rible cry. Then he began to move, stamping with rage as he spoke: "You may laugh, my friend! You do not know what an asset your face is. If I only had your face I'd be a Cabinet Minister in ten years." "Come, come!" said Diederich. "You don't require the whole face, only the ears," he added.
"Will you sell them to me?" asked Jadassohn, with a look that frightened Diederich. "Is that possible?" he asked dubiously. With a cynical laugh Jadassohn went up to Heuteufel, who declared that, as a matter of fact, operations were performed, though so far only in Paris, by which the size of the ears could be reduced by one-half. "Why remove the lot?" he queried.—"You can keep half of them," Jadassohn had recovered himself. "That's a good joke! I'll tell it in court, you old rascal!" said he, digging Heuteufel in the ribs.
Meanwhile Diederich had gone off to meet his sisters, who had changed into their ball dresses and were coming out of the dressing room. They were greeted with applause on all sides, and gave their impressions of what had happened on the stage. "Tea—coffee: heavens, wasn't that exciting!" said Magda. As their brother, Diederich also received congratulations. He got between them, and Magda at once linked her arm in his, but he had to hold Emma tightly. "Stop this play acting," she hissed. Between nods and smiles he snorted at her: "I know you had only a smart part, but consider yourself lucky to have had a part at all—Look at Magda!" Magda nestled willingly against him and seemed ready to be a perambulating picture of the happy united family as long as ever he liked. "My dear little sister," he said, with tender respect, "you have had a success. But I can assure you so have I." He even began to pay her compliments. "You look stunning to-night. You are much too nice for Kienast." When the Governor's wife nodded to them graciously, as they were leaving, they met everywhere the most respectful glances.
