Sealed Lips — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SEALED LIPS, q dredth time that nobody until now had directed an opera, looked after the scenery, led the chorus, beat time, painted and decorated a stage with such in- imitable perfection. A small number, more polite than the others, had courteously replied that he had contributed something toward the sucess of the opera. A wise man has said, that politeness con- sists in doing more than one needs to do and saying more than one thinks. Between times he shook hands with a crowd of strange men, one quarter of whom he knew by name and another quarter by sight. The physician in attendance, an old man with a gray beard, in his turn approached the musician. “My dear friend,” said he, “you are in one of those two situations in life when you will receive the most hand shaking.” “Why, to be sure; so I have noticed, doctor. When will the other be?” “At your marriage, with a little difference, how- ever.” “What is it? Just nowIlam not equal to guess- ing conundrums.” “Only this, on that day you will be congratulated at the end of the prologue.” «A wise precaution,” replied Godefroid. “In that branch of art we see too many representations which never reach an end.” At last he was alone, and for the first time in many weeks free to give his nerves a little rest, GOmichboo KS (E(0)