Litchfield enquirer., 1873-05-08

drawing to close, and the servant, hear. ing him move about, ventured te bring in his masters dinner, Ogliostro reused him. self, and, having eaten a little bread and soup, sat down and wrote submissive letter to the Grand Duke, declaring him. self ready to comply with his wishes. ''I ! may as we'll make the most of the last l days of liberty that remain to me-" he unused "Nhy not take some of the young people, Che always spoke of his pupils in that paternal way) 'into the forest, and havea moonlight supper? There is little Helena, for example, who never gets a. treat and Annchen and Lotte." lssT With the Maestro pleasant thing said was as good as done; and in less than an I.hour, Q basket of provisions was packed, the guests were assembled, and the car riage stood at the door. The oldest and, most important guest was Kapellmeist- CT from Wurtemberg, an agreeable but stout and rather unwieldy person, and he was placed in the middle of the front seat with slender young lady, Annchen Baer, slender young lady, Lottchen, her sister both of them fair-haired, rosy-cheeked girls, with that air of homely sweetness | for which. the beauties of Germany are notable on the box was placed another of the Maestro's pupils, by name Edouard ] Merk, sallow-complexioned, feverish- | eyed youth, who looked as if his soul, in | it's vehemence, were wearing out his body. l The Maestro himself sat beside Helena, his favorite pupil of all, and in the high est spirits they drove away. These little ! banquets were always as choice and charming as could be: sometimes there was dash of Bohemian flavor about them | but of a hearty, harmless kind :; and what | wine tastes so fragrant, what meats so | delicious, as those We feast on in our 1 youth with few boon companions We may grow rich and worldly minded in after years but the pompous feasts to which we then sit down do not taste half so good as the cheap entertainments of l bygone days.
 How sweet the breath of the young | spring as they drive along! After two hours ride amid bright green fields and thriving little villages, they reach the mysterious border-land between fact and fiction, prose and poetry; in other words, they are on the borders of the Thuringian l Forest. Already it is growing dusk, and one or two stars glimmer in the pale green | sky. The air is fragrant with wild flow CTS, and the nightingales are singing. "Delicious p cried Maestro as they approached little opening in the wood. Let us alight and feast round fire of pine logs like gyps1es.
 Every one acqulesced, for the evening was warm and balmy. Hither and thither they ran in search of chips like children out for a holiday, beguiling the task with playful talk, laughter, and snatches of song. When the fire was | made, great merriment prevailed over the construction of a rude tent, by means of carriage rugs and a tall pine stem having spread another on the ground and laid never initiate vagrants' life," began the l Maestro, without longing to adoptit al-. together. How little do we obtain in ex- change for what we give up by living ac- cording to the rules of civilization There is not day of my life upon which do not commit dozen follies or puerile insincerities because I have chosen to put my neck into the yoke of social bondage. I hate myself for doing it, but I do it"
 "And as for me" said Helena, whilst she prepared the salad, "my mother scolds me night and morning because do not behave meekly like other girls. Why should pretend to be meek, when i am by nature wild and headstrong ?" s
 "Why, indeed ?" cried the Maestro. ''You and I, my poor Helena. were born to roam the world like pair of gypsy minstrels and not to play the fine lady and gentleman. What life that would be! When we were hungry, we should have nothing to do but sing ballad be- fore some rich mans door. Out would come the pretty mamma with the chill dren hanging to her skirts, eyes and mouth wide open at sight of us. You would hold up your apron for the piece of silver, courtesy, and off we go again, drumming the guitar
 Just then the notes of guitar were heard in the distance, and all started up and clapped their hands, thinking that l Ogliostro had prepared a surprise for them in the way of 8 gypsy concert. He was a man given to surprises. But his astonishment was as unfeigned as their own when two gypsies, man bearing guitar, and awoman, approached Spring ing from his seat, he bade the newcomers eat and drink with them, adding that the company would be very glad of some mu- sic afterwards.
 ''This is the best piece of good luck that could have happened to us" he said as he sat down again 'our guests hearts will be warmed by our wine, and they will l We are all musicians, you must know" he continued, addressing himself to the pair, ''and we gain our bread by music as you do. So let us all feast together like 1 brothers, and amuse each other after wards.
 Annchen and her sister turned red with dismay, but Helena whispered to them that no harm could come of it ; and, after a little hesitation on the part of the in truders, the supper was resumed Bread, meat, cheese, fruit, cakes, and wine dis appeared rapidly amid lively conversation; then the music began. -.-...-...
 There was nothing remarkable about the wandering minstrels. who were, indeed, just such pair of gypsies as traveller III Germany may encounter at fairs and wakes at any time, but the circumstances under which they had come made them doubly interesting. The blaze of the pine logs lit up their dark faces with al- most q supernatural glow, and lent to their bits of blue and scarlet drapeFya picturesque and even gorgeous effect. | The woman, moreover, was young and handsome, and with her companion en- tered into the spirit of the occasion. It was quite evident that the two sang and played them more because they looked for practical results in the shape of silver pie ces at the end of their performance. To crown the evenings entertainment, Ogli- ostro himself took the guitar and played a dance-compelIing waltz of his own com position. The gypsy led off with Helena, his companion with Edouard, Annchen and Lottchen danced with the Kapell- meister by turns. Never was music danc- ed to with such wild exuberance of spirit as Ogliostro's impromptu waltz in that moonlit glade. When indeed the little party broke up, it was long past midnight,
 and host and guests drove home in that
 exquisite hour of twittering birds and
 cool gray sky that heralds the full-voieed
 rosy dawn.
 III. THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND l EPISODE.
 For few days all went smoothly, The | musician had for once proved so tracta-