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Page 13
"Because neither Richard nor I care to have our dinner with nothing but
a lot of parsons," answered the Consul, in a tone which brought his wife
to her senses. "And will you be so kind as to arrange with Miss Cordsen
about the dinner?"
"Oh! the dinner, the dinner!" sighed Mrs. Garman, as she left the room.
"I cannot understand how people can think so much about such trifles."
Uncle Richard followed his sister-in-law to the door, and when he turned
round after making his most polite bow, he saw his brother standing in
the middle of the room, with his legs far apart, and one hand behind his
back. With the other he held up the monster key like an eyeglass before
his eye, and through it he regarded his brother with a knowing look.
"Do you know that?" asked the Consul.
"_Mais oui_!" answered Richard, in a tone which showed his delight at
finding his brother in a mood which betokened a visit to the
wine-cellar.
The two old gentlemen went off arm-in-arm, until they reached the top of
the kitchen stairs. At the kitchen door they stopped, and the Consul
called for the lights. A commotion was heard inside, and in a few
seconds Miss Cordsen appeared with two ancient candlesticks.
Each took his own light--they never made any mistake as to which was
which--and descended the stairs which led to the dark cellar. They first
arrived at a large outer cellar, where it was comparatively light, in
which were stored the wines which were in ordinary use, such as St.
Julien, Rhine wine, Graves, and brandy. This was all under the charge of
Miss Cordsen, who, in accordance with the _r�gime_ which had come down
from the old Consul's time, produced the different wines according to
the number and importance of the guests. In the darkest corner of the
cellar there was an old keyhole, only known to the Consul, but he could
find it in the dark. All the same, both of them held out their lights to
look for it, and the young Consul never omitted to remark upon the
clever way in which his father had concealed the secret door.
The key turned twice in the lock with a rusty sound, which the brothers
could distinguish from any other sound in the world, and an atmosphere
redolent of wine and mould met them as they entered. The Consul shut the
door, and said, "There now, the world will have to get on without us for
a little while." The inner wine-cellar looked as if it were considerably
older than the house itself, and the groined roof had a resemblance to
the cloister of an old monastery. It was so low that Richard had to bend
his head a little, and even the Consul felt inclined to stoop when he
was down there.
In the old bins lay bottles of different shapes covered with dust and
cobwebs, and in the recess of what had been a grated window, but was now
walled up on the outside, there stood two old long-stemmed Dutch
glasses, while in one corner there lay a large wine-cask. In front of
the cask was placed an empty tub, between an armchair without a back,
and from the seat of which the horsehair was protruding, and an ancient
rocking-horse that had lost its rockers.
The brothers put down their lights on the bottom of the tub, and took
off their coats, which they hung each on their own peg.
"Well, what's it to be to-day?" said Christian Frederick, rubbing his
hands.
"Port wouldn't be bad," suggested Richard, examining the bin.
"Port wine would be first-rate," answered the Consul, holding out his
light. "But look, there's a row of bottles lying in here that we have
never tried. I should like to know what they are."
"I dare say it is some of my grandmother's raspberry vinegar," suggested
Richard.
"Nonsense! Do you suppose father would have hidden away raspberry
vinegar in this cellar?"
"Perhaps he was as fond of old things as some other people I know,"
answered Richard.
"You always are so sarcastic," muttered the Consul. "I wish we could get
at these bottles."
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