astily approached the cart. Here he unfastened his purse
from his belt, poured its contents into his hand, showed the coins to the
doctor, who had fixed his black eyes kindly on the odd customer, and
asked: "Will this be enough?"

"For what?"

"For the medicine to cure headache."

The quack separated the little coins in Adrian's hand with his
forefinger, and answered gravely: "No, my son, but I am always glad to
advance the cause of knowledge. There is still a great deal for you to
learn at school, and the headache will prevent it. Here are the drops
and, as it's you, I'll give this prescription for another arcanum into
the bargain."

Adrian hastily wrapped the little vial the quack handed him in the piece
of printed paper, received his dearly-bought treasure, and ran home. On
the way he was stopped by Captain Allertssohn, who came towards him with
the musician Wilhelm.

"Have you seen my Andreas, Master Good-for-nothing?" he asked.

"He was standing listening to the musicians," replied Adrian, released
himself from the captain's grasp, and vanished among the crowd.

"A nimble lad," said the fencing-master. "My boy is standing with the
musicians again. He has nothing but your art in his mind. He would rather
blow on a comb than comb his hair with it, he's always tooting on every
leaf and pipe, makes triangles of broken sword-blades, and not even a
kitchen pot is sate from his drumming; in short there's nothing but
singsong in the good-for-nothing fellow's head; he wants to be a musician
or something of the sort."

"Right, right!" replied Wilhelm eagerly; "he has a fine ear and the best
voice in the choir."

"The matter must be duly considered," replied the captain, "and you, if
anybody, are the person to tell us what he can accomplish in your art. If
you have time this evening, Herr Wilhelm, come to me at the watch house,
I should like to speak to you. To be sure, you'll hardly find me before
ten o'clock. I have a stricture in my throat again, and on such
days--Roland, my fore man!"

The captain cleared his throat loudly and vehemently. "I am at your
service," said Wilhelm, "for the night is long, but I won't let you go
now until I know what you mean by your fore man Roland."

"Very well, it's not much of a story, and perhaps you won't understand.
Come in here; I can tell it better over a mug of beer, and the legs rebel
if they're deprived of rest four nights in succession."

When the two men were seated