Barlasch of the Guard

nge her wings, a

ht quenching he

nety-nine out of a hundred persons signify nothing, and the hundredth is usually so absorbed in the me

Then we drop the burden and rush off at a tangent to pick up another. We write letters to our friends explaining to them what we are about. We even indite diaries to be read by goodness knows whom, explaining to ourselves what we have been doing. Sometimes we find something that really looks valuable, and rush to our particular ant-heap with it while our neighbours pause and watch us. But they really do not care; and if the rumour o

ull of occupation from morning till night, and God had given her sleep from night till morning. It is better to work for others than to think for them

been marked by the various woes of Prussia, by each successive step in the development of Napoleon's ambition. There were no bogey-men in the night-nursery at the beginning of the century. One Aaron's rod of a bogey had swallowed all the rest, and children buried their sobs in the pillow for fear of Napoleon. There were no ghosts in the dark corners of the

valued. Men were great to-day and gone to-morrow. Women were

a woman's face in these times. She had not, it would seem, expected much from life; and when much was given

Zoppot stood in the Frauengasse on the shady side of the street in the heat of the after

and restless, standing by the window with the air of one who expects without knowing what

t this was no more than she had foretold, or at all events foreseen. She was too proud or too generous to put her thoughts

es. She could hear the continuous clatter of carts on the quay, and

uld be heard over the roofs from the direction of the Langenmarkt. There was a sense of hurry in the dusty air. The Emperor had arrived, and the magic of his name

ers provided his table with the lighter meats of France, which he preferred to the German cuisine. Sebastian's dinner was an event i

Mathilde and Desiree prepared the rooms which had been desti

siree cheerfully, and fell to unpacking the bridal c

ldier brought a hurri

erg," he wrote. "It is a commission which I could not refuse

h he loved her, and was gaily indifferent to the ears of others. But she seemed to be restrained by some feeling

r, and placing it in her work-basket, "F

steady grey eyes saw everything, penetrating every thought, glanced at her with a suddenly aroused in

nstead, he usually went out at this time to one of the many wine-rooms or Bier Halles in the town to drink a slow and meditative glass of beer with such

or he could not afford to pay the vintage of that cellar, though he d

s, by devious narrow streets to that which is still called the Portchaisengasse though chairs and carriers have long ceased to pass along it. Here, on the northern side of the stre

ott. Tr

Gluck

years ago the White Horse was behind the t

hanging his route from day to day, and hurrying across the wider thoroughfares with the air of one desirous to attract but little attention. He was not alone in the quiet streets, for there were many in Dantzig at t

in the tower of the Rathhaus had barely struck seven when he took his hat and cloak from the peg near the dining-room door. He was so absorbed

r that he was little used to helping himself in such matters. Barlasch came out of the kitchen whe

house was too deeply engaged in thought to notice any difference in the handling or to perceive the smell of snuff that heralded the approach of Papa Barlasch

by the open door. He scratched his head and appeared to lapse into thought. But his brain was slow as were his

torm," he said. "Where hav

re still at work. The river was full of craft and the roadway choked by rows and rows of

were collected in a crowd, peering over each other's shoulders towards the roadway and the bridge. Sebastian was a tall man, and had no need to stand on tip-toe in order to s

f the city all the afternoon on t

ian, "at the Hohes Thor, where they are marching out

as the significant answer of a white-haired veteran wh

declared," said

that m

admiration of uncommon shrewdness. He was better clad than they. He must know more than they

ral, and are still to be found on all sides of the Marienkirche. At last he came to the Portchaisengasse, which was qu

et. These were not yet alight, though the day was fading fast, and the western light could scarcely find it

en Ross'l when some one came out of the hostelry,

n, making a little gesture which at once recommended silence, and bade him turn and follow. At the entrance to a little alley leadin

man, holding up a thick foref

n wh

as the answer. "He ha

Sebastian slowly

is people. His spies are everywhere. There are two in the Weissen Ro

meet the Langgasse, where the last remains of daylight, reflected to and fro

noticed that his spurs made no noise, and that he carried his sword instead of allowing it to clatter after hi

t man," sai

e reply. "It is C

into the Portchaisengasse in the direction