Next day everybody was talking—but under their breath. They were talking sharply critical talk about the witch-commission. “Why haven't the commission summoned Father Adolf for examination? if it were some friendless old woman who had done those Satanic miracles with the bowl, the bottle and the brazen balls, would they be so lax?” That is what the public said—in a whisper. Always confidentially; adding, “Please don't quote me—don't say I said anything.” You see they were prompt to blame the committeeⒶalteration in the MS for being afraid of Father Adolf, yet at the same time they forgot to despise their own cowardice in not holding up the committee's hands and encouraging them to their duty. And they forgot that in despising the committee for being so brave when friendless old women were concerned, they were only despising themselves, for that was their own daring attitude toward friendless old women. Satan would have had a laugh at all this if he had been about. He would have said “It is like the human race; they have a fine large opinion of themselves, with nothing to found it on.”

I had five days' holiday, now, on my uncle's farm in the country, and when I got back another question was puzzling the people: “WhatⒶalteration in the MS has become of Father Adolf?” No one knew. He had not been seen since his performance on the tight rope.

Meantime Satan had been going about quite freely, getting [begin page 95] acquainted with everybody, chatting with everybody, and charming the whole villageⒶalteration in the MS and winning its gratitude by beguiling its mind from its troubles by diverting its interest to cheerfulerⒶalteration in the MS matters. Among his new acquaintances were the families of us boys, and their admiring talk of him was a great satisfaction to us, but we were not able to reveal our relations with him and boast about it, which we should have been so glad to do. My mother said to my father,Ⓐalteration in the MS with a shade of suspicion in her tone—

“There is something strange about him—I can't quite make him out. He is a gentleman—his clothes and his breeding show it; and yet he seems to associate with any kind of characters that come along, Rupert.”

“Yes, that comes out in his talk, Marie,” said my father.

“It is plain that he makes no sort of distinction between Fuchs the rich brewer and Hansel the loafing tinker—just as soon put in his time with the one as with the other.”

“Yes, and not only that, but he speaks of them as if the value of the two was the same—their value to the world and the village.”

“Well,” said my mother with a slight sniff, “maybe that is the right word, though I couldn't see that he attached anything that a body might really describe as value to either of them.”

My father had to grant that that was the correcter way of putting it.

“But he is young,” he added; “in years he is but a youth, and that is the prig-time of life. HeⒶalteration in the MS will get over it when he is olderⒶalteration in the MS and has found out something about life and the world. Experience will teach him a lot of things which he doesn't know now.”

My mother reflected a little, then said—

“But is he such a boy, Rupert? He looks it, and all that, but there's times when he doesn't talk like a boy. You said, yourself, that he was curiously well up in the law for such a lad, and that he talked about legalⒶalteration in the MS procedure like a person who had played the game.”

Mother had cornered him again. But she was not vain of it, being more or less accustomed to it, and always expecting him to be pretty random and toⒶalteration in the MS need watching when he wasn't on the BenchⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐtextual note.

[begin page 96]

“He may be a good deal of a boy, and no doubt he is,” continued my mother, “but I can see that he is a superior one and smart beyond his years. In my opinion he is going to make his way in this world. Particularly if he goes into a profession.”

“He is studying for the ministry,” said my father.

My mother glanced up with interest.

“Orthodox, I suppose?” said she.

“As I understand it—yes.”

“Then he can't marry, and I hope he will not come here too much.”

“Why?”Ⓐalteration in the MS

“Because if I know the signs, our Lilly was interested in him the minute she saw him.”

“Is that so, Marie?”

“Love at first sight if I know the indications.”

“Marie, if your eyes and your instincts have not put you in error, this may be a serious matter.”

“Well, we shall see. Theodor, bring your sister.”

I fetched her, and on the way I told her what the occasion was, for we were loyalⒶalteration in the MS comrades and always posted each other when we could and when it might be useful. Mother statedⒶalteration in the MS her charge, and Lilly met it frankly and without embarrassment. She said she was interested in Philip Traum.

“Is he interested in you?”

“Ah, as to that, I do not know.”

“What do you think?”

“I think—well, I think he is not.”

“I am very, very glad to hear it, my child, and you will be glad, too, when you learn that he can never marry.”

I thought poor Lilly's cheek lost a little of its color.

“Can . . . . . never marry?” she said with a sort of gasp. “Why, mother?” and her eyes lost somewhat of their sparkle.Ⓐalteration in the MS

“Because he is studying for the ministry. He is going to be a priest.”

