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Page 27
And he hobbled away as fast as he could.
The mention of breakfast had given a different turn to Sperver's
thoughts.
"Exactly so," he observed, turning back; "the best way to drown all
your cares is to drink a draught of good wine. I am very glad we are
going to breakfast in my room. Under those great high vaults in the
fencing-school, sitting round a small table, you feel just like
mice nibbling a nut in a corner of a big church. Here we are, Fritz.
Just listen to the wind whistling through the arrow-slits. In
half-an-hour there will be a storm."
He pushed the door open; and Kasper, who was only drumming with his
fingers upon the window-panes, seemed very glad to see us. That little
man had flaxen hair and a snub nose. Sperver had made him his factotum;
it was he who took to pieces and cleaned his guns, mended the
riding-horses' harness, fed the dogs in his absence, and superintended in
the kitchen the preparation of his favourite dishes. On grand occasions
he was outrider. He now stood with a napkin over his arm, and was gravely
uncorking the long-necked bottle of Rhenish.
"Kasper," said his master, as soon as he had surveyed this satisfactory
state of things--"Kasper, I was very well pleased with you yesterday;
everything was excellent; the roast kid, the chicken, and the fish. I
like fair-play, and when a man has done his duty I like to tell him so.
To-day I am quite as well satisfied. The boar's head looks excellent with
its white-wine sauce; so does the crayfish soup. Isn't it your opinion
too, Fritz?"
I assented.
"Well," said Sperver, "since it is so, you shall have the honour of
filling our glasses. I mean to raise you step by step, for you are a very
deserving fellow."
Kasper looked down bashfully and blushed; he seemed to enjoy his master's
praises.
We took our places, and I was wondering at this quondam poacher, who in
years gone by was content to cook his own potatoes in his cottage, now
assuming all the airs of a great seigneur. Had he been born Lord of
Nideck he could not have put on a more noble and dignified attitude at
table. A single glance brought Kasper to his side, made him bring such
and such a bottle, or bring the dish he required.
We were just going to attack the boar's head when Master Tobias
appeared in person, followed by no less a personage than the Baron of
Zimmer-Bluderich, attended by his groom.
We rose from our seats. The young baron advanced to meet us with head
uncovered. It was a noble-looking head, pale and haughty, with a
surrounding of fine dark hair. He stopped before Sperver.
"Monsieur," said he in that pure Saxon accent which no other dialect can
approach, "I am come to ask you for information as to this locality.
Madame la Comtesse de Nideck tells me that no one knows these mountains
so well as yourself."
"That is quite true, monseigneur, and I am quite at your service."
"Circumstances of great urgency oblige me to start in the midst of the
storm," replied the baron, pointing to the window-panes thickly covered
with flakes of snow. "I must reach Wald Horn, six leagues from this
place!"
"That will be a hard matter, my lord, for all the roads are blocked up
with snow."
"I am aware of that, but necessity obliges."
"You must have a guide, then. I will go, if you will allow me, to S�balt
Kraft, the head huntsman at Nideck. He knows the mountains almost as well
as I do."
"I am much obliged to you for your kind offers, and I am very grateful,
but still I cannot accept them. Your instructions will be quite
sufficient."
Sperver bowed, then advancing to a window, he opened it wide. A furious
blast of wind rushed in, driving the whirling snow as far as the
corridor, and slammed the door with a crash.
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