WhyeverybodylikedhimwaswhatpuzzledJo，atfirst。Hewasneitherrichnorgreat，youngnorhandsome，innorespectwhatiscalledfascinating，imposing，orbrilliant，andyethewasasattractiveasagenialfire，andpeopleseemedtogatherabouthimasnaturallyasaboutawarmhearth。Hewaspoor，yetalwaysappearedtobegivingsomethingaway;astranger，yeteveryonewashisfriend;nolongeryoung，butashappy—heartedasaboy;plainandpeculiar，yethisfacelookedbeautifultomany，andhisodditieswerefreelyforgivenforhissake。Jooftenwatchedhim，tryingtodiscoverthecharm，andatlastdecidedthatitwasbenevolencewhichworkedthemiracle。Ifhehadanysorrow，`itsatwithitsheadunderitswing’，andheturnedonlyhissunnysidetotheworld。Therewerelinesuponhisforehead，butTimeseemedtohavetouchedhimgently，rememberinghowkindhewastoothers。Thepleasantcurvesabouthismouthwerethememorialsofmanyfriendlywordsandcheerylaughs，hiseyeswerenevercoldorhard，andhisbighandhadawarm，stronggraspthatwasmoreexpressivethanwords。
Hisveryclothesseemedtopartakeofthehospitablenatureofthewearer。Theylookedasiftheywereatease，andlikedtomakehimcomfortable。Hiscapaciouswaistcoatwassuggestiveofalargeheartunderneath。Hisrustycoathadasocialair，andthebaggypocketsplainlyprovedthatlittlehandsoftenwentinemptyandcameoutfull。Hisverybootswerebenevolent，andhiscollarsneverstiffandraspylikeotherpeople’s。
\"That’sit！\"saidJotoherself，whensheatlengthdiscoveredthatgenuinegoodwilltowardone’sfellowmencouldbeautifyanddignifyevenastoutGermanteacher，whoshoveledinhisdinner，darnedhisownsocks，andwasburdenedwiththenameofBhaer。
Jovaluedgoodnesshighly，butshealsopossessedamostfemininerespectforintellect，andalittlediscoverywhichshemadeabouttheProfessoraddedmuchtoherregardforhim。Heneverspokeofhimself，andnooneeverknewthatinhisnativecityhehadbeenamanmuchhonoredandesteemedforlearningandintegrity，tillacountrymancametoseehim。Heneverspokeofhimself，andinaconversationwithMissNortondivulgedthepleasingfact。FromherJolearnedit，andlikeditallthebetterbecauseMr。Bhaerhadnevertoldit。ShefeltproudtoknowthathewasanhonoredProfessorinBerlin，thoughonlyapoorlanguage—masterinAmerica，andhishomely，hard—workinglifewasmuchbeautifiedbythespiceofromancewhichthisdiscoverygaveit。Anotherandabettergiftthanintellectwasshownherinamostunexpectedmanner。MissNortonhadtheentréeintomostsociety，whichJowouldhavehadnochanceofseeingbutforher。Thesolitarywomanfeltaninterestintheambitiousgirl，andkindlyconferredmanyfavorsofthissortbothonJoandtheProfessor。Shetookthemwithheronenighttoaselectsymposium，heldinhonorofseveralcelebrities。
Jowentpreparedtobowdownandadorethemightyoneswhomshehadworshipedwithyouthfulenthusiasmafaroff。Butherreverenceforgeniusreceivedasevereshockthatnight，andittookhersometimetorecoverfromthediscoverythatthegreatcreatureswereonlymenandwomenafterall。Imagineherdismay，onstealingaglanceoftimidadmirationatthepoetwhoselinessuggestedanetherealbeingfedon`spirit，fire，anddew’，tobeholdhimdevouringhissupperwithanardorwhichflushedhisintellectualcountenance。Turningasfromafallenidol，shemadeotherdiscoverieswhichrapidlydispelledherromanticillusions。Thegreatnovelistvibratedbetweentwodecanterswiththeregularityofapendulum;thefamousdivineflirtedopenlywithoneoftheMadamedeStaelsoftheage，wholookeddaggersatanotherCorinne，whowasamiablysatirizingher，afteroutmaneuveringherineffortstoabsorbtheprofoundphilosopher，whoimbibedteaJohnsonianlyandappearedtoslumber，theloquacityoftheladyrenderingspeechimpossible。Thescientificcelebrities，forgettingtheirmollusksandglacialperiods，gossipedaboutart，whiledevotingthemselvestooystersandiceswithcharacteristicenergy;theyoungmusician，whowascharmingthecitylikeasecondOrpheus，talkedhorses;andthespecimenoftheBritishnobilitypresenthappenedtobethemostordinarymanoftheparty。