“That is a mistake, MütterchenⒶalteration in the MS!” and the color came back and the eyes brightened; “he told me so himself.”

[begin page 97]

“He did, did he? UponⒶalteration in the MS my word the confidences have begun to flow early! So he is not to be a priest. I do not know whether to be glad or sorry.” She looked bothered,Ⓐalteration in the MS and went on talking, with the look in her eyes of one who is thinking aloud without being conscious of it: “So beautiful,—such a gentleman—doubtless rich. . . .” Then she broke out with “I do wish we could know something about him before this thing goes any further. Did he tell you anything about himself? . . . . . but that would be worth nothing; it might be all lies, of course.”

“Ah, no—no, mother, you wrong him, indeed you do. He is not capable of telling a lie.”

It took me so unpreparedⒶalteration in the MS that the laugh was halfⒶalteration in the MS out before I could stop it; but I turned it into a strangle, and no one knew it was anythingⒶalteration in the MS but that.

“Oh, of course you would think he couldn't tell a lie, but that is no proof. What did he say about himself? Anything? Where does he live when he is at home?”

“His country seat—”

“He has a country seat . . . . . um . . . . . well, that is something, anyway. And I must say that his clothes and his style are a sort of—of—”

“Corroborative evidence,” suggested my father, helping her out.

“Yes. Where is his country seat?”

“In Austria or Germany, I think, but he didn't say.”

“What is the name of it?”

“Himmelreich.”

“The Kingdom of Heaven! What a modest name.”

“Blasphemous, you would better say,” said my father, with censure in his voice.

Mother went on questioning, and getting answers, and growing gradually reconciled to the perplexingⒶalteration in the MS situation and fortifying herself to entertain the idea of taking Satan into the family in the quality of son-in-law if the worst should come to the worst, so to speak; and finally she said—

“Well, there's one comfort: he is but a child, yet, and so are you; [begin page 98] and we shall know all about him long before either of you is old enough to marry. I hope his character is good, and his morals; he seems to have a fair enough nature.”

“Oh, a beautiful nature, mother.”

“Of course you think so, but that is nothing to the point.”

“He is ever so kind-hearted, mother, and admires rattlesnakes.”

Mother came near fainting.

“Ad—mires rattlesnakes! Is he insane?”

“No. But he has read all about them, and admires their noble character.”

“Their noble character—the most infamous beast that crawls! What rubbish is this you are talking?”

“But mother, it is not so unreasonable when he explains it. He says this, to the credit of the rattlesnake: that he never takes advantage of any one, and has none of the instincts of an assassin; that he never strikes without first giving warning, and then does not strike if the enemy will keep his distance and not attack him. Isn't that true of the rattlesnake, papa?”

“Well—yes, it is. I had not thought of it before. The truth is, it is better morals than some men have.”

“I am so glad you think so, papa; it is what he says.”

“Oh, if he says it, that settles it,” said my mother, not well pleased to be caught in the minority. Then I could see she wanted a change of subject, and had her eye out for a pretext. She seemed to find it, and said, “There, you'd better run along and get at your embroidery; if you haven't finished it in thirtyⒶalteration in the MS days—”Ⓐemendation

“It happens that it's already finished!” cried Lilly, without trying to conceal how vain she was about it.

“Finished? When?”

“Day before yesterday.”

“The idea! Very well, you can pull it all out and do it over again. And next time, do it right.”

“It is done right—I'll bring it and you can see for yourself,” and she ran and brought it.

It was a little picture, wrought in threads of silk and gold and silver. My mother was astonished, and said—

[begin page 99]

“Dear me, it is finer thanⒶalteration in the MS the original—much finer. It is easily forty days' work. How is it that it took you ten days to merely start it, and only one day to complete it? And certainly the workmanshipⒶalteration in the MS is beyondⒶemendation praise for grace and beauty and perfection. Dear, dear, the exquisite delicacy of it! It's just a dream!”Ⓐalteration in the MS

“It didn't take a day, it took only twenty minutes. He did it.”

My mother was astonished again, and asked dozens of questions, and got all the particulars, and grew more and more astonished all the time. Then she examined the work in this and that and the other light, hanging it on the wall, on a chair, spreading it on the table, her eyes speaking her wondering and worshiping delight in it, and her lips muttering all the time, “Marvelous creature, amazing creature,” and Lilly stood drinking it all in, happy and proud as a person could be.

