JULY 26.

I have often determined not to see her so frequently. But who could keep such a resolution? Every day I am exposed to the temptation, and promise faithfully that tomorrow I will really stay away: but, when tomorrow comes, I find some irresistible reason for seeing her; and, before I can account for it, I am with her again. Either she has said on the previous evening “You will be sure to call tomorrow,”—and who could stay away then?—or she gives me some commission, and I find it essential to take her the answer in person; or the day is fine, and I walk to Walheim; and, when I am there, it is only half a league farther to her. I am within the charmed atmosphere, and soon find myself at her side. My grandmother used to tell us a story of a mountain of loadstone. When any vessels came near it, they were instantly deprived of their ironwork: the nails flew to the mountain, and the unhappy crew perished amidst the disjointed planks.

七月二十六日

我已经下过几次决心，不要经常去看她。是啊，可谁又能做得到呢！日复一日，我都屈服于诱惑，同时又对自己许下神圣的诺言：明天说什么也不去啦。

可明天一到，我总又找得出一条无法辩驳的理由，眼一眨又到了她身边。这理由要么是她昨晚讲过：“你明天还来，对吗？”——而谁又能不来呢！——要么是她托我办件事，我觉得理应亲自去给她个回话；要么是天气实在太好，我到瓦尔海姆去了，而一到瓦尔海姆，离她不就只有半个小时的路程了吗！——周围的气氛，使我感觉她近在咫尺，于是一抬腿，便到了她跟前！记得我祖母曾讲过一个磁石山的故事，说的是海上有一座磁石山，船行太近了，所有铁器如钉子什么的便会一下子被吸出来，飞到山上去；倒霉的船夫也就从分崩离析的船板中掉下去，惨遭没顶。