28 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

their apartment, and were alone
together, the astrologer embraced
his friend, crying, ‘‘Itishe! We
have him!”

“Do you think so?” demanded
Christian Elias, in the tone of a
man who had his doubts, but who
only wished to be convinced.
“‘Can there be any uncertainty ?”
exclaimed the astrologer: ‘‘ he has
all the necessary qualifications!”
“Let us sum them up.”

‘* He has never worn anything but boots.”

“True!”

“‘ He has never been shaved.”

“True, again!”

‘“‘ And through good-nature, he has stood in his father’s
shop to crack nuts for young persons, who never called him
by any other name than Nut-cracker.”

* All this is quite true.”

“ My dear friend,” added the astrologer, ‘‘ one stroke of
good luck never comes alone. But if you still doubt, let us
go and consult the stars.”

They accordingly ascended to the roof of the house; and,
having drawn the young man’s horoscope, discovered that he
was intended for great things.

This prophecy, which confirmed all the astrologer’s hopes,
forced the mechanician to adopt his opinion.

“« And-now,” said the astrologer, in a triumphant tone,
‘‘ there are only two things which we must not neglect.”

‘* What are they?” demanded Christian Elias.

“The first is, that you must fit to the nape of your
nephew’s neck a large piece of wood, which must be so well
connected with the lower jaw that it will increase its power -
by the fact of pressure.”

“‘ Nothing is more easy,” answered Christian Elias; ‘it is

the A, B, C of mechanics.”