“Well,” said mother at last, “it strikes a body dumb, I must say. He is a most singular creature, take him how you will. Embroiders like an angel, and admires rattlesnakes; a most unaccountable mixture in the matter of tastes. With his gifts he will get along. He doesn't need any better profession than this, and I hope he will stick to it, and make a name for himself. That is his intention, isn't it?”

“No,” said my sister, “he looks higher.”

“Higher? What is he going to be?”

“An author.”

“Author of what?”

“When he has finished his education at Heidelberg, he is going to write the history of the Roman jurisprudence and codify the Roman laws.”

“That kitten?”

“He is not a kitten, mamma, and it isn't right for you to call him such names.”

“Child, then—I'm not particular. But the bare idea of it—eight weeks old, so to speak, and already planning a flight like that; it does seem to me to smack of self-conceit. But no matter, it's no affair of mine, but I know one thing: if he were my child I would see to itⒶalteration in the MS that he stuck to his embroidery, that I would. There's the makings of a man in him if he had the right kind of a mother. Poor [begin page 100] thing, it is a shame that he has been allowed to grow up in this helter-skelter fashion. His mother was a Pole, probably; I never did think much of those Poles.”

She had probably never had an opinion about the Poles before, but she was in the humor to hit somebody a thump and the Poles happened to turn up in her head just in time to be useful.

[ ] Ⓐtextual note

There was one very noticeable thing: in all this conversation the name of young Joseph Fuchs the brewer's son and heir was not mentioned once. It was another instance of the fact that wherever Satan came people dropped other interests out of their minds for the time and they could not seem to think of anything but him. It was the same now. ApparentlyⒶalteration in the MS noⒶemendation one had thought of Joseph Fuchs, not even my father; yet my father was a steady-going practical man, and a judge. This was strange, for Joseph was the best catch in the region, and was courting my sister, apparently with her approval, and certainly with the approval of papa and mamma. And yet all of a sudden comes this revolution, and my motherⒶalteration in the MS is dazzled, and turned topsy-turvyⒶemendation, and sets herself to contemplating Satan as a possible son-in-law, just as if there was no impropriety about it and nothing in the way; and if papa was surprised at it or dissatisfied, he gave no sign of it. It was Satan's influence; it had put the family under an enchantment. Not purposely, of course; for these people belonged to the human race and it would not have occurred to him to interest himself in their small affairs—unasked—one way or the other; either to help them or to hurt them. The villagersⒶalteration in the MS, high and low, were all bugs to him, and by his nature he seemed unable to take a bug seriously.

Joseph Fuchs was twenty-one and a good enough young fellow. He wouldn't ever be likely to set the river on fire, but that was nothing—there was plenty of company of this calibre, heⒶalteration in the MS was with the majority. He took an innocent pleasure in his clothes and in his father's riches, but that was natural enough in one whose peopleⒶalteration in the MS had been poor no long time back; and he was likely to take a seat which commanded a mirror if it came handy, but nobody minded it, since it did him good and harmed no one. These were the outside [begin page 101] tinselings of his character, but there was gold back of them; he was honest and clean and true, and had warm affections and deep feelings.

Just as mamma had finished her slat at the Poles, Joseph came in. The effect was curious; the family looked a trifle startled; much as if he was a half-remembered disappearance come back out of the long ago. It took them half a moment or two to wake up andⒶalteration in the MS pull themselves together; then they set him a chair where he could faceⒶalteration in the MS the mirror, and gave him welcome and asked after his people, and so worked off the restraintⒶalteration in the MS that was in the atmosphere and got things going in a more or less natural and comfortable fashion. Joseph had not noticed anything; it was not to be expected that he would. He did not even seem to notice that Lilly's welcome did not come from her eyes, according to custom, but only from her mouth; but I noticed it. I was sorry, too; for this was a man, and could meet her on her own human level, and makeⒶalteration in the MS her brief breath of life happy, and share with herⒶalteration in the MS the peace and oblivion of the grave afterward; whereas in her innocence and ignorance she was fixing her heart of flesh upon a spirit, a wanderer of the skies, an object as unattainable as a comet and not more competent to meet the requirements of a this-world fellowship.

Being asked for the news, Joseph said—

“Oh, there isn't any, of course,Ⓐalteration in the MS except the new stranger. It's all Philip Traum here, Philip Traum there, Philip Traum yonder—nothing but Philip Traum; but IⒶalteration in the MS suppose that that is no news to you—of course it isn't. Father is infatuated with him; so is everybody—in fact I don't mind saying I include myself. Well, you know, he is a wonderful creature; now there's no getting around that.” His voice took on a grave tone, and he added, “That youth is doing things which can get him into trouble—can, I say, though I hope they won't.”

