, 1884-11-27

whose greenish Transparency had strange
profundity in the darkness; the white,
sharp. wide7set teeth gave something Zero
cious to his sardonic smile
Heinrich could not fail to r~ecognize M
stranger whom he had seen at tho Two
headed Eagle, or rather the devil in person,
for 1t was he.
~Ahl All my young friend. you wish to
play the DEVIL You were very middling In
the first act, and you would decidedly give
too poor an idea Of me to the good citizens OF
Vienna. You will allow me to replace you
this evening, and as you might interfere
with me l will send you to the celler below
tho stage"
Heinrich recognized the Prince of Dark
ness and felt himself lost; putting his hand
mechanically TO tho little cross that Katy had
given him, he tried TO call for help and to
murmur his formula of exosclsm but, terror
choked him; no could only utter "A feeble
rattle. The devil seized Heinrich with his
hooked hands by his shoulders and pushed
him by main force through the floor; then
he entered upon tho scene, his cue came,
like a perfect actor.
His i~ncisive, biting, venomous and truly
dlabolical acting at first surprised the specta
tors h especially produced a great Of
feet was that sharp litter like the grating OF
a saw, that laugh of the Tanned blnsphem-
ing the joy OF paradise. Never had an actor
attained such powers of sarcasm, such a
depth Of v~illainy: the audience laughed but
they trembled. All the audience was pant
ing with emotion; phosphoric sparks glinted
from tho fingers Of the terrible actor; trains
Of sparkling flame ran from his feet; the
light OF the lusters grew pale, the footlights
shot out reddish and greenish flashes; a sort
OF sulphurous smell reigned in the theatre;
the spectators were, as it were, delirious, and
thunders OF frantic applause greeted each
phase OF the marvellous M~ephistopheles, who
often substituted verses Of his own invention
for the verses Of the poet, and the substitu-
ton was always happy and accepted with
transports.
Katy, TO whom Heinrich had sent a box,
was in a state Of extraordinary alarm; she
presaged some misfortune with hat spirit OF
divination which love gives.
The performance ended amidst indescriba-
BILE enthusiasm. When the curtain fell the
public called for Mephistopheles with loud
cries. He was sought for in win; but at last
a sceneshifter came and told the manager
that Heinrich had been found in the cellar,
where he had probably fallen through a trap.
Heinrich was unconscious; he was taken to
his home, and when he was undressed they
saw with surprise that he had deep scratches
on his shoulders as II a tiger had tried to
crush him with his pa1A Katy's little cross
had preserved him from death, and the devil,
yanquished by this influence, had contented
himself with fiinging Heinrich into the eel
lar of the theatre.
The convalescence Of Heinrich was long.
As soon as he was better the manager OF the
theatre offered him Il very brilliant engage
ment, but Heinrich refused il, for he was by
no means anxious 10 risk his salvation a sec
ond time, and he knew, too, that he would
never be able to equal his terrible duplicate.
After two or three years, having come into
a little fortune, he married the handsome
Katy, and now the two, sitting side by side
in front OF a porcelain stove in "a nice warm
room, are talking Of the future of their chill
dren.
Playgoers still speak with admiration Of
hat marvellous evening, and are astonished
at Heinrich's caprice which made him Aban-
don the stage after a great triumph.