Faksimile

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box 36//6
Panphs Offorints
186
The Germanic Revien
comment in the case of three of these books that they lack
psychological depth, thus indicating at this early stage his
predilection for such treatment.
Several months later5 Schnitzler contributed a full-fledged
story of between fifteen and twenty thousand words, entitled
Reichtum, the longest and artistically the most perfect of
his novelettes up to this time. On a stroll through an outlying
section of the city, two aristocrats stop in at a plain-looking
café where a group of humble citizens is engaged in a game of
hazard. Acting on a sudden impulse, Count Treuen places his
purse at the disposal of one of the players who had lost all his
money. The latter’s luck now changes and in fifteen minutes
all the other players are out of funds. The first gambler now
introduces himself to the aristocrats as Karl Weldein, a married
man and father of a six-year-old son, formerly an artist but
now only an ordinary house painter. Again acting on a sudden
impulse, Count Treuen proposes that Welde in accompany them
to their club to see whether his luck would hold good there also.
The latter assents. The count supplies him with evening
clothes and introduces him as a friend from San Francisco.
Weldein's luck proves to be equally phenomenal and in little
more than an hour he has broken the bank with a fortune in
his possession. He has also partaken so liberally of champagne
that the count, beginning to feel uneasy, hurries him to the
street entrance and closes the door behind him. Weldein can
think of only one thing, that he must cenceal the money,
and he proceeds to do so. The next morning, however, he is
unable to recall the hiding-place. For days and weeks he
retraces his steps of this momentous evening, so far as he can
remember, but without success. In the course of years his
wife dies and his son grows up. The latter displays considerable
talent as a painter of gambling and drinking scenes. One of
his paintings having attracted the attention of Count Treuen
at an exhibition, he is often introduced by the latter at the
club, not as a participant in the gambling, but as an observer
who desires atmosphere and inspiration. On his deathbed the
56 Denksteine, one of the Anatol scenes, had appeared on May 15, 1891,
pp. 151-154.
fa
un
er
I
meanin
convey. To b
whims of fate, or the malign
contrast the lives of the twe
and show that fundamentall
emotions, quoting Count Tr
group of players in the mod
Empfinden diese da nicht
Haben sie nicht das Gefühl
Mahle, wie wir nach unse
rauschen sie sich nicht an
lieben uns unsere Maitresser
Und wenn sie sich zu den
der uns packt; freilich sin
Wahnsinn die Kaltblütigen
der Karten, wenn wir wirklic
Körner’s statement * that
puppet player toying withh
a means rather than as an
We may simply take the st
unusual events skillfully re
throughout and the pace
liberal usc of dialog. It is
straightforward narration and
to which he was to attain
inevitably reminded of the
5 Op. cit., 162.
* On the occasion of
Schnitzler
singled this stor
pecial com
kommen reife u
afte Erzäh
d mei
rh
gang der freien
y.
922, p.