According to Carl Dolmetsch, *Our Famous Guest: Mark Twain in Vienna*, Clemens was actually close to fluent in German, at least by the 1890s. He frequently spoke in German in public appearances in Vienna. In this matter, as in others, it is useful to distinguish between Clemens and his comic avatar, Mark Twain. Charles Crow Department of English Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 [log in to unmask]