hievements in the field of
journalistic wit was the reserved table at the Crocodile. If ever in the
history of the world men have laughed real honest tears it was at the
writing of such news bearing on the life and conduct of the Goose Man.
The editor-in-chief, Weibezahl, was the recording secretary at these
intellectual Olympiads, and Herr Carovius was the protagonist. He had
access to reliable sources, as newspaper men say, and every evening he
surprised the round table with new delicacies for Weibezahl's columns.

Daniel was ignorant of what was going on. But the Goose Man, the
expression as well as the figure, became interwoven with his thoughts,
and acquired, somehow and somewhere in the course of time, a
transfigured meaning.

XIV

One day Frau Kirschner wrote to Daniel telling him that she did not wish
to have anything more to do with him; she demanded in the same letter
that he pay back the money she had advanced him. He could not raise it:
the City Theatre had already made him a loan, he had no friends, and M.
Riviere, the only person on earth who might have been able to come to
his rescue, had gone back to France.

Matters took their usual course: A lawyer notified Daniel, giving him so
many days grace; when these had elapsed and no payment had been made, a
summons was served on him; the sheriff came in, and in default of any
other object of value he pawned the piano.

Daniel's objections were quite ineffectual: a few days more and the
piano would be put up at auction.

One gloomy morning in January Philippina entered his room.

"Say, Daniel," she began, "would you like to have some money from me?"

Daniel turned his head slowly and looked at her in amazement.

"I have lots of it," she continued with her hoarse voice, her glassy
eyes glittering underneath her bangs. "I have been saving it a pfennig
at a time ever since I was a child. I can give you the money you owe
the Councillor's wife. Sling it at her, the old hag! Say to me: 'Please
Philippina, give me the money,' and you'll find it on the table."

"Are you crazy?" asked Daniel, "get out of here just as quickly as your
feet can carry you!" He felt distinctly creepy in her presence.

Philippina, beside herself with rage, seized his hand. Before he could
do a thing she bit him just below the little finger. The wound was quite
deep. He groaned, shook her off, and pushed her back. She looked at him
triumphantly,