nheritances to be
counted among the most essential parts of the will. In accordance with
this custom Consistorial Councillor Glanz, Attorney of the Royal
Treasury Knol, Court-Agent Peter Neupeter, Police-Inspector Harprecht,
the Preacher-at-Early-Service Flachs, the Court-bookseller Passvogel
and Herr Flitte, for the time being receive nothing; not so much
because no _Trebellianica_ is due them as the most distant relatives,
or because most of them have themselves enough to bequeath, as because
I know out of their own mouths that they love my insignificant person
better than my great wealth, which person I therefore leave them,
little as can be got out of it."

Seven preternaturally long faces at this point started up like the
Seven-sleepers. The Consistorial Councillor, a man still young but
celebrated throughout all Germany for his oral and printed sermons,
considered himself the one most insulted by such taunts. From the
Alsatian Flitte there escaped an oath accompanied by a slight smack of
the tongue. The chin of Flachs, the Preacher-at-Early-Service, grew
downward into a regular beard.

The City Councillors could hear several softly ejaculated obituaries
referring to the late Kabel under the name of scamp, fool, infidel,
etc. But the officiating Burgomaster waved his hand, the Attorney of
the Royal Treasury and the Bookseller again bent all the elastic steel
springs of their faces as if setting a trap, and the Burgomaster
continued to read, although with enforced seriousness.

"THIRD CLAUSE

I make an exception of the present house in Dog Street which, after
this my third clause, shall, just as it stands, devolve upon and
belong to that one of my seven above-named relatives, who first,
before the other six rivals, can in one half hour's time (to be
reckoned from the reading of the Clause) shed one or two tears over
me, his departed uncle, in the presence of an estimable magistrate who
shall record the same. If, however, all eyes remain dry, then the
house likewise shall fall to the exclusive heir whom I am about to
name."

Here the Burgomaster closed the will, remarked that the condition was
certainly unusual but not illegal, and the court must adjudge the
house to the first one who wept. With which he placed his watch, which
pointed to half-past eleven, on the office-table, and sat himself
quietly down in order in his capacity of executor to observe, together
with the whole court, who should first shed the