singers of the Doermaul troupe. They had
to put up with his gruffness and snappishness, and to do it without a
murmur. Herr von Erfft attended the rehearsals regularly, observing
Daniel at all times with quiet admiration. If Daniel spoke to any one
with such seeming harshness that the case was taken up with Herr von
Erfft, the latter said: "Let the man have his way; he knows his
business; there are not many like him."

Sylvia was the only one he treated with consideration. As soon as Herr
von Erfft mentioned her name, Daniel listened; and as soon as he had
seen her, he knew that he had seen her before. It was the time he was
on his journey; he was standing out at the entrance to the park; some
one called to her. It seemed strange to him that he should remember
this. Now he was with her, and yet he was just as much of a stranger to
her as ever.

But the thing that drew him to the beautiful girl had nothing to do with
this chance incident; nor was there the slightest trace of sensuousness
in his feelings. It was all a sort of dream-like sympathy, similar to
the quest of memory in search of a forgotten happiness. It was a vaguer
and more plaguing sensation than the one that bound him so inviolably to
Gertrude; it was more sorrow than joy, more unrest than consciousness.

This forgotten happiness slumbered deep down in his soul; it had been
washed away by the waves of life. It was not Sylvia herself; it was
perhaps a movement of her hand: where had he known this same movement
before? It was the way she tossed her head back; it was her proud look,
the blue of her eyes--but where had he seen all this before?

Forgotten, forgotten....

XII

Just as everything was in full swing, just as they had decorated the
buildings and arranged the Herrenhaus, the news came of the death of
King Ludwig of Bavaria. The newspapers bore a broad black margin, and
were crowded with details concerning the tragedy at the Starnbergersee.
The entire country, including the family of Herr von Erfft, mourned the
loss of the art-loving monarch genuinely and for a long while.

Of an operatic performance there could be no thought. The Chancellor
cancelled his engagement, and the young men who had assembled for the
rehearsals went quietly home. Herr von Erfft gave Daniel a considerable
purse with which he might recompense his musicians for their trouble,
and, not wishing to treat Daniel himself as though he were an