A plague on that fire ! I think I 'll make my supper on prunes and crackers to-night ! Hello ! Why ... who are you ? Where do you want to go ? Oh , I see ! You got lost ? You should have turned to the right down where the roads cross . Are you expecting to get to the railroad to-night ? Humph ! You 'll find it hard going . Better rest .What are you — a peddler ? No . I do n't want anything . Yes ... all alone . That 's my father 's camp . The family has n't come up yet . I 'm camping out — I prefer the tent . John Isman 's his name . Why ... yes . Fairly so . Oh ! You 've been here before ? That 's my sister , I guess . Her name 's Estelle . I 'm Gerald Isman . Yes . Why ... what makes you think that ? Oh ! I see ! No ... I like to be alone . Yes . You like music ? This ? That 's the Nibelung music . Why ... it 's in an opera . It 's by a composer named Wagner . Why ... I guess he made it up . It 's about the Nibelungs . Queer little people who live down inside the earth , and spend all their time digging for gold . Why ... I do n't know ... No ... but the poets tell us they exist . Well , they have great rocky caverns , down in the depths of the earth . And they have treasures of gold ... whole caves of it . And they 're very cunning smiths ... they make all sorts of beautiful golden vessels and trinkets . Oh ! Why ... where did you get such things ? Let me see them . Why ... what is it ? Why ... I do n't know ... Why ... they 're little men ... with long hair and funny clothes ... and humpbacked . Why ... yes ... in a way . Their names ? Well , there was Alberich , the king . He was the one who found the Rheingold . And then there was Hagen , his son . He killed the hero , Siegfried . And then there was Mimi . He was a very famous smith . What do you mean ? Why ... I would n't mind . Indeed I would ! No , I do n't think so . Yes ... sure ! What do you want for your ring ? What ! But I can n't ... it ... Yes . But I do n't like to ... But wait ! Good-night .Well , I 'll be switched ! If that was n't a queer old customer !It feels like real gold !What in the world did he mean , anyhow ? The magic ring ! I hope he does n't get lost in those woods to-night .Confound that fire ! It 's out for good now ! Let it go .Nibelungs ! They are realer than anybody guesses . People who spend their lives in digging for gold , and know and care about nothing else . How many of them I 've met at mother 's dinner parties ! Well , I must get to my work now .Ah , me ! I do n't know what makes me so lazy this evening . This strange heaviness ! There seems to be a spell on me .How beautiful these woods are at sunset ! If I were a Nibelung , I 'd come here for certain !I 'm good for nothing but dreaming ... I wish Estelle were here to sing to me ! How magical the twilight is ! Estelle ! Estelle ! What 's that ?What 's that ?Why , what can it mean ?Why , it 's a Nibelung !Oh ! I must be dreaming !Nibelungs ! Why , it 's absurd ! Wake up , man ! You 're going crazy !My God ! The pack peddler ! Good evening , Wiggie !I suppose that old lady 's taken to herself all the credit for this evening 's success ! How can anybody stay away ? When a man spends several millions on a single entertainment people have to come out of pure curiosity .