Lilly paled a little, and asked—

“What kind of things?”

“Well, things which the peopleⒶalteration in the MS can't understand; strange thingsⒶalteration in the MS which set themⒶalteration in the MS to shaking their heads and talking under their breath. This morning he jumped off the bridge and saved old Haas [begin page 102] from drowning; did it without an effort, they say, fat and monstrous as old Haas is.”

“It was a brave fine act,” said Lilly; “surely thereⒶalteration in the MS was nothing about that for people to criticise and shake their heads over.”

“Well, you see, that wasn't the worst of it—I mean, that wasn't all of it. They might have overlooked the miracle of strength displayed, but they say the water didn't wet his clothes. They couldn't account for that.”

“Do you believe the water didn't wet his clothes, Joseph?”

“Well, you know, they say it didn't. They believed it, I am quite sure of it; and the police must have believed it, too, for when they heard of it they arrested him.”

“What a shame! andⒶalteration in the MS he had been doing such a brave thing. Papa, you will order them to set him free—you can't refuse.”

“Don't you worry,” said Joseph, “he's already free.”

“How is that?”

“He wouldn't go with them.”

“Did they try to make him?” my father asked.

“Yes, but he only made fun of them. They tried to carry him off by force, but they hadn't the strength; they couldn't budge him from where he stood. Then they were afraid; for he said that if they tried it again he would throw themⒶalteration in the MS in the river. Now you know that for some reason or other they were afraid, for if they hadn't been they would have summoned more help, that being the usual course; but this they did not do. They only crossed themselves and looked foolish. Then they asked him to come to headquarters and fill up the usual form which requires a stranger to give his address, name, age, religion, occupation, whence he is from, how long he proposes to stay, and all that; and he wouldn't do it, and laughed at them again, and walked off about his business, no one interfering. He doesn't seem to be afraid of anybody or any thing. Oh, yes, everybody is talking! Among other things, about his chess and his music—have you heard of that?”

“No.”

“Well, then, it's because it only came out yesterday evening, I suppose; but it is started, now, and you'll hear plenty about it soon. [begin page 103] It happened four or five days ago, and yesterday evening Wilhelm Meidling lost his temper and told about it. The way of it was this.”

Then Joseph told all about the four chess games and that wonderful music.

“Do you see?” he continued, “it's all as astounding as Father Adolf's bowl and bottle, and his jugglery and gymnastics in the market square. Very well. Put this and that together, and what do you arrive at? This: we all know Father Adolf is possessed of a devil; that being the case, what is the matter with Philip Traum?”

It was a hard hit and sudden. It made them all jump. But Joseph didn't see it; he went tinklingⒶalteration in the MS right along:

“Well, now, that's my news; what's yours? You know Philip the Magician, as I call him; have you been favored yet? has he been exhibiting here?”

It was another hit. It made them look unwell. Mother glanced at Lilly, and she slid the embroidery out of sight. Joseph was having a very successful time with his random gun, but he didn't know it.

Mother replied, a little stiffly, that Mr. Traum had not been exhibiting here. The others said nothing, and Joseph laughed pleasantly and remarked—

“A pity, too, for I suppose they'll burn him, soon, and then you'll naturally be sorry you haven't a sample to remember him by.”

“Don't talk so!” said Lilly. “SuchⒶalteration in the MS things are not matter for jesting.”

“Well, then, I won't. But seriously, you know, people are talking, and he ought to be careful. That is what I tell him, and it's what father tells him; but he is so young and volatileⒶalteration in the MS and carefree that it hasn't any effect; he only laughs at it. Another thing: he has gone and made an enemy of the very man who could be most useful to him some day if he should get into trouble, and that man is Wilhelm Meidling, a goodⒶalteration in the MS lawyer and a rising one.”

“How has that happened?”

“I don't know; but anyway it's so. Meidling let it out yesterday evening. Meidling is drinking again—I suppose you know that?”

[begin page 104]

Mother said she had heard something of the sort.

“Well, it's true. He drops in at the Golden Stag pretty often just here lately.”

“Ah, poor Marget!” said Lilly; “she has troubles enough, she might have been spared this one. She takes it hard—of course?”

“I suppose so, but one can't know—no one goes there.”

