The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-06

slant, and the glass in the window.
trenIbled. The stranger continued this
piiilcss and convulsire laugh for sevfra
minutes, and Heinrich and his com
pnnIOns, in spite of their terror, could moi
help initiating it.
When Heinrich had recovered himself
the vaults Of the tavern were repeating,
like a feeble echo, the last notes Of that
broken and terrible laugh, and the
stranger was no longer there.
|
Some days after this strange incident,
which he had almost forgotten, or which
he remembered only as joke OF an iron
| ical burgher, Heinrich was playing his
| part Of the demon in new piece. In the
first row Of seats in the orchestra WAS
! seated the stranger Of the tavern, and at
every word pronounced he shook his head,
winked his eyes, smacked his tongue
against his palate and showed signs Of the
liycliest Impotence.
bad, badr' he murmured 10 himself.
His ncighbors, astonished and shocked
at his manners, applauded, and thought
10 themselves that the gentleman was
very hard to please.
At the end of the first act the stranger
rose. as II he had taken sudden resOl8-
lion, strobe over the big drum, the Gym
balls and trombone, and disappeared
through the little door that leads from the
orchestra TO the 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 narrow cor
ridor, mysterious parsonage clothed ex-
actly as he was and who looked at him
with eyes whose greenish transparency
had a strange profundity in the darkness;
the white, sharp wide set teeth gave
something ferOcous to Ie sardouic smile.
Heinrich could not fail 20 recognize the
strange whom he had seen at the Two
Headed Eagle or rather the devil in per-
son, for it was he.
"Ah, all, my young friend You wish to
play the devil, You were very middling
in the first act, and you would decidedly !
give a very poor 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, will send you
to the cellar below the stage
Heinrich recognized the Prince of Dark
ness, and felt himself lost Putting his
hand mechanically to the little cross that |
Katy had given him, he tried TO call for
lelp, and to murmur his formula Of eXor-
,ism; but terror choked him; he could
)ny utter a feeble rattle. The devil seized
Heinrich with his hooked hands by the
h0ulders and pushed him by main force
through the floor; then he entered upon
he scene, when his che came, like per-
ect actor.
His inciSive, biting, venomous and truly
'iabolic acting at first surprised the spec
ators What especially produced great
fleet was that sharp litter like the graf
NJ OF a saw, that laugh Of the damned
'laspheming the joys of Paradise Never
ad an actor attained such power of sar-
asm, such a depth of villainy, the audi
nee laughed, but they trembled All the
udience was painting with emotion;
hosphoric sparks glinted from the fingers
( the terrible actor; trains Of sparkling
anne ran from his feet; the light Of the {
listers grew pale, the footlights shot out |
eddish and grcenish flashes; q sort of
1lphUrOUs smell reigned Ia the theatre
he spectators were, as 1t were, delirious,
nd thunders Of frantic applause greeted
ach phrase Of the marvellous Mephis
,pheles, who often substituted verses Of
is own invention for the verses of the
oct, and the substitution was always
Apply and accepted with transports
Katy, VINO was iii the theatre, was In
ate Of extraordinary alarm; she did not
'cognize her dear Heinrich; she presaged
me misfortune with that spirit of n
which love gives. "
The performance ended amidst in k
.scrbable enthusiasm When the cur
in fell the public called for Mephs- al
'pheles with loud cries He was sought
y ia vain: bat at last scene shifter came Il
n told The manager that Heinrich had o,
.en found III the cellar, where he had
'ODably fallen through a trap
The hapless actor was taken up His
othng was burned in places, and on his q,
ouldcrs were deep scratches They a
oke to him. but he did not answer He ~
Is dead.-From the French Of Theophile
tuticr