these
free-and-easy slippers, I waited at the great entrance of the Magistracy,
to pay my respects to my brother, the Rath.

"I saw him coming; and, as soon as he reached the foot of the flight of
stone steps, I marched forward, gave him a mock salute, and exclaimed, in
a loud voice,

"'Good morning, brother!'

"'What is the meaning of this?' demanded he.

"'Look here, brother!' said I, 'look at this coat, and these shoes.'

"'Remove this fellow!' exclaimed he to the police, who were standing at
his heels.

"I knew what would be the result, but had determined to have the play
out. So I drew off my slipper, and, thrusting my hand right through the
hole at the toe, I made a bit of play with my fingers, and shouted in his
ear:

"'Look at this, brother. Are you not ashamed to see me? Look here!
Look at this kripple-gespiel (puppet show)! Look!'

"Of course I was laid hold of; and here I am for another two months, for
insulting a city functionary."

This story was received with a glee only equalled by the gusto with which
it was related. The last expression, "kripple-gespiel," was peculiarly
his own.

Before leaving Vienna, about a month after my release, I had determined
to see the Bruhl, a wild, wooded, and mountainous district, at a short
distance from the city. We had spent a delightful day among its thick
pine woods, and on its towering heights, and in the evening made our way
to the small town of Modling, where we intended to take the railway to
Vienna. But there was a grand fete in the pleasure grounds close to the
town, accompanied by a magnificent display of fireworks. This whiled
away the time, and it was already dark, as we at length bent our steps
towards the railway station.

Suddenly a voice that I knew too well, struck upon my ear.

"Pity the poor blind!" it exclaimed.

I turned, and behold! there was my one-eyed jail acquaintance, planted
against a brick wall, a stout staff, at least six feet long, in his hand,
and his apparently sightless eyes turned up to the sky.

"Pity the poor blind!"

In the greatest fear lest, even in his present blind condition, he might
recognise, and claim me as an acquaintance, I hurried from the spot with
all the speed of which I was capable, and, thank Heaven, never set eyes
upon him again.

CHAPTER XXI.

A WALK THROUGH A MOUNTAIN.

I lately took a walk through the substance of a mountain, entering at the
top, and coming out at the bottom,