fellow.
  My acquaintance with the Count C—— is the only compensation for
  such an evil. He told me frankly， the other day， that he was much displeased
  with the difficulties and delays of the ambassador； that people like
  him are obstacles ， both to themselves and to others. "But ，" added
  he， "one must submit ， like a traveller who has to ascend a mountain
  ： if the mountain was not there， the road would be both shorter and
  pleasanter； but there it is， and he must get over it." The old man perceives
  the count's partiality for me ： this annoys him， and， he seizes every
  opportunity to depreciate the count in my hearing. I naturally defend
  him ， and that only makes matters worse. Yesterday he made me indignant，
  for he also alluded to me. "The count ，" he said ， "is a man of the
  world ， and a good man of business ： his style is good， and he writes
  with facility ； but， like other geniuses， he has no solid learning."
  He looked at me with an expression that seemed to ask if I felt the blow.
  But it did not produce the desired effect ： I despise a man who can think
  and act in such a manner. However ， I made a stand ， and answered with
  not a little warmth. The count， I said ， was a man entitled to respect，
  alike for his character and his acquirements. I had never met a person
  whose mind was stored with more useful and extensive knowledge，—— who
  had ， in fact， mastered such an infinite variety of subjects， and who
  yet retained all his activity for the details of ordinary business. This
  was altogether beyond his comprehension ； and I took my leave， lest
  my anger should be too highly excited by some new absurdity of his.
  And you are to blame for all this ， you who persuaded me to bend
  my neck to this yoke by preaching a life of activity to me. If the man
  who plants vegetables ， and carries his corn to town on market-days，
  is not more usefully employed than I am ， then let me work ten years
  longer at the galleys to which I am now chained.
  Oh， the brilliant wretchedness ， the weariness， that one is doomed
  to witness among the silly people whom we meet in society here！