sor Spalanzani is a very queer fish. He is a little
fat man, with prominent cheek-bones, thin nose, projecting lips, and
small piercing eyes. You cannot get a better picture of him than by
turning over one of the Berlin pocket-almanacs[4] and looking at
Cagliostro's[5] portrait engraved by Chodowiecki;[6] Spalanzani looks
just like him.

Once lately, as I went up the steps to his house, I perceived that
beside the curtain which generally covered a glass door there was a
small chink. What it was that excited my curiosity I cannot explain;
but I looked through. In the room I saw a female, tall, very slender,
but of perfect proportions, and splendidly dressed, sitting at a little
table, on which she had placed both her arms, her hands being folded
together. She sat opposite the door, so that I could easily see her
angelically beautiful face. She did not appear to notice me, and there
was moreover a strangely fixed look about her eyes, I might almost say
they appeared as if they had no power of vision; I thought she was
sleeping with her eyes open. I felt quite uncomfortable, and so I
slipped away quietly into the Professor's lecture-room, which was close
at hand. Afterwards I learnt that the figure which I had seen was
Spalanzani's daughter, Olimpia, whom he keeps locked in a most wicked
and unaccountable way, and no man is ever allowed to come near her.
Perhaps, however, there is after all, something peculiar about her;
perhaps she's an idiot or something of that sort. But why am I telling
you all this? I could have told you it all better and more in detail
when I see you. For in a fortnight I shall be amongst you. I must
see my dear sweet angel, my Clara, again. Then the little bit of
ill-temper, which, I must confess, took possession of me after her
fearfully sensible letter, will be blown away. And that is the reason
why I am not writing to her as well to-day. With all best wishes, &c.

* * * * * *

Nothing more strange and extraordinary can be imagined, gracious
reader, than what happened to my poor friend, the young student
Nathanael, and which I have undertaken to relate to you. Have you ever
lived to experience anything that completely took possession of your
heart and mind and thoughts to the utter exclusion of everything else?
All was seething and boiling within you; your blood, heated to fever
pitch, leapt through your veins and inflamed your cheeks. Your gaze was
so peculia