All whom cruel fate had compelled to remain in town during the intolerable heat of the season, were lounging about in the late afternoon upon the heated pavement of the square. Students with the genuine High-German swagger, over-dressed misses, round-shouldered government clerks, a wretched poodle scratching at his muzzle, an officer with jingling sabre, hack drivers, dozing peacefully on their boxes while their horses, with forelegs wide apart and heads in their nose-bags, dreamed of the 'good old times' when they caracoled beneath the spurs of gay young cavalry officers,--those 'good old times' whose chief charm for hack horses as for mortals, may perhaps consist in the fact that they are irrevocably past. The sultry heat beats down on all, debilitating, oppressive. "How long have you known that Capriani," Oswald asked his light-hearted friend, after a pause. "I really cannot tell you," was the reply, "he once did me a favour without knowing me, except by sight, and then--then he came to me one day with some trifling affairs that he desired I should arrange for him, and referred to the former kindness he had shown me." "And ever since then you have been upon friendly terms with him?" "Not quite all that," replied Pistasch, shrugging his shoulders, "but what would you have? He consults me about his horses--his ambition is to win at the Derby;--and I consult him about my investments, the purchase of stock, etc." "And each overreaches the other?" said Oswald, smiling. "Up to this time I have the advantage," affirmed Pistasch, "and I have a prospect too, of a sinecure as the President of the Gruenwald-Leebach stock company." "With which of course you will have nothing to do except to inspire the public with confidence, and rake in money," said Oswald. "Incidentally," Pistasch rejoined calmly. Oswald drummed upon the arms of his chair, sitting erect, and looking very grave. "Take care, Pistasch; 'those who lie down with dogs, are sure to get up with fleas.'" "You are a reactionary martinet," growled Pistasch. "Am I the first to associate with speculators? Barenfeld, Calmonsky, Hermsdorf--are all men very different from myself, but you see their names at the head of all kinds of banks and stock companies." "Unfortunately;" said Oswald, "that charlatan of a Capriani has infected you all--you all want to learn from that gentleman the secret of manufacturing gold. But you will learn nothing, and will inevitably all burn your fingers. I should think you might take warning from poor old Count Malzin." "Oh, Malzin was such an unpractical man, he looked at everything from an ideal point of view," replied Pistasch.