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Page 13
"As I have had the pleasure to inform you, madam, the crisis is past; the
return must be anticipated, if possible."
"Do you hope that it may?"
"With God's help, madam, it is not impossible; I will think carefully
over it."
Odile, much moved, came with me to the door. Sperver and I crossed the
ante-room, where a few servants were waiting for the orders of their
mistress. We had just entered the corridor when Gideon, who was walking
first, turned quickly round, and, placing both his hands on my shoulders,
said--
"Come, Fritz; I am to be depended upon for keeping a secret; what is your
opinion?"
"I think there is no cause of apprehension for to-night."
"I know that--so you told the countess--but how about to-morrow?"
"To-morrow?"
"Yes; don't turn round. I suppose you cannot prevent the return of the
complaint; do you think, Fritz, he will die of it?"
"It is possible, but hardly probable."
"Well done!" cried the good man, springing from the ground with joy; "if
you don't think so, that means that you are sure."
And taking my arm, he drew me into the gallery. We had just reached it
when the Baron of Zimmer-Bluderich and his groom appeared there also,
marshalled by S�balt with a lighted torch in his hand. They were on their
way to their chambers, and those two figures, with their cloaks flung
over their shoulders, their loose Hungarian boots up to the knees, the
body closely girt with long dark-green laced and frogged tunics, and the
bear-skin cap closely and warmly covering the head, were very picturesque
objects by the flickering light of the pine-torch.
"There," whispered Sperver, "if I am not very much mistaken, those are
our Fribourg friends; they have followed very close upon our heels."
"You are quite right: they are the men; I recognise the younger by his
tall, slender figure, his aquiline nose, and his long, drooping
moustache."
They disappeared through a side passage.
Gideon took a torch from the wall, and guided me through quite a maze of
corridors, aisles, narrow and wide passages, under high vaulted roofs and
under low-built arches; who could remember? There seemed no end.
"Here is the hall of the margraves," said he; "here is the
portrait-gallery, and this is the chapel, where no mass has been
said since Louis the Bold became a Protestant."
All these particulars had very little interest for me.
After reaching the end we had again to go down steps; at last we happily
came to the end of our journey before a low massive door. Sperver took a
huge key out of his pocket, and handing me the torch, said--
"Mind the light--look out!"
At the same time he pushed open the door, and the cold outside air rushed
into the narrow passage. The torch flared and sent out a volley of sparks
in all directions. I thought I saw a dark abyss before me, and recoiled
with fear.
"Ha, ha, ha!" cried the huntsman, opening his mouth from ear to ear, "you
are surely not afraid, Fritz? Come on; don't be frightened! We are upon
the parapet between the castle and the old tower."
And my friend advanced to set me the example.
The narrow granite-walled platform was deep in snow, swept in swirling
banks by the angry winds. Any one who had seen our flaring torch from
below would have asked, "What are they doing up there in the clouds? what
can they want at this time of the night?"
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