Page:A Picture-book without Pictures and Other Stories (1848).djvu/52

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46
A PICTURE-BOOK

was a very full house, excepting that under the chandelier it was like a little crater. Not a single soul sate there; the chandelier kept dropping its oil—drop! drop! It was so hot in the little theatre that they were obliged to open all the holes in the walls to let in fresh air, and through all these peeped in lads and lasses from the outside, although the police sate by and drove them off with sticks.

Close by the orchestra, people saw the young princely couple sitting in two old armchairs, which otherwise would have been occupied by the burgomaster and his lady; as it was, however, they sate upon wooden benches, like other townsfolk. “One may see that there are falcons above falcons!” was Madame’s silent observation; and after this all became more festal; the chandelier made a leap upwards, the people began counting on their fingers, and I—yes, the Moon—was present during the whole comedy.