omes pitch-dark, and from the
depths of the unknown one hears the first notes of the overture. Then
the curtains are noiselessly drawn up. After this no one dares to
breathe--woe to the unlucky one who gets a fit of sneezing or a
tickling in the throat; better die at once than be the recipient of all
the inward curses that are hurled at you! The first act generally lasts
an hour, and the people emerge from the stifling auditorium into the
fresh air with a sigh of relief. The Germans make dashes of kangaroo
leaps toward the casks of beer, and then rush for the tents where they
get something to eat at the price of blood.

The _entr'acte_ lasts an hour; then we hear the blasts of the four
heralds again, which is the signal for the second act to commence, and
so on until ten o'clock at night. Then _home_, where we find a gorgeous
_diner-soupertoire_ which triumphantly ends a day of emotion.

Wagner's operas, which lay about on our tables, all seem to have been
given by him to _meinem lieben Freund_, the doctor. How I regret that
dishonesty did not get the upper hand! How easy it would have been for
me to have purloined a book and its signature, but I am proud to say
that I resisted, and my collection of autographs is to this day devoid
of anything from Richard Wagner, showing that virtue is not always its
own reward, since I regret having been virtuous.

The off days were also delightful. We drove to the Hermitage, lingered
in the grounds belonging to the gentle and clever Margraefin, and
wondered if her tiny little court was not a trifle _ennuyenx_! One
could fancy her sitting under the shady trees of the _charmille_,
sewing beads on some bags, specimens of which were exhibited to us by
an officious menial, and were of the most hideous description. I say
hideous because I hate beads and all their works. I have just finished
reading her memoirs, and I can only think how small their talk must
have been--how narrow their visions!

We drove to the other pretty resort, Bellevue, and meandered about the
rococco gardens, and sat on the stone benches surrounding the lake, and
watched the graceful movements of the swans as they tried to avoid the
spray from the fountains. We tried not to see the native music-lovers
who clustered in crowds about the tables, which were covered with red
checker-board table-covers and drinking-mugs. They sit under these
lovely shady groves for hours, in their thick coats, which they wear in
any sea