cient," said Mr. Seehaase determinedly, and lie
gathered up the sheets, folded them, and returned them. "That must
suffice, Peterson," he repeated brusquely, furtively closing his eyes
and shaking his head as a sign to desist. "We must not detain the
gentleman longer. The carriage is waiting. I earnestly beg you to
excuse the little inconvenience, sir. The official has of course
only done his duty, but I told him at once that he was on the wrong
scent ..."

Did you? thought Tonio Kroeger.

The officer did not seem to agree entirely; he made some objection
about "individial" and "papers." But Mr. Seehaase led his guest back
through the vestibule amid repeated expressions of regret, escorted him
out between the two lions to his carriage, and closed the carriage door
himself with attestations of his esteem. And then the ridiculously
broad and high cab rolled down the steep streets to the harbor,
rocking, rattling, and rumbling ...

This was Tonio Kroeger's strange sojourn in his native city.

VII

Night was falling, and the moon was already rising bathed in silvery
light, when Tonio Kroeger's ship reached the open sea. He stood by the
bowsprit, his mantle shielding him from the steadily freshening breeze,
and looked down into the dark roving and surging of the strong, smooth
wave-bodies below him, as they rocked about each other, met each other
with a splash, separated with a rush in unexpected directions, or
suddenly flashed white with foam ...

A swaying, quietly rapturous mood came over him. He had of course been
a little depressed because they had wanted to arrest him at home as a
swindler--although to a certain extent he had found it quite proper.
But then after going aboard he had watched, as he and his father had
sometimes done, the loading of the cargo with which the deep hold of
the boat was filled, amid cries of mingled Low German and Danish, and
seen them let down not merely bales and boxes, but also a polar bear
and a royal tiger in heavily barred cages, doubtless coming from
Hamburg and destined for some Danish menagerie; and this had diverted
him. Then while the boat was gliding along the river between flat banks
he had completely forgotten officer Peterson's interrogatory; and all
that had gone before, his sweet, sad, and regretful dreams during the
night, the walk he had taken, the sight of the walnut-tree,--these
had again become powerful in his soul. And now that