A Deserted House

The Deserted House by Ernest Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann from The lock and key library: German stories (1909, 1913 ed) The Reviews of Reviews Co., New York Edited by Louis E. Van Norman THEY were all agreed in the belief that the actual facts of life are often far more wonderful than the invention of even the liveliest imagination can be. "It seems to me," spoke Lelio, "that history gives proof sufficient of this. And that is why …

…in the moment when the mad woman died. Thus did Theodore end his narrative. His friends had much to say about his strange adventure, and they agreed with him that the odd and unusual, and the truly marvelous as well, were mingled in a strange and grewsome manner in his story. When they parted for the night, Franz shook Theodore's hand gently, as he said with a smile: "Good night, you Spallanzani bat, you." (End.)