, 1884-11-27

measure of new wine.
Through the thick cloud Of smoke that al
most choked and blinded you at first, all
sorts OF strange figures appeared after q few
minutes There were Wallachians with
their cafetan and Astrakhan cap, Bervfans,
Hungarians with long black ~mustaches,
caparisoned with dolmans and embroidery;
Bohemians with coppery compilations, mar
row forehead and arched nose; honest Ger
mans with laced coats; Tartar with eyes
turned up like those Of Chinese, all imagin-
able populations. The cast was represented
by a fat Turk cooled up in a corner and
peacefully smoking a Pipe Of Moidavian
cherry-wood, with a bowl OF nd clay and a
mouthpiece Of yellow amber.
Everybody was eating and drinking; the
drink consisted OF strong beer and a mixture
of new red wine with old white wine; the
food, Of slices OF cold veal, ham or pastry.
Round the tables turned INCREASINGLY one
Of those long German wnltzes which produce
on northern i~maginations the anne effect as
hashsesh and opium on the Orientals, the
couples passed and repassed rapidly; the
women almost fainting with pleasure on the
arms OF their cavaliers, 20 the sounds Of n
waltz by Lamar, swept away with their
skirts tho clouds OF smoke and refreshed the
faces Of tho drunken. At the counter some
Morlacean improvisator, accompanied by q
PAAJtA uRoh Auo KUHN Ncft IcCltlllR n tJTt
of m complaint which seemed greatly
to divert a dozen strange figures, clothed In
sheepskn and coifed with tarboukhs.
Heinrich went to the end Of the cellar, and
sat at a table where were already seated
three or four personages Of joyous mien and
merry humor.
"Ah, Heinrichlp cried the eldest Of the
band; mind yourselves, my friends: fanum
habet in cornu You know you had n truly
diabolical look, the other night; you almost
frightened me. Who would think that Helm
rich, who drinks beer as wo do, and who
does not draw back before a alice OF cold
ham, could put on such venomous, wicked
and sardonic airs, and that with n single ges-
ture he can make a whole theatre shudder."
"Ehl why that Is the reason why Helm
rich Is a great artist, u sublime comedian.
There Is no glory In playing a role that Is In
your character; the triumph, for n coquette,
is to excel in playing ingenues."
Heinrich sat down modestly, called for q
largo glass Of mixed wine, and the conversa-
ton continued on the same subject On all
sides IL was admiration and compliments.
"Ahl II tho great Wolfgang Goethe had
seen you'll" said one.
Show us your feet" said another; II am
sure you nave a forked hoof."
The other drinkers attracted by these OK
CARNATIONS, looked ut Heinrich seriously, nIl
happy TO have tho opportunity Of examining
closely 30 remarkable a man. The young
men who had formerly known Heinrich at
the university, and whose names he hardly
knew, came up 10 him and shook him cor
daily by the hand as II they had been his
Intimate friends. The p~rettiest v~alseuses us
they passed shot at him the tenderest
glances Of their blue and velvet eyes.
One man only seated at u neighboring table
seemed to take no part In the general enthu-
siasm; his head thrown backward, be was
drumming distrnctedly with his fingers on
the crown Of his hat u military march, and,
from time to time he uttered sort Of humph,
singulArly dubious
The aspect OF this man was Of the strang-
est, although he was dressed hke an honest
burgher OF Vienna, enjoying a modest for
tune; his gray yes were shaded with green
tints, and shot out phosphoriclights like the
eyes OF a cat. When his pale, fat lips
parted, they showed two rows Of teeth very
white, very sharp and very wide apart, OF
the most cannibal and ferocious aspect; his
long nails, shining and curved, took a vague
appearance Of claws; but that p~hysiognomy
appeared only by rapid flashes; to the eye
that watched him hxedly, his face rapidly
resumed the bourgoise and debonair appear
ance OF a retired Viennesem merchant, and you
felt astonished that you could ave sus-
pected Of villainy and deviltry a face SO vul.
gar and trivial
Internally Heinrich was shocked at the in
difference Of the man. Thatd isdainful silence
took away their value from the panegyrics
which his noisy companions lavished upon
him 1t was the silence Of an old and ex-
perienced connotsseur, who docs not allow
himself to be deceived by appearances.
Atmayer, the youngest Of the company,
| fAA .w-... .Iwa-.- .4--t- IL -
endure this GOODNESS, and addressing the
strange man, as IL taking him to bear wit
ness TO Al assertion that he advanced, he
said:
at Is not 80, sir, no actor has ever played
the role of Mephistopheles better than my
comrade heref'
"Humph, y said the stranger, flashing his
green eyes and cracking his sharp teeth.
Mr. Heinrich is a young man Of talent,
whom l esteem very highly; but he is want
ing in many things necessary to play the role
of the DEVIL
And suddenly drawing himself up;
Have you ever seen the devil, Mr.. Helm
richf'
He put this question in such : strange and
mocldng tone, that all the company felt a
shudder run down their backs.
"ThAt, however, would be necessary for
the truthfnlness of your play. The other
evening l was at the theatre OF the Carin-
THAN Gate, and / was not satisfied with your
laugh; IL was, at the utmost, 6 sly laugh.
My dear Mr.. Heinrich, this Is the way you
ought to laugh.n
And thereupon, as 10 give him the exam
pie, he burst into a laugh so sharp so stri-
dent, so sardonic, that the orchestra and tho
dancers stopped at that very instant; the
glass windows trembled. The stranger con-
tinued this pitiless and ~convulsive laugh for
several minutes. and Heinrich and his COM
panions, in spite OF their terror, could not
help initiating it.
When Heinrich had recovered himself, the
vaults Of the tavern were repeating, like a
feeble echo, the last note of that broken and
terrible ~twitter. and tho stranger was no
longer there.
Some days after this strange incident,
which he had almost forgotten, or which he
remembered only as q joke of an ~ironicnl
burgher, Heinrich was playing his part Of
the demon in the new piece.
On the first row Of seats In tho orchestra
was seated the stranger OF the tavern, and at
every word be pronounced he shook his head.
winked his eyes, smacked his tongue against
his palate, and showed signs Of tho nveliest
impatienee.
"Badi bAdi" he muttered to himsslf.
His n~eighbors, astonished and shocked at
his manners, applauded, and thought to
themselves that the gentleman was very hard
10 please.
At the end of the first act the stranger rose,
as II no had taken a sudden resolution, strobe
over the big drum, the cymbals and rom
bone, and disappeared through tho little
door that leads from the orchestra to tho
stage Heinrich, waiting until the curtain
rose, was walking up and down in the wings,
and when he came To the end Of his short
promenade, what was his terror TO see as he
turned. standing in the middle of the CORR
dor, a mysterious personage clothed exactly
Puesi PiIesi Pmesi