2

    Alterms  made a real friend. tes for icular affinity, let alone fondness. And to t, tfig taken for a roudent riving for scholarly laurels.

    ter to ant teac t t . tracted by y,  ask, by  gestures. o become t of to be in antly, obedient and serving, to bring ion and dedication, to learn a pure, noble, saintly life from  only to finiser sc to remain in ter, indefinitely pering o God. tention, as it  lay upon t boy, an original burden, a secret destiny of atonement and sacrifice. Even t  a, alts and clearly expressed t er forever. Some secret flataco Goldmunds birt sougion. But t felt little sympatance ered e reserve, dismissing ts as not particularly important.

    tion uition, but  come foroo e of t contrasts. Narcissus  youtical, a t sometrasts: bot from ts and signs; bote.

    Narcissus took an ardent interest in ter and destiny o recognize. Fervently Goldmund admired iful, outstandingly intelligent teac Goldmund imid; to court Narcissus o ex tentive, eager student. But more timidity o  o emulate simultaneously t and tremely intelligent, learned, brilliant Brot every fiber of rove to attain tible ideals. It caused  mont ter sc orn, so confused,  strongly tempted to run ao take  on es. Sometimes a bit of innocent teasing or a prank ir suced boy t tmost control o  in; urn a and deato table to find Bless, lean  t out. Gradually iceable. he laugh all liked so much.

    knoermined, to be a good sco begin iate as soon as possible, and after t to become a quiet, prayerful monk of ter.  all rengtalent drove torangely sad to find tiful goal so difficult to attain. Occasionally o detect eful moods and tendencies in racted, uno learn. aste against tin teacient es. And  confusing  o fig Daniel. Yet at moments  almost certain t Narcissus loved   ing for him.

    Narcissuss ts ed t boy as a friend. e, ; o adopt, lead, enligrengto bloom. But  all of t of all,  tied and aste for teacoo frequently, fell in love en enoug  ticements and cajoleries tal. ood tter no emptation to love to make o run a caressing  , never. Moreover, as a mere tutor,  not tion or ty of a teacious and co conducting y years to forbidding ernly all partiality too forcing o particular fairness and concern for turally repugnant to o t ed rict life. Only secretly, during  unguarded moments, did  ter empting a friends could only be a danger;  never let it toucence. to serve to serve t, superior, self-negating guidance of  only of oward ual goals.

    For a year or more, Goldmund udent at ter scimes es under trees in tyard and under tiful cnut tree—ball games, races, sno tired and sick and often  o stay arate.

    to e  met during a fistfigo study Euclid t er. It er supper, an ion o play in tories, to alk in ter cloister yard.

    quot;Goldmund,quot; airs after ;I  to tell you somet youre sucudent—youll probably end up a bis you must give me your  tell teac;

    Goldmund immediately gave er udent radicted t. But, as anyed tten one; ry to evade student la.

    Adolf dragged side trees. trong-ed classmates—udent tradition, of reminding t t monks. teal aer for an evening in t ure no decent felloaking part in; later during t they would sneak back again.

    quot;But tes are locked at t ; Goldmund objected.

    Of course t  t o get back inside unnoticed; it  be t time.

    Goldmund recalled ;going to t; It stood for boys nocturnal escapades, for all kinds of secret adventures and pleasures o t;  time ood only too  t ; considered it a point of o take t it ain distinction to be asked to join in ture.

    o say no, to run back and go to bed.  tired and   slig of Adolf. And side ter, somet mig lessness and all kinds of pain. It o t and forbidden, noto feel proud of. Still, per o talk; suddenly he laughed and said yes.

    Unobserved, t under trees in t darkening courtyard; ter gate o ter mill t, unseen in t o a pile of slippery- planks, one of o cross ttle stream. And noside, on tening road t disappeared into t. All ting and secret;  very much.

    At t te, Konrad; ted for a long time and ramped t. Nigle of ars peeked  and brig clouds. Konrad ctered and joked. Occasionally  ty of nig made ts beat faster.

    After barely an o t. It seemed asleep. tly, criss-crossed by dark ribs of timber; t a lig, on tiptoe, tood in a garden, sank into t eartumbled over steps, stopped by t a ster, ed, knocked again. t ster opened, and one after to a kitciny oil lamp anding on tove, its feeble flame flickering on a t girl,  truders. Anotepped out of t one, a young t gifts for te cloister bread, and sometolen incense per Goldmund, or candle  out of tco tayed aed on it and offered to Konrad. , passed it on. t rong apple cider.

    In t of tiny lamp t dotle stools and tudents around terruptions for sips of cider, Adolf and Konrad making most of tion. From time to time one of t up and caress to ouc, and tty one ter of t  make. It  iful, out of ting but not dangerous. Forbidden yes, but even so transgression did not burden ones conscience. ing girls at nig forbidden;  it  not for  ined for tic life of a monk, and playing  permitted   pounded  of tchen.

    t of talk idbits of Latin. t girl seemed to like all to tle caresses, a timid kiss at most. to knoly ted. And since tion o be  t Goldmund did not see it t o t saying a raigo look at t no one but  t especially ime rayed to t quiet face of ted on aring at hough she were spellbound.

    An udents ed tion and caresses; t in embarrassed silence; Ebero ya girl said it ime to leave. tood up, s. t. Konrad  to climb out t,  a  stop; once outside on turned  of the window.

    quot;Goldmund!quot; sood and ed.

    quot;Are you coming back?quot; simid voice h.

    Goldmund s  il her dark eyes were close before his.

    quot;Do come back!quot; souched his in a childs kiss.

    Quickly oppled across t eartore rotted after t of to. quot;Never again!quot; commanded ;Again! tomorro; begged .

    Nobody surprised t ourn to Mariabronn, across ttle stream, trees, along secret passageo ter and tory.

    Big Ebero be puncime for early mass, morning soup and assembly in torium; but Goldmund looked pale, so pale Fatin asked   all rig during Greek, around noon, Narcissus did not take oo, sa Goldmund  said notc t o to avoid rousing tudents curiosity, and followed here.

    quot;Goldmund,quot; ;can I rouble. Per feeling o bed and send you some soup and a glass of ;

    For a long   of troubled eyes,  again. ed to speak but could not. Suddenly o one side, leaned ern, betern, and burst into suc  Narcissus felt embarrassed and averted ime before touco raise him up.

    quot;All rig;  ;All rig  ter. t doo speak. I can see t it oo muc  for you to stay on your feet all morning  letting anyone notice; youve been very courageous. eep no is t you can do. No? All finis so soon? All rigo tter. Lets go.quot;

    o t to pass any study ed to one of ty beds and left tly began to undress, and  to to  on t.  tory, treats ter ually allo greatly oo sick.

    Goldmund lay on trying to t of o  so indescribably tired today, rain on t e, constantly reneantly failing effort to forget last nig not t itself, not ter, or t, or t bridge across ttle black stream be of gardens, t tside tcouch of her lips.

    But noaken trouble over inguiselligent young teacly sarcastic mout  of ood before ammering embarrassment, and arted to baead of  ual oicism, . Never  shame.

    But  tension. t loneliness of t more ts impact. After an  a gruel soup, a piece of s normally drank only on e and drank, emptied e, pus aside, started to t couldnt, reace a feer, tly opened and Narcissus came in to look after ient, Goldmund o  ime, y, and also a slig Goldmund  ill; to send omorro  t today it ime  be ance and love. And from to accept it,  to come to t some day.