Charles Auchester, Volume 2 (of 2)

tentions, and rather troubled with a vague melancholy, the sun being under cloud, and I not having wished Aronach good-day. He was out in the town fulfilling the duties of his scholas

ng taken another form of flight. Iskar was to come also that time, but did not intend to present himself until the evening. A

hope on my part, and I left him wiping his eyes,-an atten

eming to do so, were standing in self-interested fraternities, broken by groups and greeters, in one immense hall, or what appeared to me immense, and therefore desolate. I came in through the open gates to the open court; through the open court into the open entry and from that region was drawn to the door of that very hall by the hollow multitudinous echo that crept upon the stony solitude. It was as rea

had not long been "out" in any sense. They every one either had been smoking, were smoking, or were about to smoke,-that is, most of them had pipes in their mouths, or

thereof, upturned, with their own feet at the reversed bottoms, and more than a few were lying inside those reversed bottoms, with distended veins and excited complexions, suggesting the notion that they were in the enjoyment of plethoric slumber. To make a still further variation, one bench was set on end and supported by the leaning figures of two contemporaneous medalists; and on the summit of this bench, which also rested against the wall, a third medalist was sitting, like an ape upon the ledge of Gibraltar,-unlike an ape in

t even pause until he came to a proper climax,-for he was delivering an oration,-and I arrived in time to hear the sentence so significant: "So that all who in verity apply themselves to science will find themselves as much at a loss without a body as without a soul, for the animal property n

ween those streaky gloves, and having fixed a horn-set glass into his one eye, shut up the other and perused the paper. I don't know why I gave it to him

us, I

rather the lids of them. I need scarcely say I felt very absurd, and at last, on the utterance of an exceedingly ridiculous peroration from the orator, I yielded at once to the impulse of timidity, and began to laugh. The effect was of sympathetic magnetism. Everybody whose lips were disengaged began to laugh too; and finally, those very somnolent machines, that the benches propped, began to stir, to open misty glanc

was dainty and sleek, and also garnished with a blazing ring; and he solemnly held it up to contemplate it, concluding such performance by giving one fixed stare to each nail in particular. Then he flew at me in a paroxysm o

l at the feet of two perambulators arm-in-arm, one of whom stood upon the glove till the other pushed him off, and gave the forlorn kidling a tremendous kick that sent it farther than ever from the extempore target. There was now a gathering and rush of a dozen

laneous supply. Very innocently, I gave up a pair of old wool ones that I happened to have with me; and

ehaved as if some valuable stake were upon his every throw; and further, I observed that after the game once began, nobody, except myself, laughed. It was, at least, for half an hour that the banging, accompanied by a tremulous hissing, continued. I myself laughed so much that I could not throw, but I stood to watch the others. So high was the picture placed that very few were the missiles to reach it; and such as touched the time-seared canvas elicited an excitem

peared to me an overawing polish, though, in fact, it was but the result of temperament not easily aroused. He was very slim and fair, and though not tall, gave me the impression of one very mu

there? That was not

here? It seemed quite the proper place, with all those Cecilians about; and, besides, no one told me whe

, who idle whenever they are not strictly employed, as you have had reason to notice. I was induced to come and look for

ied. And yet I did not quite find my new companion charming; his irresi

r in mind one so young as you are; I hope you will r

sir?" I asked, half af

nnounced, with that same di

thwart passages, and I beheld many doors and windows too; for light and air both reigned in these regions, which were fresh, and smelled of health. He led me into a chamber so lengthened that it was almost a gallery, for it was very high besides. Here he paused to exhibit a suite of prophets'

13, and you are very nearly in the middle. See, you have a curtain to draw before your bed, and in this closet there is a box for books, as well as a niche for your instrument, and

ied with an infernal suggestion to my br

en? What a horrible noise! and how imposs

curled the slende

ember. But see how much more than you can own

a brass ring I had not noticed, drew out a long slide of woo

n either hand, you will hear nothing, at least nothing to disturb you. Co

lace. How exquisite was the radiant gloom that here pervaded within, as within a temple; for the sunshine pierced through little windows of brown and amber, and came down in wavering dusky brightness on parchment hues and vellum, morocco, and ruddy gold. Here a thick matting returned no footfall; and although the space was small, and very crowded too, yet it had an air of vastness, from the elevated concave of the roof. Benches

"and hears, and is to observe all. You may use any book in this place, but never carry it away; and if required for quotation as well as for reference, you may here make your extracts, but never elsewhere. There are ink-bottles

ask, then, sir? I do wa

there is enough for to-day in mastering all those nam

e dear, dark recesses,

ar. It was delicious as a dream to be safe and solitary in that dim palace of futurity, whose vistas stretched before me into everlasting lengths of light. I read not for a long, long hour; and when I did open my book (itself no mean volum

ny of them, and could have looked into their eyes, but that they were, for the most part, closed; and I should have accused them of being asleep but that their lips were moving, and I knew they were learning by heart. Great black-letter was the characteristic of one huge volume I stayed to examine as it lay upon a desk, and he who sat before it had a face sweeter than any present, sensible as interesting; and I did not fear him, though

ut a moment afterwards he wrote for me, on a sheet

h we may not speak.

