Full of anxiety, and
dreading reproaches from the Archivarius, he looked into the sheet;
and, O wonder! the copy of the mysterious manuscript was fairly
concluded; and he thought, on viewing the characters more narrowly,
that the writing was nothing else but Serpentina's story of her
father, the favorite of the Spirit-prince Phosphorus, in Atlantis,
the Land of Marvels. And now entered Archivarius Lindhorst, in his
light-gray surtout, with hat and staff; he looked into the parchment
on which Anselmus had been writing, took a large pinch of snuff, and
said with a smile "Just as I thought!--Well, Herr Anselmus, here is
your speziesthaler; we will now to the Linke Bath; do but follow me!"
The Archivarius stepped rapidly through the garden, in which there was
such a din of singing, whistling, talking, that the student Anselmus
was quite deafened with it and thanked Heaven when he found himself on
the street.
Scarcely had they walked a few paces when they met Registrator
Heerbrand, who companionably joined them. At the Gate, they filled
their pipes, which they had about them; Registrator Heerbrand
complained that he had left his tinder-box behind, and could not
strike fire. "Fire!" cried Archivarius Lindhorst, scornfully; "here is
fire enough, and to spare!" And with this he snapped his fingers, out
of which came streams of sparks and directly kindled the pipes.--"Do
but observe the chemical knack of some men!" said Registrator
Heerbrand; but the student Anselmus thought, not without internal awe,
of the Salamander and his history.
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