Mrs. Manager seized a bell, which stood before her on the table, and began to ring it for half a minute with all the energy of a president of a parliament who wishes to drown the mad voices of a few hundred furious representatives of the people. As the absolute silence reigning in the whole assembly furnished no pretext for this display of energetic efforts, Mrs. Manager at last put the bell down on the table, and seized instead a sheet of paper, on which, as on a theatre bill, the parts in the piece and the names of the company were arranged in double columns. "Ladies and gentlemen!" she said, examining the faces of the audience, as they looked up to her, with satisfaction. "You know that we have chosen at our last sitting 'Wallenstein's Death' for this meeting with universal acclimatization; I meant to say, acclamation. As unfortunately the piece has more parts than we have members, I have been forced to leave out several which did not appear to me essential. But even then there remained a few which I could not well fill, and which would have remained blank if some of our dear guests who give us the pleasure of their company to-night had not put it into my power to complete the bill to the general satisfaction of all, I hope. Although most of you already know which part has been allotted to you, I will for the sake of regularity, and especially for the benefit of our dear guests, read the whole list from the beginning once more. Listen then, I pray, attentively!" Mrs. Manager cleared her voice and read, amid the attentive silence of the company: Wallenstein, Rector Clemens. Octavio Piccolomini, Professor Snellius. Max Piccolomini, Doctor Winimer. Terzky, Fredegunda Clemens. Illo, Doctor Kubel. Butler, Doctor Broadfoot. Gordon, Mrs. Kubel. Seni, Miss Ida Snellius. Duchess, Mrs. Snellius. Countess Terzky, Myself. Thekla, Thusnelda Clemens. Fräulein Neubrunn, Marie Kubel. Swedish Captain, Doctor Stein. Devereux, \ Mr. and Mrs. Jager. MacDonald, / Captains in Wallenstein's army. Oswald, who had been not a little amused by this original distribution, had to bite his lips not to laugh loud, when he saw the foolish faces made by the last-named persons as they heard their names coupled so intimately with the names of the murderers of the hero. Professor Jager drew down the corners of his mouth lower than Oswald had ever seen them; and Primula, who had turned as white as the lace collar on her pale-yellow dress, seemed to be on the point of breaking into tears.