when Paulmann left them for his study, she contrived, by all manner of
rogueries and waggeries, so to uplift the student Anselmus that he at
last quite forgot his bashfulness, and jigged round the room with the
light-headed maiden. But here again the Demon of Awkwardness got hold
of him; he jolted a table, and Veronica's pretty little work-box fell
to the floor. Anselmus picked it up; the lid had sprung, and a little
round metallic mirror was glittering on him, into which he looked with
peculiar delight. Veronica glided softly up to him, laid her hand on
his arm, and, pressing close to him, looked over his shoulder into the
mirror also. And now Anselmus felt as if a battle were beginning
in his soul; thoughts, images flashed out--Archivarius
Lindhorst--Serpentina--the green Snake--at last the tumult abated, and
all this chaos arranged and shaped itself into distinct consciousness.
It was now clear to him that he had always thought of Veronica alone;
nay, that the form which had yesterday appeared to him in the blue
chamber had been no other than Veronica; and that the wild legend of
the Salamander's marriage with the green Snake had merely been written
down by him from the manuscript, but nowise related in his hearing. He
wondered not a little at all these dreams and ascribed them solely to
the heated state of mind into which Veronica's love had brought him,
as well as to his working with Archivarius Lindhorst, in whose rooms
there were, besides, so many strangely intoxicating odors. He could
not but laugh heartily at the mad whim of falling in love with a
little green Snake and taking a well-fed Privy Archivarius for a
Salamander: "Yes, Yes! It is Veronica!" cried he aloud; but on turning
his head around he looked right into Veronica's blue eyes, from which
warmest love was beaming. A faint soft Ah! escaped her lips, which at
that moment were burning on his.

"O happy I!" sighed the enraptured student: "What I yesternight but
dreamed, is in very deed mine today."

"But wilt thou really wed me, then, when thou art Hofrat?" said
Veronica.

"That I will," replied the student Anselmus; and just then the door
creaked, and Conrector Paulmann entered with the words:

"Now, dear Herr Anselmus, I will not let you go today. You will put up
with a bad dinner; then Veronica will make us delightful coffee, which
we shall drink with Registrator Heerbrand, for he promised to come
hither."

"All, best Herr Conrector!" answered