ollowing day he laid the score of the "Harzreise" together with the
words in a big old chest, and locked it. It was like a funeral.

XII

In the dark, winding alleys behind the city wall stand little houses
with large numbers and coloured lanterns. They are filled with a
sweetish, foul odour, and have been laboriously built up out of
dilapidated lumber-rooms. From the cracks in the closed blinds come
forth, night after night, the sounds of shrill laughter. Those who enter
are received by half-nude monsters, and are made to sit down on
monstrous chairs and sofas covered with red plush.

The citizen calls these places dens of vice. Between Friday and Sunday
he thinks with lustful horror of the inhabitants with their bloated or
emaciated bodies and the sad or intoxicated stare of their eyes.

Herr Carovius wended his way to this quarter of the city. Because it was
only a shadow which he embraced in hours when his inflamed imagination,
vitiated by all the poisons of the earth, conjured up a human body, he
was angry; now he went there, and bought himself a real human body.

After he had been in a half a dozen of these houses, had been jubilantly
greeted, and then thrown out to the accompaniment of bawdy abuse, he at
last found what he had been looking for: a creature whose cunning had
not entirely been lost, who still had the features of a daughter of man,
and whose figure and character still had the power to call up a memory,
provided one were firmly decided to see what one wished to see and to
forget what one wished to forget.

Her name was Lena, charming reminder of a desired reality! He went with
her as she left the circle of her companions, and followed her into the
wretched hole between winding stairs and attic rooms. He rattled the
coins in his pocket, and gave his orders. The nymph had to put on a
street dress, set a modest hat on her head, and draw a veil over her
rouged face. Thereupon he went up to her, spoke to her courteously, and
kissed her hand. He had never in his life acted in so polite and
chivalric a fashion in the presence of a woman.

The prostitute was frightened; she ran away. She had to be given
instructions; these were given her by the madame of the house; for Herr
Carovius was rattling the coins in his pocket. "You will have to be
patient and indulgent; we are not prepared for such refined guests
here."

He returned. Lena had been told what to do. She soon