t in a young girl from
Strasburg, who played singing chamber-maids. Her features were exquisite
and her voice charming, while she made me split my sides with laughing at
her Italian pronounced with an Alsatian accent, and at her gestures which
were of the most comic description.

I was determined to possess her in the course of the next twenty-four
hours, and before the party broke up I spoke as follows:--

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will engage you myself for a week at fifty
florins a day on the condition that you acknowledge me as your manager
for the time being, and pay all the expenses of the theatre. You must
charge the prices I name for seats, five members of the company to be
chosen by me must sup with me every evening. If the receipts amount to
more than fifty florins, we will share the overplus between us."

My proposal was welcomed with shouts of joy, and I called for pen, ink,
and paper, and drew up the agreement.

"For to-morrow," I said to Bassi, "the prices for admission shall remain
the same, but the day after we will see what can be done. You and your
family will sup with me to-morrow, as also the young Alsatian whom I
could never separate from her dear Harlequin:"

He issued bills of an enticing description for the following evening;
but, in spite of all, the pit only contained a score of common people,
and nearly all the boxes were empty.

Bassi had done his best, and when we met at supper he came up to me
looking extremely confused, and gave me ten or twelve florins.

"Courage!" said I; and I proceeded to share them among the guests
present.

We had a good supper, and I kept them at table till midnight, giving them
plenty of choice wine and playing a thousand pranks with Bassi's daughter
and the young Alsatian, who sat one on each side of me. I did not heed
the jealous Harlequin, who seemed not to relish my familiarities with his
sweetheart. The latter lent herself to my endearments with a bad enough
grace, as she hoped Harlequin would marry her, and consequently did not
want to vex him. When supper was over, we rose, and I took her between my
arms, laughing, and caressing her in a manner which seemed too suggestive
to the lover, who tried to pull me away. I thought this rather too much
in my turn, and seizing him by his shoulders I dismissed him with a
hearty kick, which he received with great humility. However, the
situation assumed a melancholy aspect, for the poor girl began to weep
bitterl