most. But I was
never very proud; so, seeing that there was nothing to be done, but to go
without beer, or to humble myself to my brother, the rath, I chose the
latter course as the most reasonable, and made my peace with him at once.

"And what do you suppose he did for me? He said I had disgraced myself
and him at all the other places, so he could do nothing but send me to
the 'Asylum for the Indigent.' But I did not stay there long. There was
no beer there; nothing but thin soup and rind-fleish (fresh boiled beef)
all the year round. And a pretty lot of ill-bred, miserable ignoramuses
they were--the indigent! Not a spark of life or jollity in the place.

"One day I coolly walked out of the 'Asylum,' made off to a house I well
knew, and ran up a credit account in my brother's name of good eight
guldens for beer and tobacco. A glorious day! for I forgot all about the
'asylum,' and the 'indigent,' and every mortal pain and trouble in this
inconvenient world.

"I was awakened from a deep dream by a heavy hand on my shoulder, and a
loud voice in my ear.

"'Holloa! friend Lech.'

"'What's the matter?' inquired I, gaping.

"'Get up, and I'll tell you.'

"'Who are you?'

"'You'll know that soon enough; I am a police officer.'

"'And where am I, in God's name?'

"'Why, lying on your back, on the open Glacis.'

"That was pleasant, was it not? So they took me to the police-bureau, in
the first case, for lying out in the open air; and when they found that I
had used my brother's name to incur a debt, without his permission, they
gave me two months for fraudulent intentions.

"'Why did you not stay at the "Bounty?"' expostulated my friend, the
police-assistant, as we were talking the matter over.

"'Because it was too aristocratic and uncomfortable,' answered I.

"'Perhaps the Rathherr, your brother, will be able to get you into the
"Refuge,"' said he, in a consoling way.

"'God bless you! they have kicked me out of there long ago.'

"'Then I know of nothing but the "Indigent" left for you.'

"'My worthy friend,' said I, 'that is the very last place I came from.'

"But I was determined to be revenged. When my time was expired, I
sallied forth with my mind fully made up as to what I was to do. I knew
the hour when my brother, in pursuance of his duties, usually entered the
magistrate's office, and, attired as I was--look at me! just as I am
now--in this old coat, the souvenir of the 'Indigent,' and