In July he sang for the first time in public at Eger.  He was extremely frightened, but as it was only a duo he managed fairly well.  Then he sang at Tepl, this time alone.  His voice broke badly in the yodel and he was jeered by a rude audience.  He had grown very much thinner.  His doctor warned him against continuing the waters, and advised rice, potatoes, and ale, but he did not listen.  He now paid the bills of the company while travelling.  Roesie had confessed with tears that they were fearfully poor.  From that time he handed her his purse.  He even placated the jealous dancer with a gold watch and a box of hair pomade.  Ah! how he loathed the fellow’s curly locks, his greasy familiarities!  Roesie told him this acrobat was necessary in the company until he could be replaced.  Already Hugh—­she called him “Ue”—­could yodel better.  Some day he might, when thinner, dance better.  Perhaps—­again that appealing glance, the corner of her lips faintly touched by the mysterious smile of a Monna Lisa.  Krayne redoubled his arduous training, practised yodling in the forests, danced jigs on the pine-needles, and doubled his allowance of the waters.

They went to Carlsbad.  He yodled.  He was applauded.  The dancer was in a fine rage.  Although Krayne had asked Roesie to buy a first-class compartment on the railroad trip over and back, they went in a third-class car.  Praeger declared that it was good enough for him, and he didn’t wish to spoil his troupe!  His wife now held the purse-strings, as Roesie was too engrossed with her art and Hugh too absorbed in his love to notice such mere sublunary matters.  The girl had promised nothing positive for the future.  She kept him on the brittle edge of nervous expectation.  The opposition of the dancer had been successfully met by threats of dismissal; Hugh continued to lose flesh and gain in vocal and pedal agility.

He danced for the first time at Koenigswart, not far from the chateau of the Metternichs.  It was August.  So great was the applause that the younger dancer was discharged.  He left with muttered threats of vengeance.  The next day Krayne turned over all his business affairs to the able hand of Frau Praeger; he lived only for Roesie and his art....

September was at hand.  The weather was so warm and clear, that the king of England deferred his departure for a few days.  One afternoon, just before the leaves began to brown on the hills, there was a concert at the garden of the Hotel Bellevue.  The royal party attended.  The yodling was much praised, especially that of a good-looking young woman and her escort, a very tall man of cadaverous aspect, his shanks like the wooden stilts of the shepherds on the Bordeaux Landes.  His face, preternaturally emaciated and fatigued, opened to emit an amazing yodel.  When the Schuhplattltanz was reached he surprised the audience by an extraordinary exhibition.  He threw his long legs about like billiard cues, while