Here, as at Rodeck, he was the
bosom friend and guest of Prince Adelsberg, and many strange and
wonderful stories were related of this friendship. But Hartmut's
personality, above all else, created for him an enviable position no
matter where he turned. The young, handsome and genial stranger,
surrounded as he was with a halo of romance and mystery, had only to
appear to have all eyes turned upon him.
Soon after the return of the court to the city, the rehearsals for
"Arivana" began, and its author and Prince Egon had the matter in
charge.
The latter entered so enthusiastically into the spirit of it all, that
he made the lives of the director and theatre attaches miserable with
his many and contradictory suggestions concerning the setting of the
drama, a matter about which, it is unnecessary to add, they were much
more capable of directing than he. At first they could not get an
actress to suit them, but they finally secured the services of a young
and favorite opera-singer named Marietta Volkmar.
The preparations for the performance, which they had intended originally
to bring out late in the season, were now hurried forward with all
speed, for royal visitors were expected at court, and the duke was most
anxious that this weird and poetical drama with its Indian setting
should be presented before them.
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