nce, of Adalbert the
novelist, who knew what he wanted and had gone to the cafe to escape
the spring. And he shrugged his shoulders at him ...

Dinner was served earlier than usual, and supper also was eaten earlier
than otherwise and in the music-room, because preparations for the ball
were already going on in the hall: in such a festive manner was
everything brought into disorder. Then, after it had grown dark and
Tonio Kroeger was sitting in his room, there was noise and bustle again
on the road and in the house. The picnickers were returning; yes, and
from the direction of Elsinore new guests came by bicycle and carriage,
and already one could hear in the room below a fiddle tuning up and a
clarinet executing nasal runs by way of practice ... Everything
promised to make it a brilliant ball.

Now the little orchestra opened up with a march: the muffled sounds
came up in steady rhythm: they were opening the dance with a polonaise.
Tonio Kroeger sat still awhile and listened. But when he heard the
march-time change to a waltz, he got up and glided noiselessly out of
his room.

From the corridor outside his room one could go by a stairway to the
side-entrance of the hotel, and from there to the sun-porch without
entering a room. He took this course, softly and stealthily, as if
treading forbidden paths, and cautiously felt his way through the
darkness, irresistibly attracted by this stupid, blissfully swaying
music, whose tones were already reaching his ear clear and unmuffled.

The verandah was empty and unlighted, but the glass door to the hall,
where the two great oil lamps were shining brightly before their
polished reflectors, stood open. Thither he crept on tiptoe, and the
enjoyment of stealthily standing here in the dark and watching unseen
those who were dancing in the light made his flesh tingle. Hastily and
eagerly he sent his glances in search of that one couple ...

The merriment of the festivity already seemed to be full-blown,
although the ball had begun scarcely a half hour before; but of course
they had been warm and excited when they arrived, after spending the
entire day together, carefree and happy. In the music-room, which Tonio
Kroeger could see if he ventured to step forward a little, several
elderly gentlemen had gathered to smoke and drink over their cards;
while others were sitting beside their spouses on the plush chairs in
the foreground and along the walls, looking on at the dancing. The