r two ago; and I got into a scrape directly. I am Carl Auche

ndence proceeded: "Franz Delemann. What was your s

e so many of them were about, and they made a great noise, for they were pelting the picture that is on the wall; and whi

I know what he meant. We are a very small party, and the rest persecute us. They would have been glad to ge

nse. "I have not an idea what y

ce here of somebody very unlike him.

e w

eraphael and yourself, was one of the Cerinthias. I thought, of course, you knew all; for

nthia? What

itted to the second place in the band, and his sister was taken upon the foundation. Milans-André made a great deal of their being here, though it was perfectly natural, I think. The youngest had been put out to nurse, and kept in some province of France until old enough to be admitted also; but then something happened which changed that notion. For when Seraphael took the place of Milans-André, he had every arrangement investigated, that he might improve to the u

r away, and had a lodging in the village instead. She comes here every day at the same time, and is what we call an out-Cecilian,-never staying to meals or to sleep, that is. Seraphael

them so very

ou

, but my informant had too expressive a face; so

ght years old (for she has come to live with them since they liv

e, the cleverest

ster, when she carries off the medals,-for everything of the best belongs to her. She is a vocalis

do tell me what you mea

aster in so many words. The only thing was to introduce quite a new style, or I am sure it might be called 'school,' for he has written such an immense deal. It was an opera of his, performed in this town, that at once did for him as far as those w

ra, pray. You write int

him, became enamoured of him. He condescends to listen to the first while she sings, or rather he comes upon her as she is singing the coolest of all Bach's solos in the coolest possible style. He waits till the end with commendable patience, and then, amidst infernal gesticulations, places before her a cantata of his own, which is something tremendous when accompanied by the orchestra. The contrasted style, with the artful florid instrumentation, produces rapture, and is really an effect, though I do not say of what kind. The next heroine he treats to a grand scena, in which the violin is absolutely made to speak; and as it was carried through by Paganini, you may conjecture it was rather bewitching. The last lady he bears off fairly, and they converse in

y to identify, as they are ill fashioned and ill grouped, are placed in surrounding shrines. At strains for signs from that curtained chief, the old heads and figures are prostrated from the pedestals, the ruins are swept aside by some utilitar

t feeling the want that succeeds enjoyment or excitement that goes no further,-you know how,-one chord sounded behind the curtain from one instrument within the orchestra. It arrested us most curiously; it was mystical, as we call it, though so simple: enough to say

e is: as he stood there he looked like a child of royal blood, his head quite turned me, it was so beautiful; and we all stood with open mouths to see him, hoping to hear him speak. He spread out those peculiar hands of his, and

Hasse!' 'Vogler!' 'Hegel!' 'Storace!' 'Weber!' But it was clear the point had not been contested. Then he folded his arms together

t reverence him,-he is in my religion. You do not understand him,-I am very intimate with him. If you knew him, you too would love and worship and desire of him to know more and more. Ladies and gen

ind the curtain, peeped again between the folds of it and bowed? Besides, there was

self. Do finish a

t how that organ came there which towered behind; but there it stood, and a pianoforte in front. The Chevalier appeared dressed in black, with nothing in his arms but a heap of programmes, written in his own hand, which he distributed himself, for he had no assistant. You know that Forkel has writ

s own proper form, it ended,-I mean, the lecture. I cannot say, though, about the ending, for I was obliged to leave before it was over; the clear intellect was too much for me, and the genius knocked me down. Many others left upon my very heels; but those who stayed seemed hardly to recall a word that had been said. All were so impressed, for that night, at least, that I can remember nothing to compare with it, except the descri

for Aronach is full of Bach. B

ionable, so free and truly great; but they, one and all, slight Bach, and as some of them are professors, and we all study

or I am certain that Anasta

aelites, and we like it; but Seraphael does not like it,

er, does he

e is too w

and they each and all put by their books as deftly, dexterously as Millicent used to lay her thimble into her work-box when she was a wee maiden. They did not stare at me at all, which was very satisfactory; and I found occasion to admire all their faces. I told my companion so, and he laughed, rubbing his eyes and stretching; then he put

replied, in a guileless voice, inte

t know it at la

nk so well of me, when yo

ry instrument is as great with referenc

better. I play the trombone. It

nstrument,-is it not a splendid sort of tr

tion considered by itself; but to the

that. He puts b

ow everything already. Yes,

it to me; but I did not know

present, when he was glancing through the class-rooms, that he put up his hands, and in his bright way, you know, scattering your re

said? Do, pray, out with it,

e light and a hundred voices mingled. Into the dusk h

een, the many-sounded kinds of wood, spring-hued flutes, deeper, yet softer, clarinetti, bassoons the darkest tone, not to be surpassed in its shade,-another vault. The bra

don't wonder he sa

dangerous to think of

" I cried. "Did yo

new what lip-distorting and ear-distracting

then, for choosing it, w

se for the trombone? And he was heard to sigh, and to sa

s the reason you took it u