. In truth, it requires a great deal of genuinely German
arrogance to maintain when you have a catarrh that everybody else
has it or ought to have it."

"I prefer such merry works to your wise plays," whispered Kotlicki.

"Oh, and what of Shelley and Byron?" begged Janina, whose interest
was fully aroused.

"I prefer foolishness even when it presumes to speak rather than
when it seeks to create something" Glogowski hastily flung back at
Kotlicki.

"Aha, Byron! . . . Byron is a steam engine producing a rebellious
energy; a lord who was dissatisfied in England and dissatisfied in
Venice with Suiciolla, for although he had a warm climate and money
he was bored. He is a rebel-individualist, a strong, passionate
monster; a lord who is always seething with fury and using all the
forces of his wonderful talent to spite his enemies. He slapped
England's face with masterpieces. He is a mighty protestant out of
boredom and in his own personal interest."

"And Shelley?"

"Shelley again, is a divine lingo for the public of Saturn; he is
the poet of the elements and not for us mortals."

Glogowski became silent and went to pour himself some tea.

"We are still listening; at least, I am waiting with impatience for
you to continue your very interesting exposition," exclaimed Janina.

"Very well, but I am going to skip over a great many immortals so as
to finish sooner."

"You can continue on the condition that you'll do so without
tinkling the bells and beating the tambourine."

"Kotlicki, keep quiet! You are a miserable philistine, a typical
representative of your base species and you are denied a voice when
human beings are speaking!"

"Gentlemen, please quit your arguing, for I can't sleep," pitifully
pleaded Mimi.

"Yes, yes, it isn't at all amusing!" added Majkowska with a mighty
yawn.

Wawrzecki began again to fill the glasses. Glogowski moved close to
Janina and began enthusiastically to expound to her his theory.

"Ibsen makes a strange impression on me; he foreshadows someone
mightier than himself who is yet to come; he is like the light of
dawn before the rising sun. And as regards the newest, over-praised
and over-advertised Germans: Suderman and Company they are merely a
loud prating about small things; much ado about nothing. They wish
to convince the world for instance that it is unnecessary to wear
suspenders with your trousers, because you can sometimes wear them
without suspenders."

"So we have