ing the circumstances to her. He was also telling her of his intention to marry her to a poor cousin and leave her one-half of his possessions. On that account, after he had gone, there was great rejoicing on the part of the girl and her foster-mother, the honest herdsman's wife.
"Who is that dreadful person?" asked Diederich, without thinking. Frau Von Wulckow looked astonished.
"That's the comic female lead from the State Theatre. We had nobody else who could play the part, but my niece rather likes acting with her." Diederich started in horror, for it was the niece he had described as a dreadful person. "Your niece is absolutely charming," he hastened to assure her and smiled delightedly at the fat, red face, which seemed to rest directly on the shoulders—and they were Wulckow's shoulders! "And she has plenty of talent, too," he added for safety. Frau von Wulckow whispered: "Just watch"—and there came Jadassohn out from the wings. What a surprise. His clothes were freshly pressed and with his fashionably cut morning coat he wore an immense stock, in which a red stone of imposing dimensions glittered. But however bright its glow, Jadassohn's ears glowed even more brightly. As his head was closely cropped and very flat, his ears stood out and illuminated his grandeur like two lamps. He swung his yellow gloved hands about as if he were pleading for many years' imprisonment. As a matter of fact, he was saying the most terrible things to the niece, who seemed thunder-struck, and to the comic old lady who was yelling. … Frau von Wulckow whispered: "He is a bad character." "I should say he is," said Diederich with conviction. "Do you know my play?" "Oh, I see. No. But I can guess what he wants to do." The situation was that Jadassohn, who was the son and heir of the old Count Kunze, had been eavesdropping, and was not at all disposed to share with the niece the possessions with which God had endowed him. He imperatively commanded her to clear out, otherwise he would have her