That hit Lilly, right in the heart—I could see it. She got up, saying—

“I am ashamed of myself; I must go to her; you must let me, mother. It is ungrateful in the happy to forsake the unhappy, whatever others may do.”

“No, no!” spoke up Joseph, alarmed; “none of that!Ⓐalteration in the MS Keep clear away from there—it is not safe!”

Poor fellow, he naturally supposed that he was the cause of her happiness, and in his pride and joy he put what should have been an appeal into the form of a kind of bridegroom-electⒶalteration in the MS command, without thinking. Lilly straightened up,Ⓐalteration in the MS gave him a freezing look, and said—

“I beg your pardon. Who are you to dictate to me what I shall do?”

It was pitiful to see how he was crushed. He couldn't say a word, but only fumbled with his hands and looked stunned and vacant. Neither my father nor my mother seemed to know anything to do to relieve the situation; and so, when Wilhelm Meidling came walking in, now,Ⓐalteration in the MS he seemed like a kind of angel of deliverance, specially commissioned by Providence, and I think he hadn't any doubts that my parents were glad to see him. Lilly's welcome was not so pronounced, by a good deal; he had interrupted her project, and she had to put it by and sit down—which she did, but she couldn't have lookedⒶalteration in the MS sociable and amiable if she had tried.

Five days had made a great and sorrowful change in Meidling. The old pleasant and friendly light had gone out of his eyes, his complexion was unwholesome, his skin puffy, his hands tremulous, his spirit moody and sour. He was a little under the influence of liquor, but not seriously so.

By way of a beginning, mother asked after Marget.

[begin page 105]

“I don't know how she is,” answered Wilhelm drearily, and with a sigh.

“You don't?” said mother, surprised at his manner and troubled by his statement. “Why, how does that come?”

“I don't suppose it would interest you,” he said, in that same drearyⒶalteration in the MS way, and looked around upon our faces wistfully, just as a person does who is carrying a burden upon his heart and finds it too heavy to bear, and is longingⒶalteration in the MS to talk about his trouble if he could findⒶalteration in the MS encouragement and a friendly ear. My mother saw and understood, for in her nature there was her sex's native sympathy for creatures in distress; she soonⒶalteration in the MS smoothed Wilhelm's path for him and made his traveling of it easy for him. Once more we heard about the chess games and the music; then this followed:

“Next day Traum wasⒶalteration in the MS there again. More than half an hour; and did another amazingⒶalteration in the MS musical miracle. Marget read a tale to him out of a book—a prose one; then he sat down and played it and sang it, turning it into rhymed verse as he went along—a marvelous achievement, one is obliged to confess. In the partsⒶalteration in the MS whereⒶemendation the tale was military and stirring, he filled the place with the crash of military bands; and through the music you could hear the hoof-beats of charging cavalry, the boom and thunder of artillery, the clash of steel, along with another sound that was heartbreaking—the perfectly counterfeited shrieks and cries and supplications of wounded and dying men. Such human voices! and they seemed to be in the room. Of course in the room, though really the room was a battlefield, and we saw the fight, as in a visionⒶalteration in the MS. When the scene of the tale changed and was soft and tender and romantic, with moonlight, and shimmering lakes, and the breath of flowers in the air, you heard only the distant strains of violins and oboes and aeolian harps. You understand, he finds all this variety of instruments in that old crazy spinet.

“When he was taking his departure Marget forgot all decorum and begged himⒶalteration in the MS, supplicated him, implored him to stay. And that was not all: she told him she could not live with him out of her sight!”

It made the family jump; and Lilly turned a ghastly white, then [begin page 106] flushed red and her eyes blazed. Her lips worked, but she held in. Joseph saw this, and there was a painful wonder in his eyes.

My mother showed distress. She was doing aimless things and fumbling with her hands like a person who has been knocked out of his bearings. She started to ask, in a hesitating way, if Philip was in love with Marget, but Wilhelm was not conscious of anything but his own affair; so he never heard her, but went right on:

“Traum wouldn't stay; but going outⒶalteration in the MS at the door, Marget still pleading, he said as indifferentlyⒶalteration in the MS as if he were asking the time of day, ‘I can't stop now, but I'll come every day, if you like.’ ”

“He doesn't love her!”

