Well, Calabressa had indeed come here to talk about Lind's daughter; but it was impossible, amidst this wild surging to and fro of Olympian laughter. At last, however, the showman came to an end of his cartoons, and solemnly made his bow, and amidst tumultuous cheering resumed his place among his companions. There was a pause, given over to chatter and joking, and Calabressa quickly embraced this opportunity. "You are a friend of the little Natalushka--of the beautiful Natalie, I should say, perhaps?" "Lind's daughter does not choose to have many friends," said Beratinsky, curtly. This was not promising; and, indeed, the corpulent little Pole showed great disinclination to talk about the young lady who had so laid hold of Calabressa's heart. But Calabressa was not to be denied, when it was the welfare of the daughter of Natalie Berezolyi that was concerned. "Yes, yes, friend Beratinsky, of course she is very much alone. It is rather a sad thing for a young girl to be so much alone." "And if she chooses to be alone?" said Beratinsky, with a sharpness that resembled the snarl of a terrier. Perhaps it was to get rid of the topic that Beratinsky here joined in a clamorous call for "Nageli! Nageli!" Presently a fresh-colored young Switzer, laughing and blushing tremendously, went up to the platform and took his seat at the piano, and struck a few noisy chords. It was a Tyrolese song he sung, with a jodel refrain of his own invention: "Hat einer ein Schatzerl, So bleibt er dabei, Er nimmt sie zum Weiberl, Und liebt sie recht treu. Dann fangt man die Wirthschaft Gemeinschaftlich an, Und liebt sich, und herzt sich So sehr als man kann!" Great cheering followed the skilfully executed jodel. In the midst of it, one of the members rose and said, in German, "Meine Herren! You know our good friend Nageli is going to leave us; perhaps we shall not see him again for many years. I challenge you to drink this toast: 'Nageli, and his quick return!' I say to him what some of the shopkeepers in our Father-land say to their customers, 'Kommen Sie bald wieder!'" Here there was a great shouting of "Nageli! Nageli!" until one started the chorus, which was immediately and sonorously sung by the whole assemblage, "Hoch soll er leben! Hoch soll er leben! Dreimal hoch!" Another pause, chiefly devoted to the ordering of Hochheimer and the lighting of fresh cigars. The souls of the sons of the Father-land were beginning to warm. "Friend Beratinsky," said the anxious-hearted albino, "perhaps you know that many years ago I knew the mother of Natalie Lind; she was a neighbor--a companion--of mine: and I am interested in the little one. A young girl sometimes has need of friends. Now, you are in a position--"