thatisaveryoldname,"saidthecounsellor;"wasitnotthenameofthefirstpublisherindenmark?"

"yes;andheisourfirstprinterandpublishernow,"repliedthescholar.

sofarallhadpassedoffverywell;butnowoneofthecitizensbegantospeakofaterriblepestilencewhichhadbeenragingafewyearsbefore,meaningtheplagueof1484.thecounsellorthoughthereferredtothecholera,andtheycoulddiscussthiswithoutfindingoutthemistake.thewarin1490wasspokenofasquiterecent.theenglishpirateshadtakensomeshipsinthechannelin1801,andthecounsellor,supposingtheyreferredtothese,agreedwiththeminfindingfaultwiththeenglish.therestofthetalk,however,wasnotsoagreeable;everymomentonecontradictedtheother.thegoodbachelorappearedveryignorant,forthesimplestremarkofthecounsellorseemedtohimeithertooboldortoofantastic.theystaredateachother,andwhenitbecameworsethebachelorspokeinlatin,inthehopeofbeingbetterunderstood;butitwasalluseless.

"howareyounow?"askedthelandlady,pullingthecounsellor'ssleeve.

thenhisrecollectionreturnedtohim.inthecourseofconversationhehadforgottenallthathadhappenedpreviously.

"goodnessme!whereami?"saidhe.itbewilderedhimashethoughtofit.

"wewillhavesomeclaret,ormead,orbremenbeer,"saidoneoftheguests;"willyoudrinkwithus?"

twomaidscamein.oneofthemhadacaponherheadoftwocolors.theypouredoutthewine,bowedtheirheads,andwithdrew.

thecounsellorfeltacoldshiverrunalloverhim."whatisthis?whatdoesitmean?"saidhe;buthewasobligedtodrinkwiththem,fortheyoverpoweredthegoodmanwiththeirpoliteness.hebecameatlastdesperate;andwhenoneofthemsaidhewastipsy,hedidnotdoubttheman'swordintheleast-onlybeggedthemtogetadroschky;andthentheythoughthewasspeakingthemuscovitelanguage.neverbeforehadhebeeninsuchroughandvulgarcompany."onemightbelievethatthecountrywasgoingbacktoheathenism,"heobserved."thisisthemostterriblemomentofmylife."

justthenitcameintohismindthathewouldstoopunderthetable,andsocreeptothedoor.hetriedit;butbeforehereachedtheentry,therestdiscoveredwhathewasabout,andseizedhimbythefeet,when,luckilyforhim,offcamethegoloshes,andwiththemvanishedthewholeenchantment.thecounsellornowsawquiteplainlyalamp,andalargebuildingbehindit;everythinglookedfamiliarandbeautiful.hewasineaststreet,asitnowappears;helaywithhislegsturnedtowardsaporch,andjustbyhimsatthewatchmanasleep.

"isitpossiblethatihavebeenlyinghereinthestreetdreaming?"saidhe."yes,thisiseaststreet;howbeautifullybrightandgayitlooks!itisquiteshockingthatoneglassofpunchshouldhaveupsetmelikethis."

twominutesafterwardshesatinadroschky,whichwastodrivehimtochristian'shaven.hethoughtofalltheterrorandanxietywhichhehadundergone,andfeltthankfulfromhisheartfortherealityandcomfortofmoderntimes,which,withalltheirerrors,werefarbetterthanthoseinwhichhesolatelyfoundhimself.

thewatchman'sadventures

"well,ideclare,thereliesapairofgoloshes,"saidthewatchman."nodoubt,theybelongtothelieutenantwholivesupstairs.theyarelyingjustbyhisdoor."gladlywouldthehonestmanhaverung,andgiventhemin,foralightwasstillburning,buthedidnotwishtodisturbtheotherpeopleinthehouse;soheletthemlie."thesethingsmustkeepthefeetverywarm,"saidhe;"theyareofsuchnicesoftleather."thenhetriedthemon,andtheyfittedhisfeetexactly."now,"saidhe,"howdrollthingsareinthisworld!