ured by
the tone of encouragement I selected from Slowacki's Mazeppa that
prison-scene from the fourth act and recited the whole of it. I put
into it so much feeling and force that I became hoarse; my hair
stood on end, I trembled, forgot my surroundings, inspiration
carried me away, fire blazed from me as from a stove, my voice
melted in tears. Tragedy swept me off my feet, the room began to
dance about me, a colored mist swam before my eyes, my breath was
beginning to fail, I began to grow weak and to choke with emotion,
and I seemed about to faint . . . when he sneezed and began to wipe
tears from his eyes with his coat-sleeve. I stopped reciting. He
laid down the onion that he was slicing, put a pitcher into my hand
and calmly said to me: 'Go and bring me some water.' I brought it.
He spilled the potatoes into it, stood them on the oil-stove and lit
the wick. I timidly asked him whether I could come to take lessons
from him. 'Yes, come' he answered, 'you can sweep the floor and
carry water for me. Do you know how to speak Chinese?' 'No,' I
answered, not knowing what he was driving at. 'Well, then learn
it and come back to me and we shall then speak about the
theater!' . . . I shall never forget that moment as long as I live."

"Don't get mawkish over it, for Glogowski won't treat you to any
more beer anyway," remarked Glas.

"Say what you will, but it is art alone that makes life worth
something," persisted Wladek.

"And didn't you see Richter again?" asked Janina curiously.

"How could he . . . he hasn't learned Chinese yet," interposed Glas.

"No, I didn't go to see him; and moreover, when they expelled me
from school I immediately ran away from home and joined
Krzyzanowski's company," answered Wladek.

"You were with Krzyzanowski?" asked someone.

"For a whole year I walked with him, his wife, his son, the immortal
Leo and one other actress. I say that I 'walked' because in those
days we seldom used other means of locomotion. Very often there was
nothing to eat, but I could act and declaim as much as I liked. I
had an enormous repertoire. With a cast of four persons we presented
Shakespeare and Schiller, most wonderfully made over for our own use
by Krzyzanowski, who besides that had a great many plays of his own
with double or quadruple titles."

While the rain continued interminably, they drew together in a still
closer circle and chatted. Suddenly their conversation was
interrupted by loud cries fro