would have been.

They went to their places with the sting of his disappointment rankling
in their hearts. "One ought always to overpay them," March sighed, "and I
will do it from this time forth; we shall not be much the poorer for it.
That heyduk is not going to get off with less than a mark when we come
out." As an earnest of his good faith he gave the old man who showed them
to their box a tip that made him bow double, and he bought every
conceivable libretto and play-bill offered him at prices fixed by his
remorse.

"One ought to do it," he said. "We are of the quality of good geniuses to
these poor souls; we are Fortune in disguise; we are money found in the
road. It is an accursed system, but they are more its victims than we."
His wife quite agreed with him, and with the same good conscience between
them they gave themselves up to the pure joy which the circus, of all
modern entertainments, seems alone to inspire. The house was full from
floor to roof when they came ins and every one was intent upon the two
Spanish clowns, Lui-Lui and Soltamontes, whose drolleries spoke the
universal language of circus humor, and needed no translation into either
German or English. They had missed by an event or two the more patriotic
attraction of "Miss Darlings, the American Star," as she was billed in
English, but they were in time for one of those equestrian performances
which leave the spectator almost exanimate from their prolixity, and the
pantomimic piece which closed the evening.

This was not given until nearly the whole house had gone out and stayed
itself with beer and cheese and ham and sausage, in the restaurant which
purveys these light refreshments in the summer theatres all over Germany.
When the people came back gorged to the throat, they sat down in the
right mood to enjoy the allegory of "The Enchanted Mountain's Fantasy;
the Mountain episodes; the High-interesting Sledges-Courses on the Steep
Acclivities; the Amazing-Up-rush of the thence plunging-Four Trains,
which arrive with Lightnings-swiftness at the Top of the
over-40-feet-high Mountain-the Highest Triumph of the To-day's
Circus-Art; the Sledge-journey in the Wizard-mountain, and the Fairy
Ballet in the Realm of the Ghost-prince, with Gold and Silver, Jewel,
Bloomghosts, Gnomes, Gnomesses, and Dwarfs, in never-till-now-seen
Splendor of Costume." The Marches were happy in this allegory, and
happier in the ballet, which is everywhere delightfully innoc