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I see it in writing: The wonder of the age, or the humiliated relatives. A touching tableau presented by Herr Daniel Nothafft of the Schimmelweis family.” “I do not understand you; you are talking like a harlequin again,” said Theresa. “Compositions by Daniel are going to be played in a public concert,” Philippina informed her mother with that old, harsh voice of hers.
Yes, yes, he said rather perfunctorily, he had heard that some one had said that Nothafft was running a pretty questionable domestic establishment; that he had a rather unsavoury past; and that there was some talk about his neglecting his wife. The deuce you say! Why, they were married only a short while ago. Yes, but there was a rumour to the effect that there was a woman in the case.
She sends her grandmother the tenderest of greetings, and hopes to see her some time again, after she has attained to what she now has in mind.” To this Eva had added in a handwriting which Marian Nothafft could be reasonably certain was her own: “This is true. Good-bye, grandmother!”
“It is both he and his ghost,” replied Daniel drily. “This is no place for ghosts,” cried Dorothea, and threw a snow ball, hitting him square on the shoulder. Daniel looked at her; she blushed, and looked at Herr Carovius questioningly. “Don’t you know our Daniel Nothafft, you little ignoramus?” said Herr Carovius. “You know nothing of our coryphæus? Hail to the Master! Welcome home!
Daniel was silent; he bit his lips, and looked down at the floor. She scolded him: “You are always your own worst enemy. Now be reasonable, Nothafft, I will send the money over at noon. If you have any left, you may pay it back.” Daniel went out, and gave the blustering furniture dealer his last ten-mark piece. Frau Kirschner had brought a flask of Tokay wine with her for Gertrude.
Dörmaul was frightened; he sent the necessary money by return wire. In another telegram to Wurzelmann he declared the company dissolved; most of the contracts had expired, and those members of the company who put in claims were satisfied in one way or another. Daniel was free. Wurzelmann said to him on taking leave: “Nothafft, you will never amount to anything. I have been disappointed in you.
Marian paid not the slightest attention to any of them; she went quietly and slowly back to her house. Thus it came about that five weeks later a daughter of Daniel Nothafft saw the light of the world under Marian’s roof. As soon as the child was born, Marian took a great liking to it, despite the fact that she had thought of it before its birth only with aversion.
The eyes of the waiters were also given the privilege of feasting on another rare social phenomenon. They noticed that Kapellmeister Nothafft was sitting at the table in his stocking feet. His patent leather shoes had hurt him so much that he made short work of it and took them off during the dinner.
He mentioned the fact that when the company was on the road they would have to have a second Kapellmeister, since he himself would have to function at times as substitute director: “Leave it all to me, dear Nothafft,” he said, “Alexander Dörmaul has got to dance to my tune, and my tune is this: It is Nothafft or nobody for Kapellmeister.” If he began with humility, he concluded with familiarity.
He expressed himself as follows later on: “If some one had promised me eternal blessedness on condition that I forget the picture of this pregnant woman, as she stood before me and argued the case of Daniel Nothafft vs. The Public, I would have been obliged to forego the offer, for I could never have fulfilled my part of the agreement. Forget her? Who would demand the impossible?”
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