t that moment the bush of fire-lilies advanced toward him; and he
perceived that it was Archivarius Lindhorst, whose flowered nightgown,
glittering in red and yellow, had so far deceived his eyes.

"I beg your pardon, worthy Herr Anselmus," said the Archivarius, "for
leaving you alone; I wished, in passing, to take a peep at my fine
cactus, which is to blossom tonight. But how like you my little
house-garden?"

"Ah, Heaven! Immeasurably pretty it is, most valued Herr Archivarius,"
replied the student; "but those party-colored birds have been
bantering me a little."

"What wishy-washy is this?" cried the Archivarius angrily into the
bushes. Then a huge gray parrot came fluttering out, and perched
itself beside the Archivarius on a myrtle-bough; and looking at him
with an uncommon earnestness and gravity through a pair of spectacles
that stuck on his hooked bill, it shrilled out: "Don't take it amiss,
Herr Archivarius; my wild boys have been a little free or so; but the
Herr Studiosus has himself to blame in the matter, for----"

"Hush! hush!" interrupted Archivarius Lindhorst; "I know the varlets;
but thou must keep them in better discipline, my friend!--Now, come
along, Herr Anselmus."

And the Archivarius again stepped forth, through many a
strangely-decorated chamber; so that the student Anselmus, in
following him, could scarcely give a glance at all the glittering
wondrous furniture, and other unknown things, with which the whole of
them were filled. At last they entered a large apartment, where the
Archivarius, casting his eyes aloft, stood still; and Anselmus
got time to feast himself on the glorious sight which the simple
decoration of this hall afforded. Jutting from the azure-colored walls
rose gold-bronze trunks of high palm-trees, which wove their colossal
leaves, glittering like bright emeralds, into a ceiling far up; in the
middle of the chamber, and resting on three Egyptian lions, cast
out of dark bronze, lay a porphyry plate; and on this stood a simple
Golden Pot, from which, so soon as he beheld it, Anselmus could not
turn away an eye. It was as if, in a thousand gleaming reflections,
all sorts of shapes were sporting on the bright polished gold; often
he perceived his own form, with arms stretched out in longing--ah!
beneath the elder-bush--and Serpentina was winding and shooting up and
down, and again looking at him with her kind eyes. Anselmus was beside
himself with frantic rapture.

"Serpent