nly seen for one moment: the
dorors were again closed; the spectators applauded, but a whistle was
heard. Laughter, and the hum of conversation, resounded through the
room; and it was impossible to obtain perfect quiet, although a new
picture already shone in the frame. It was Sophie as Correggio's
"Magdalene": her rich hair fell in waves over her shoulders and round
arms; before her lay the skull and the holy book.

Otto's blood flowed faster; never had he seen Sophie more beautiful. The
audience, however, could not entirely forget the comic scene which they
had just witnessed; there was heard a faint suppressed laughter.

This at length was able to take its free course when the following
picture presented itself, where the Kammerjunker, as the Somnambule, his
hand half-concealing the extinguished light, showed himself at the open
window.

A most stormy burst of applause was awarded to the actors.

"Miss Sophie has arranged the whole!" cried the Kammerjunker, and now
her name sounded from the lips of all the audience.

Not before two days did Wilhelm return. He and Otto slept in the same
apartment. Otto told of the tableaux, and said how lovely Eva had been
as Hero.

"That I can well believe," replied Wilhelm, but did not enter further
into the subject; he laughed about the Kammerjunker and the disarranged
group.

Otto again named Eva, but Wilhelm lightly passed over this subject in
his replies. Otto could not fathom their connection.

"Shall we not go to sleep?" said Wilhelm; they wished each other
good-night, and it was quiet.

The old man Sleep, as Tieck has described him, with the box out of
which he brings his dream-puppets, now commenced his nightly dramatic
adventures, which lasted until the sun shone in through the window.

CHAPTER XXXIII

"He draws nearer and nearer to her.
'O, give my hope an answer by this pink-flower.'
She sighs: 'O, I will--no--I will not.'"
The Dancer, by PALUDAN-MUeLLER

"I shall get to know!" thought Otto. "This violent love cannot be
evaporated." He paid attention to every little occurrence. Eva was the
same quiet, modest creature as formerly--a house-fairy who exercised
a friendly influence over all. Wilhelm spoke with her, but not with
passion, neither with affected indifference. However, we cannot entirely
rely upon Otto's power of observation: his glance was directed too often
toward a dearer object--his attention was