It was Lilly. It was out before she could stop it; her feelings had got the best of her. Joseph's head was bowed; if he had been looking at his face in the glass, he would have seen a spasm. Wilhelm looked at Lilly in a vague half-conscious way as if he sort of wondered why she should show so much interest, then he touched his dry lips with his tongue and went on:

“Marget's eyes were humid and brilliant, herⒶalteration in the MS face was flushed, she was in a state of exaltation, she was like a person intoxicated with adorable emotions. I said, ‘You are in love with him.’Ⓐalteration in the MS She answered, ‘I am, and I glory in it; I worship him!’ ”

Lilly patted the floor with her foot, and the indignant breath came short through her parted lips, but she kept control of her tongue this time.

“I argued with her, reasoned with her, but it did no good. I said he was a stranger, an adventurer whom nobody knew. She said itⒶalteration in the MS was nothing to her; she loved him, and did not care who he was nor what he was. Still I reasoned and persuaded. I said he was possessed of a devil. She only said ‘I would God I were possessed of the mate to it.’ It was awful to hear her say that. I told her he was indifferent to her, and that he had not shown by a single word or sign that he cared for her in anything more than a friendly way. She said, ‘I cannot help it, I love him; he doesⒶalteration in the MS not love me now, but he is coming every day, and I have a right to hope and I will hope.’ It was a bitter hour for me. We parted, without a caress; she did not [begin page 107] even put out her hand; then her conscience smote her and she put it out, saying ‘Forgive me—good-night—and let us be friends.’

“It is a madness, you see; it is enchantment—she is not to blame. I have not been back. He goes every day; I have it from Gottfried. Marget's love was my whole fortune; and it is lost.”

A silence fell. Every oneⒶalteration in the MS sat as still as a statue.Ⓐalteration in the MS And the pride and the hopes and the happiness of eachⒶalteration in the MS had received a stroke and been brought low. It was dismal, and like a funeral. Presently Wilhelm cast an appealing glance at my father, who started to get up,Ⓐalteration in the MS but Wilhelm motioned him back, as if to say, “Never mind—I know the way.” So he passed into the back room. The liquor was there.

SoonⒶalteration in the MS we heard a brisk step, and the next moment Satan cameⒶalteration in the MS tripping in as cheerful as a bird, and his coming was like the sea-breeze invading a sick-room. Everybody's spirits rose, and the welcome that shone in Lilly's face was another pang for Joseph. Satan greeted every one heartily by name and handshake; and in the midst of it Wilhelm came reelingⒶalteration in the MS in with our butcher-knife in his hand. He flourished it, and shouted “Stand back!” which they naturally did, being taken by surprise, and the women screamed;Ⓐalteration in the MS and as Satan faced about, Wilhelm sprang at him and brought down the knife with a deadly lunge. But it only touched Satan's breast, and fell to the floor.

For just an instant Satan's eyes glowed with a dangerousⒶalteration in the MS light butⒶalteration in the MS it was gone as swiftly as it had come, and heⒶalteration in the MS was saying to the company—

“Don't be disturbed, he was only playing.”

Wilhelm looked perplexed and ashamed, and said haltingly—punctuating with a hiccup here and there—Ⓐalteration in the MS

“No, it is not entitled to so charitable a construction as that, and I make the humblest apologies to the company for my conduct. It was not myself that was acting,Ⓐalteration in the MS it is foreign to my nature; my sleep has been broken, I have been drinking more than is good for me, and for a moment my reason was affected, I think. I have done wrong, and am sorry. I had no right to proceed against his life.”

Satan could do what he pleased with any one. It pleased him to [begin page 108] smooth away Wilhelm's feeling of humiliation, and soften his resentment, and banish the liquor-fogs from his brain and the dulness from his eye and the depression from his spirit, and restore to him his normal self and make him cheerful and comfortable; and by the crafts and witcheries of his tongue he did it. InⒶalteration in the MS no long time Wilhelm was discussing chess with him, the company were assisting in the debate, and things were going along as smoothly as ever. And at last when Wilhelm said he wished a record had been kept of those four remarkable games, so that he could lighten his dull hours by studying them, Satan said he would make the record.

“From memory?” my father asked, “after five days?” I think he meant it for irony; but irony was not his best hold.Ⓐalteration in the MS

Satan did not reply; but took some sheets of paper and filled them with the record of the games, in—well, in the time it takes to count ten,Ⓐalteration in the MS I should say, or perhaps fifteen. You could not see his hand move over the paper, it was just a whiz and a blur. Wilhelm examined the record in detail. Then,Ⓐalteration in the MS

“It is correct,” he said.

“Marvelous!” said the others.

“You've got your sample,” murmured Joseph. Lilly gave him a look which excused him from further comment.