ress spangled
with silver, the light coming in from the top of the caravan, and his
transparent complexion, his burning, fiery eyes, like carbuncles, his
long waves of white, silky hair, and his long, curling, snow-white,
silky beard, gave him the appearance of some enchanted dwarf--some
cobold or gnome out of a subterranean palace.

But I had not much time to lose myself in dreams about enchanted dwarfs
or gnomes, for there was something else burning in the caravan besides
the Albino's eyes, and that was Madame Thekla's grand silk cloak! She
had come out with me in all her grandeur; and now, while we stood
enchanted before the Albino, her fine silk cloak was singeing at a
little iron stove that stood behind the door. Poor Madame Thekla! Out we
rushed, and she revenged herself by vociferating to the crowd outside,
as the Tyrolian had done just before, and by exhibiting her unlucky
cloak in a sort of savage despair.

An hour afterward, we again passed the caravan, and the Tyrolian in the
ribbed stockings was again holding forth on the steps, when, at sight of
us, he interrupted his oration, and politely invited us to re-enter, and
complete, _free of cost_, our inspection of the Albino. But Madame
Thekla, pointing with stern dignity to her cloak, declined, and marched
on.

After this we went to the _waeffeln_-booths, were we ate hot-baked
_waeffeln_, a kind of gofre cake; and then, resisting a wonderful
elephant show, we hastened to the monkey theatre, the poor elephant's
rival exhibition; the "Grand Monkey Theatre from Paris," in which
forty-two apes and poodles, the property of M. Le Cerf, would exhibit
the most wonderful and artistic feats.

We had to wait some time till the four o'clock performance was over,
which unfortunately had begun before we arrived; and while Madame Thekla
and I stood impatiently waiting in the cold, up there came a merry-faced
lad of about ten, and began, in great glee, to describe to us the
glorious things that were performed by those "dear little monkeys and
dogs." He was quite eloquent in his delight; and, "Oh!" said he, "if I
had but another _sechser_ (twopenny-piece), wouldn't I see it again!"
"There is another _sechser_, then!" said I, and put one into his fat
little hand. What an astonished, bright face looked up into mine; and he
seized my hand in both his, and shook it almost off. And away he ran up
the steps for his ticket, flying down again to us, and keeping as close
to us as