The mocking-birds, which had so jeered
and flouted him before, were again fluttering to and fro over his
head and crying incessantly with their sharp, small voices: "Herr
Studiosus, Herr Studiosus, don't be in such a hurry! Don't peep into
the clouds so! You may fall on your nose--He, he! Herr Studiosus, put
your powder-mantle on; cousin Screech-Owl will frizzle your toupee."
And so it went along, in all manner of stupid chatter, till Anselmus
left the garden.
Archivarius Lindhorst at last stepped into the azure chamber; the
porphyry, with the Golden Pot, was gone; instead of it, in the middle
of the room, stood a table overhung with violet-colored satin, upon
which lay the writing-materials already known to Anselmus; and a
stuffed arm-chair, covered with the same sort of cloth, was placed
before it.
"Dear Herr Anselmus," said Archivarius Lindhorst, "you have now copied
me a number of manuscripts, rapidly and correctly, to my no small
contentment: you have gained my confidence; but the hardest is yet to
come; and that is the transcribing or rather painting of certain works
after the original, composed of peculiar signs; I keep them in this
room, and they can be copied only on the spot. You will, therefore, in
future, work here; but I must recommend to you the greatest foresight
and attention; a false stroke, or, which may Heaven forefend, a blot
let fall on the original, will plunge you into misfortune.
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