Withered Leaves. Vol. III.(of III)

ch she had thrown as a hood over her head; her little eyes sp

e sleepy porter opened it, she tried whether the dag

cond door standing open, past a back building of stables and sheds

shutters were closed; only through the door, draped with curtains on the ground floor, gleamed a red light,

cked. Beate had

the weight of snow which the clouds and trees had shed upon her, she stared at the stranger wi

the grey morn rose above the roofs, then she had fallen fast asleep. But mother Hecht knew no consideration for lazy maid-servants, who neglected their

urposes; want of understanding, sullen indifference to all that lay beyond her horizon, and a marvellously developed instinct for everything in which she was interested. That which was repulsive, even idiotic in her nature, was pecul

chen examined her from head to f

e porteress, who seemed to belong to the polar regio

ave her a card, upon which were

which it pleased her to sweep the bushes in the nearest beds

t a long time; she shook the bars of t

lighted with red lamps, up a flight of steps, covered with a lovely carpet. Beate had to wait in an ante-room; deat

ed in the radiant colouring of an Italian evening sky. She knew that church, and gazed at the picture with a shrug of her shoulders; it

de door, "but I will make you a proposal! I have visitors with me, whom I am

do there? Lose

but neither do those seek it who come to me. However, we a

not

re a fisher of gold, the

repared for

all play for me! But come, c

rhaps she might succeed in discovering something that could be useful to her friend; sh

, my graces gain wrinkles! But you are quite a pretty child, such a little

tered a brilliantly lighted saloon, the windows of w

terrupted. Baluzzi seemed happy to have captured an Italian woman, and,

with a complexion yellow as a citron, to her young neighbour, in a low dre

e! The captain is talking to her

mes, consisting of a whole plica polonica of letters. Then there was another beauty in pink silk. That rose was a Berlin lady, of remarkable loquacity. Her face did not correspond with her toilet's language of flowers; she was pale as wax, and the pink ribbons flowed down from flaxen hair. The fourth lady was an unusually slender sylph, and Beate guessed co

bbles and cracks. Beate soon recognised this, but without being particularly contented with that result o

n-Baden in the city of pure reason, at which were not wanting the Graces, who rustled their silks through the state rooms and along the terraces. A Russian prince, possessor of many serf

isfaction. The little gaming table was arranged exactly after the pattern of the larger Rhenish banks, and here, despite the small dimensions, sums could be lost which were not at all proportionate to those dimensions. The young merch

board, laughed at by the free thinkers of the gaming table, who believe in chance only, just as others perceive but a game of hazard in the great comedy of the world, and ridicule the thinkers who strive to reduce it into a system. The mother and her flaxen-haired da

thoughtless recklessness pierced his heart. Owing to the lively interest which he felt in the dainty Italian, he could no longer look c

onfuse all rules of the gambling method. He was all the more eagerly ben

her example, but her neighbour and protector, the son of the Kommerzienrath, in the Kneiph?f Lang-gasse, beneath whose pennon her louis d'ors ventured out to sea, wou

in order to be present at this performance. The victory suddenly seemed to incline to Baluzzi's side; twice following he swept in heavy amounts. But the Pole doubled and trebled the stake in order to break the bank, "Le j

umultuous excitement, so that the heaps of gold were scattered

t composure

myself conquered, but th

st a venomous glance a

iced, and to await the Italian in a side room, so

ossessed with a violent passion for little Beate, and was in a very liberal humour; he

alf-witted porteress, for the

peated the word, "Gone!" with pantomimic gesture. In so doing sh

rey sack-like winter cloak, which suited her flaxen hair better. The gentlemen eagerly discussed the last decisive b

l; no one remembered to extinguish the lamps and candles; a current of air blew in through the open

d at last found Beate upon a divan in the farthest room in th

ed for defiance, for the Italian was greatly excited, and sh

are probably afraid of me, little cat? You have an evil conscience, yes, per dio

ate with his powerful hand.

l-usage; but I am prepared

k at the unexpected sig

ittle witch has provided herself well

t tr

ur advice. I know it! Why was I obliged to go to the debtors' prison? Could you not release me one day sooner? If it were not for the

k rationall

dagger in

about you! Fasten it in a cage--and

oment. The misfortunes which persecute me, transport me into ever new r

hrew it to the ground with s

arly exhausted it

ll be calm. Sit down. W

; Beate watched his every m

tly! This cannot

knout in Siberia. He is a gambler by profession, and believes to be in possession of the only luck-bringing theory; but his theory is folly, while the misfortune is tha

the gambling--give it up, Baluzzi! Yo

the gold of her voice resounds, g

ice is dete

ely. Her voice is still first-rate capital, will br

y pay for her own dress! And, to-day, bad luck again! No sooner are your de

o luck. But business is hazard, too; t

ue no respect

I would live grandly, I must, therefore, risk much! All or nothing--va banque! What else can I do with your little honorariums? You have no right to interfere with me; you deceive me, and you especially, littl

acing aspect; Beate kept

en I lost all traces of her, because I was stationed far away in the interior of Russia, and could not escape from vile ill-luck? Why did she not save? Why does she live like a princess? Probabl

, vile c

fil her duties, I shall appear again, and

zzi. There is only one means by which she can still

that

t set he

That is a fine plan, probably conceived in this charming little head.

wn inte

ed. Will always be.

r you, according to the laws of

r rain; but I stand by the decree of the Church. I am

had reasons

tells you that I do not love her, love her fervently, that I will always remain far from her? If she cease to be the queen of the stage, then she will belong to me once again. No more beautiful angel of damnation ever dwelled wit

ams of a

beautiful, then it is a foretaste, and the day will co

wn beside her, "you are not so foolish as you pretend to be; you consented form

at can caress wit

in the air that ca

thing and him, for

u give yourself freedom again. Take a large profit with you, and then trouble yourself no more about her! We others may not be so beautiful, to

r supple form, which only resisted feebly, pressed a kiss upon her lips, but

use of this sudden, pretended, fervent love. But where are the witnesses--the dumb walls, the lamps burning down? And, if there were witnesses, they would only be of use so far as se

p erectly, the open

Signor Baluzzi! Our b

n's head appeared in

led me,

my own house! Do not let me catch you a second time. Open

n disa

e a cunning mediatrix, little Beate, but neither your paws nor your claws have power over me; but

gate. She soon conducted Beate, who had drawn

t left the