ey-note. Neither
must you inspect me too closely. I am reduced, my dear fellows, very
much reduced. You see I have shrunken to unnatural proportions; what
has become of my rounded form? But, what could be expected when a man
gets to work by eight o'clock every day, and so violates his holiest
principles? But wait, I will go and call my wife. She is the thing best
worth seeing in the whole house."

He made his friends sit down on a small leather sofa that bore little
resemblance to the celebrated "West-easterly" divan of former days,
and ran out calling for his wife. In the mean while, they had time to
look around. So much that was excellent met their view on all the
canvases--such clearness, and simplicity in form and color--that they
were moved to sincere enthusiasm, and eagerly expressed their delight
to one another.

"You are too good," Rossel's voice rang out behind them. "It is
possibly true that, in the course of time, I have become a passably
good colorist. It isn't for nothing that a man refrains from his own
sins for ten years, and has no other thoughts than to get at the
secrets of the great. But so long as no one cares a rap about it, it
remains a barren, private delight, and finally withers like a plant in
a cellar. Who cares, nowadays, whether human flesh like this looks
fresh, or as if it had been tanned? The subject, the idea, and now, to
cap the climax, the patriotic sentiment--no offense, my heroes! Even in
that way we can drag ourselves out of the slough; of course, upon
condition that we give that nixie there a petticoat, and provide that
fisher-boy with a pair of swimming-trousers at the very least."

"Amid all these profound remarks we have wandered from the main point
again," said Schnetz. "Where is your wife?"

"She asks to be excused--says she is engaged--and won't show herself at
any price. I told her to her face it was only on account of the Herr
Baron. 'Of course,' she answered, 'I wouldn't mind the first-lieutenant
at all.' Oh, my dear friends, if I only were not so hen-pecked! But I
can assure you, much as I have always raved about women without brains,
I now see clearly that they are the very ones who know how to succeed
in having their own way. However, in the present case, it has turned
out to my advantage. For no matter how free from prejudices one may be,
he can't help making a wry face when he sees his wife blush slightly in
saying good-day to her first and only love. Won't you com