rothed of fifty years before,
affected me much more deeply."

"I must betake myself for aid to our patron, Serapion," said Theodore;
"for the story of the miner really came to my fancy exactly as I have
told it."

"Everybody has his own way of looking at things," said Lothair, "but
perhaps it is as well that it was to us that you read this tale,
inasmuch as we have all some knowledge of mining matters, of Falun, and
of Swedish manners and customs. Other people might say you had
sometimes been a little unintelligible from the use of too much mining
phraseology; and it isn't everybody who would know that the 'Aehl'
which you mention so often is simply a fine, strong sort of beer."

"Theodore's story has not displeased me so much as it has you, Ottmar,"
said Cyprian. "Writers very often show us people who perish in some
disastrous way as having been at issue with themselves all through
their lives, as if under the control of unknown powers of darkness.
This is what Theodore has done; and I must say I approve of it, because
I think it is exceedingly true to nature. I have known people who have
suddenly seemed to alter and change completely--who have appeared to be
suddenly petrified (so to speak) within themselves, or driven hither
and thither by hostile powers, in constant unrest, till some fearful
catastrophe has withdrawn them from life."

"Stop, stop!" cried Lothair. "If we give this spirit-seer Cyprian a
chance, we shall be drawn into a regular labyrinth of dreams,
presentiments, and all the rest of it. Allow me to dispel the gloomy
tone which has come upon us at one stroke, by reading you--as a finale
to our present sitting--a children's story which I wrote a short time
ago, as I believe, under the direct inspiration of the tricksy spirit
Puck, himself."

"A children's story by you, Lothair!" they all cried.

"Even so," said Lothair. "It may seem to you a piece of insanity that I
should write a children's story; but let me read it to you, and then
give your verdicts."

Lothair took a carefully written MS. from his pocket, and read:--

"NUTCRACKER AND THE KING OF MICE.

"CHRISTMAS EVE.

"On the 24th of December Dr. Stahlbaum's children were not allowed, on
any pretext whatever, at any time of all that day, to go into the small
drawing-room, much less into the best drawing-room into which it
opened. Fritz and Marie were sitting cowered together in a corn