I went to all the old-clothes sellers in Nuremberg, and returned in the
afternoon to the Inn Boeuf-Gras, with an enormous packet under my arm.
Nichel Schmidt had known me for a long time; his wife was fat and
good-looking; I had painted her portrait.
"Ah, Master Christian," said he, squeezing my hand, "what happy
circumstance brings you here? What procures me the pleasure of seeing
you?"
"My dear Monsieur Schmidt, I feel a vehement, insatiable desire to
sleep in the Green Room."
We were standing on the threshold of the inn, and I pointed to the
room. The good man looked at me distrustfully.
"Fear nothing," I said; "I have no desire to hang myself.".
"_À la bonne heure! à la bonne heure!_ For frankly that would give me
pain; an artist of such merit! When do you wish the room, Master
Christian?"
"This evening."
"Impossible! it is occupied!"
"Monsieur can enter immediately," said a voice just behind me, "I will
not be in the way."
We turned around in great surprise; the peasant of Nassau stood before
us, with his three-cornered hat, and his packet at the end of his
walking stick. He had just learned the history of his three
predecessors in the Green Room, and was trembling with rage.
"Rooms like yours!" cried he, stuttering; "but it is murderous to put
people there--it is assassination! You deserve to be sent to the
galleys immediately!"
"Go--go--calm yourself," said the innkeeper; "that did not prevent you
from sleeping well."
"Happily, I said my prayers at night," said the peasant; "without that,
where would I be?" and he withdrew, with his hands raised to heaven.
"Well," said Nichel Schmidt, stupefied, "the room is vacant, but I
entreat you, do not serve me a bad trick."
"It would be a worse trick for myself than for you, monsieur."
I gave my packet to the servants, and installed myself for the time
with the drinkers. For a long time I had not felt so calm and happy.
After so many doubts and disquietudes, I touched the goal. The horizon
seemed to clear up, and it appeared that some invisible power gave me
the hand. I lighted my pipe, placed my elbow on the table, my wine
before me, and listened to the chorus in "Freischütz," played by a
troupe of gypsies from the Black Forest. The trumpets, the hue and cry
of the chase, the hautboys, plunged me into a vague reverie, and, at
times rousing up to look at the hour, I asked myself gravely, if all
which _had_ happened to me was not a dream. But the watchman came to
ask us to leave the _salle_, and soon other and more solemn thoughts
were surging in my soul, and in deep meditation I followed little
Charlotte, who preceded me with a candle to my room.
We mounted the stairs to the third story. Charlotte gave me the candle
and pointed to the door.
"There," said she, and descended rapidly.
I opened the door. The Green Room was like any other inn room. The
ceiling was very low, the bed very high. With one glance I explored the
interior, and then glided to the window.
Nothing was to be seen in the house of Fledermausse; only, in some
distant room, an obscure light was burning. Some one was on the watch.
"That is well," said I, closing the curtain. "I have all necessary
time."
I opened my packet, I put on a woman's bonnet with hanging lace; then,
placing myself before a mirror, I took a brush and painted wrinkles in
my face. This took me nearly an hour. Then I put on the dress and a
large shawl, and I was actually afraid of myself. Fledermausse seemed
to me to look at me from the mirror.
At this moment the watchman cried out, "Eleven o'clock!" I seized the
manikin which I had brought in my packet, and muffled it in a costume
precisely similar to that worn by the old wretch. I then opened the
curtain.
Certainly, after all that I had seen of the Fledermausse, of her
infernal cunning, her prudence, her adroitness, she could not in any
way surprise me; and yet I was afraid. The light which I had remarked
in the chamber was still immovable, and now cast its yellow rays on the
manikin of the peasant of Nassau, which was crouched on the corner of
the bed, with the head hanging on the breast, the three-cornered hat
pulled down over the face, the arms suspended, and the whole aspect
that of absolute despair.
The shadows, managed with diabolical art, allowed nothing to be seen
but the general effect of the face. The red vest, and six round buttons
alone, seemed to shine out in the darkness. But the silence of the
night, the complete immobility of the figure, the exhausted, mournful
air, were well calculated to take possession of a spectator with a
strange power. For myself, although forewarned, I was chilled even to
my bones.
How would it, then, have fared with the poor, simple peasant, if he had
been surprised unawares? He would have been utterly cast down.
Despairing, he would have lost all power of self-control, and the
spirit of imitation would have done the rest.
Scarcely had I moved the curtain, when I saw Fledermausse on the watch
behind her window. She could not see me. I opened my window softly; the
window opposite was opened! Then her manikin appeared to rise slowly
and advance before me. I, also, advanced my manikin, and seizing my
torch with one hand, with the other I quickly opened the shutters. And
now the old woman and myself were face to face. Struck with sudden
terror, she had let her manikin fall!
We gazed at each other with almost equal horror. _She_ extended her
finger--I advanced _mine_. _She_ moved her lips--I agitated _mine_. She
breathed a profound sigh, and leaned upon her elbow. I imitated her.
To describe all the terrors of this scene would be impossible. It
bordered upon confusion, madness, delirium. It was a death struggle
between two wills; between two intelligences; between two souls--each
one wishing to destroy the other; and, in this struggle, I had the
advantage--her victims struggled with me.
After having imitated for some seconds every movement of Fledermausse,
I pulled a rope from under my skirt, and attached it to the crossbeam.
The old woman gazed at me with gaping mouth. I passed the rope around
my neck; her pupils expanded, lightened; her face was convulsed.
"No, no!" said she, in a whistling voice.