Year: 1859

world as these duncing-lessons. The nephew
a tall. slim, young man, with rather shor
legs, made his appearance, he said, in ret
frock, his hair nicely curled, wide trousers
and white gloves He spoke little, and will
foreign accent, and seemed, in the begin
ming, rather intelligent and docile; but hi
frequently broke out into the most ridiculous
leaps. dancing the widest tours, in which
he made entrechats which surpassed all th'
dancing masters he had ever seen or heart
OF. When it was attempted 10 check h'i
exlravagances, he would pull off the delicate
dancing-shoes from his feet, throw them al
the Frenchman's head, ard run round thu
chamber on all fours. At the noise, the o't
gentleman would rush out of his room, il
large, red bedgown, and cap of gol'
paper on his head, and lay his wh;E
heavily over his nephew's shoulders. The
nephew would at once begin to how
in the most frightful manner, spring
on the table and high bookcases, and ever
on the nppar -zstes of the windows, -and
talk all the time strange, foreign language
The old gentleman would give him no re-
spite, but, seizing him by the leg, would
pull him down, beat him soundly, and draw
his neck cloth tighter round his neck by the
buckle; after which the nephew would be-
come maRnerly and sober again, and the
dancirg-lesson 60 on quietly to its close.


These dancing-lessons weary nearly killed
the old Frenchman; but the dollar which
he regularly received and the good vine
which the old gentleman brought out, al
ways took him back to his pupil, often as
he resolved never to set foot in the hateful
house again.


The people Of Grunw;esel looked on
these things very differently from the
Frenchman. They settled in their own
minds that the young gentleman possessed
grest talents 70. society; and the ladies iE
the place all congratulated themselves
suffering as they did from great lack of
gentlemen--on the acquisition of SO vigor-
Gus dancer for the coming winter.


One morning, the maids, returning rom
market, des scribed to their master and mis-
tresses singular incident. They had seen
an elegant carriage standing before the
strangers house, and q servant in rich
livery holding the step. Two gentlemen
had entered the carriage, the servant sprung
into the boot behind, and the carriage-only
imagine it-1rove straight off to the ouse
of the burgomaster.


Everywhere people were in raptures with
the two strangers. and regretted only that
they had not made their acquaintance earli-
er The old genlemaa showed himself 10
be a well-bred, sensible man, who laughed
a little, TO be sure, IN everything he said,
rende ring it difficult 10 know whether he
was in jest or earnest; but who talked of
the weather, the scenery, and the picnics
to the cave in the mountain, so politely and
shrewdly that every one was delighted. But
the nephew! He 5ewitched every body; he
won all hearts. As for his exterior, it was
inpossibie to =caI him exactly handsome
The lower part of his face, especially his
jaw, projected too far, and his complexion
was extremely dark; while occasionally he
made the most remarkable grmzces, SHUT
ing his eyes. and swapping his teeth togeth-
er queerly; but people found the shape OF
his features exceedingly Interesting. "He
is an Engishman," people said: "they are
all SO. We must not be too particular with
an Eugllsbman.'


Towards his old uncle he was very sub
missive; for whenever he began TO jump too
vivaciously about the room, or as he seemed
particularly inclined TO do, draw his feet up
under him ON his chair, sirgle stern glance
from the old man served to bring him to
order at once. And how could one be angry
with the young man, when his uncle, in
every house, said 10 the lady, "My nephew
is still little raw and ilI-bred, madam; but
anticipate much from the modifying effect
produced by your society, and | implore
your forgiveness for any gaucheries he may
happen to be guilty off,


Thus was the nephew at length introduc-
ed to the gay world, and all Grurwissel
spoke of nothing else for the two follow ing
days but this great event. The old gentle
man renounced his habits of retreme inland
seemed to have wholly altered his modes OF
thought and life. In the afternoons he went,
with his nephew, to the cave in the noun
tain, where the more important citizens OF
Grunwiesel drank beer and rolled ninepins.
Here the nephew showed himself skillful
master of the game; for he never threw
less than FIVE or sig balls, Occasionally a
strange huInor seized him. 1t happened.
more than once, that he rushed like an ar
row down among the ninepins with one Of
the balls, making a dreadful racket, and
when he made spare or a ten-strike, the
fancy sometimes came over him to stand
erect on his nicely curled head, and extend
his legs high in the air; or, if carriage
happened to pass, before one knew what he
was about he would be seen sitting on the
top of the vehicle, making the most ludc-
rous grimaces, and, after riding on u short
distance, return, with prodigous leaps and
bounds, TO the party he had quilted.


The old gentleman. at such incidents as
these, was wont to beg ten thousand pardons
of the burgomaster and the other gentle
men, for his nephew's eccentricities They,
in reply, would laugh, ascribe such conduct
to his youthful spirits, declare they had been
just the same in their youth, and admire the
young springal, as they called him immense.
ly.


In this way the nephew of the stranger
came before long, to be held in high favor
in the city and envrons. No one could re.
call ever having seen a young man like hin
in Grunwiesel before; and he was, indeed
the strangest npparition which had evel