Page:Prose Specimens for Translation into German (1862).djvu/235



Baron de Hinz had just been presuming to such an extent upon the belief of an assembly with stories of which he said he had been an eye-witness, that several persons present expressed their doubts loudly. This the narrator considered as an offence to himself and fought for the truth of his statements only the more zealously as Major Johnson took his part. At this last incident people wondered not a little because the major justly maintained the reputation of especial intelligence and love of truth. They were even more amazed when he spoke as follows :

Indeed I must share the indignation of the baron de Hinz, in as much as frequently nothing looks more improbable than the truth. My own experience may here serve as a proof. As I was still studying at Jena, I once drove with a good friend, the baron Zitzerling, over to Weimar in order to visit the theatre, where the Maid of Orleans was just being represented. Mad Wolf had the principal part and was playing it so excellently that several times I broke forth into loud admiration. That annoyed the baron whose particular inclination for some other actress would not allow him to acknowledge the superiority of the universally valued artiste. We got into a dispute.