tremendous crash, which shook the
whole house; and a tall form, surrounded with fiery light, stood before
him, and gazed at him with gleaming, malignant eyes. This form was of
such terrible aspect that doubtless many a man would have lost his
courage, nay, fallen to the ground in wild apprehension; but Wolfframb
stood firm, and asked in a grave and emphatic manner:

"'"What is your will and business in this place?"

"'The form answered, in a horrible, yelling voice:

"'"I am Nasias, come to contend with you in the singer's craft."

"'Nasias opened his large cloak, and Wolfframb saw that he had a number
of books under his arms, which he let fall on the table beside him. He
then at once began a wonderful song, which treated of the Seven Planets
and the music of the Heavenly Spheres, as described in Scipio's Dream,
and he rang the changes on the most ingenious and complicated "tones"
and "manners." Wolfframb, who had seated himself in his armchair,
listened calmly, with downcast eyes; and when he had quite finished
began a beautiful "tone" or "manner" upon religious themes. At this
Nasias jumped hither and thither, and tried to interrupt Wolfframb with
howlings, and to throw the heavy books he had brought with him at the
singer. But the clearer and the stronger that Wolfframb's song streamed
forth, the paler grew Nasias's fieriness, and the more his form
crumbled and shrunk together, so that at last he was running up and
down on the cupboards, with his little red cloak and the thick ruff at
the throat of it, no more than a span long--weaking and squeaking.
Wolfframb, when he had ended his song, was going to catch hold of him,
but he shot out at once to his original size, and breathed out flames
of fire all round him.

"'"Hei! hei!" he cried, in a terrible voice, "none of these tricks on
me, young sir; very likely you may be a great authority on theology,
and well versed in the doctrines and subtleties of your fat book; but
you are not therefore a singer fit to measure himself against me and my
master. Let us have a nice love song, and see where your mastership
will be then."

"He then sang a song concerning Fair Helen, and the marvellous delights
of the Venusberg. And indeed this song was fascinating; and it was as
if the flames which Nasias emitted turned to perfume, breathing
voluptuous passion, delight, and desire, amid which the beautiful
sounds floated up and down, like love gods at play. Wolfframb had
listened