Part 10 (1/2)

”You seem to be very successful with ladies,” said Oswald, merely in order to say something.

”Well, can't complain, your excellency,” said Mr. Schmenckel, laughing complacently. ”Women are like the weather. To-day too hot, and to-morrow too cold; to-day suns.h.i.+ne, and to-morrow rainy weather. Must take everything as it comes from them, just as from the Great One above.”

”I should think that depended solely upon yourself,” said Berger, whose look dwelt imperturbably upon his jovial companion, as if his mind could not comprehend so remarkable a phenomenon.

”How so, old fellow? You think I should let them alone, every one of them? Well, old gentleman, that might do very well for you; but of Caspar Schmenckel, of Vienna, you cannot expect such a thing. The deuce! Leave them alone? Why, I had rather be dead and buried!”

”That would certainly be the best of all,” said Berger.

”Look here, old gentleman,” replied the director, with an effort to be serious, which sat very oddly upon him. ”Don't commit such a sin! I tell you again, life is a mighty good thing, and we must not paint the devil's likeness on the wall. Oh, pshaw! Why do you let your beer grow stale, and make a face like a tanner whose skins have been washed down the stream? Come, drink a gla.s.s with Caspar Schmenckel! Well, that's right! Schmenckel is a merry fellow, and likes to be in company with merry fellows. Well, gentlemen, what do you say, shall we have a nice song? Cotterby, you have a voice like a nightingale! Come, fall in!

Does your excellency know the song of the midges?”

”No; but let us hear it.”

”Well, here goes; Stolsenberg, Pierrot, fall in!”

And Mr. Schmenckel took the pipe from his mouth, leaned back in his chair, and began with a tremendous ba.s.s voice, while his three friends sang chorus:

”Good morning, fiddler, Why are you so late?

Retreating, advancing, The midges are dancing, With the little killekeia With the big c.u.mc.u.m.

”Then came the women, With scythe and sickle, To keep the midges From dancing like witches, With the little killekeia, With the big c.u.mc.u.m.”

”Well, gentlemen, isn't that a fine song?” cried Mr. Schmenckel, after having finished off the remarkable air by pummelling the table with both hands so that the gla.s.ses began to dance.

”Very fine,” said Berger; ”do you know any more?”

”Hundreds,” replied Mr. Schmenckel, ”but Mr. Cotterby knows the best.

Sing us a solo, Cotterby.”

The Egyptian smiled complacently, twisted his small, jet-black moustache, and pa.s.sed his hand through his dark, well-oiled hair, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes half, and began in quite a pleasant tenor voice:

”A peasant had a pretty wife, She loved to stay at home, She begged her husband by her life, To go abroad and roam, Through the gra.s.s and through the hay, Through the gra.s.s--alas!

Ha, ha, ha; ha, ha, ha; hideldeedee!

Hurrah! hurrah!

To go abroad, and in the gra.s.s.”

”Ho, ho, ho!” laughed the director. ”That is a good song--very good.

That reminds me of a pretty story, which I will tell if you say so, gentlemen. You can finish the song afterwards, Cotterby.”

The Egyptian seemed to take it rather amiss that he was thus interrupted; but Mr. Schmenckel did not notice it, or did not choose to notice it. He took a long pull at his gla.s.s of beer, and said to the waiting maid, whom the song or the presence of the young, distinguished stranger had brought back to the table,

”You go a little outside, my angel. The story which Director Schmenckel is going to tell is not made for young girls.”

The pretty girl blushed up to her ears and ran away, looking back for a moment at Oswald. Mr. Schmenckel cleared his voice, leaned over the table, and began with a voice which sounded all the hoa.r.s.er for his efforts to subdue it:

”Gentlemen, you know that all thinking men divide women into two cla.s.ses--such as serve, and such as are served. But love knows no such distinction, for love masters them all. I have myself experienced this very often in life, but it has never become quite so clear to me as some----” Here Mr. Schmenckel looked almost anxiously around, to see that no unauthorized ear, especially no female ear, should catch the chronological fact which he was about to mention. ”Some twenty years ago, in St. Petersburg. Have any of the gentlemen ever been in St.