The Count of Nideck

feudal times. Its high, deep archways re?choed the sound of our steps, and the wind blowing through the loopholes caused the flame of the torches which were fastened at intervals along the wall to fla

on a large landin

tle for a moment, Gaston, while I go to info

whatever you

Offenloch, an old soldier of the regiment of Nideck. In

fellow,

nchwoman, named Marie Lagoutte, wh

why

Soubise's army. One day she brought us in Tobias Offenloch on her cart, min

bstinate, like all good Germans, was bound to enlighten me as to the people into whose

ap, but without an equal in sounding the horn; Karl Trumpf, the butler;

ce; on the right a sort of sideboard of old oak, browned by age, and on it a small cask, glasses, and bottles; on the left a Gothic chimney with a broad mantel-shelf empurpled by the blazing fire underneath, and ornamented in front

nc piece, velvet breeches, blue silk stockings, and shoes with silver buckles. He was about to turn the spigot of the cask; an air of inexpressible satisfaction beamed upon his rubicund face, and his eyes, starting slightly from his head, glowed in profile like a pair of watch glasses. His wife, the worthy Marie Lagoutte, dressed in a gown of woolen stuff with a large f

rds?" he was

plied the

u, Chri

wo

Ha, ha, ha! Another peg, mother; this will teach y

don't treat the fair

cards, we re

I have no room

like yours, there's

erver cried, "Her

on! back

pegs with a motion of her head; the big majordomo em

Count

e majordomo, drawin

ondition

agoutte, who never took her ey

ngs will change now in the Castle, Master Tobie; now that Gaston has come, this cursed malady wil

urning to the majordomo, "Come, come, Monsieur Offenloch! Stir yourself," she said; "of

g up as though moved by a spring, and

me, mo

ry good, my

Such weather! Ah, monsieur

continued Sperver, shaking the snow from his

artial paralysis of his frame, and a face liberally s

e I

the chamber at the end of the long gall

. I will see

's valise with you as you go. Knapwur

will take car

y go

pe, left us to go and inform the young Countess of my arrival.

re since morning. Sit down by the fire, Monsieur Doctor; your feet must be cold. Stretch out your legs; that's the way." Then, after

he word," replied t

ishment; and he eats nothing, monsieur. Fancy, it is t

obie, crossing his fat hands

; whereupon the majordomo came over and sat down on my right, saying, "T

l," added Marie Lagoutte; "the

s's fellows didn't drink it all, as Madame Offenloch would have it. You might prescribe

ly tone, "there was a time when our master went on the hunt twi

"the fresh air gave him an appetite. The doctor should

ismally; "two would do. The dogs must have some ti

sed his legs, and with his elbow on his knee supporting his chin, he gazed into the fire with unspeakable gloominess. Marie Lagoutte refreshed herself with a pinch of snuff, and I was

e a glass of

ever drink before v

even one sm

n a tiny

wide, and looked with

er to drink with my meals and take a glass of cognac afterwards. In my

I nodded a farewell to the worthy company, and as I stepped into the passage, I heard Tobie's wife saying to him, "He is

under the vulture's powerful wing. Soon Gideon threw open the door of a sumptuous apartment, hung with violet-colored velvet worked in gold. A bronze lamp, resting on a corner of the mantel

l there, crouching in the snow,-but he could see nothing, for the night was dark. As I moved forward into the room, I made out, by the pale rays of the lamp, a young woman of girlish figure seated in a

he deep, lustrous eyes that bespoke a soul as pure and beautiful as the scenes among which it flourished,-everything about the young mistress of the Castle proclaimed her to be of that noble type which we meet with but once, if at all, in a lifetime.

ou are welcome, monsieur;" then, motioning towards the al

tanding at the head of the bed, held the lamp in his raised hand, and the light, softened by the crystal

d bristling with gray hair and swelling behind the ears; his long, pointed face and receding forehead; his narrow eyes and shaggy eyebrows that met in a point over the bridge of his nose, imperfectly shading the dull, cold ey

verish, indicating intense nervous excitement. What was I to do? I considered. On one side stood the young Countess, anxiously awaiting an expression of m

g like a sob escaped the sick man's breast; then the respiration became normal again; then faster, and finally, labored. Some sort of nightma

e, monsieur?" ask

a close, mademoiselle. We must s

a possibl

ties, not daring to commit myself, when the dist

rs," sai

a moment o

ow was shadowed with anxiety. "How can we be

n the shadow, whispering, "The Baron Zimmer, accompanied by his servant

ell him to inform the Baron Zimmer that the Count is very ill, and that this alone prevents him from doing the honors

her orders, and I reflected that if an air of nobility seems inherent in some families, it is certainly be

and the exquisitely cut features of Odile of Nideck,-that purity of outline only to be met with in t

t keep the travellers waiti

, ma

w moments unable to dispel the charm of my

allowed to indulge our grief; we must ever divide ourselves

and promise to us weaker ones: the traveller who has lost his path, the sick man, and the starving pauper

fringed eyelids, while

t, the Counte

f you could only

re, mademoiselle, yesterday's crisis is past; w

ve that this

is not impossible. I must give th

n expression of increased hope. Sperver and I crossed the antechamber, where a few servants were standing awaiting the orders of their mi

be trusted; what is you

hing to be fe

d as much to the Coun

morr

an't prevent a recurrence of the attack, bu

I don't ant

low joyfully; "that mean

ir way to their chambers, and these two figures, with their cloaks flung over their shoulders, their knee-boots of soft Hungarian leather, their waists tightly buttoned in, their long green tunics ornamented with fr

reatly mistaken, those are our Tübingen frie

ger one by his slim figure; he has the profile of an eagle, a

ed beneath a s

abyrinth of corridors, passageways, and high, low, turret-sh

rtrait gallery. There is the chapel, where no mass has been said

escend a staircase that seemed interminable; at last, thank Heaven! we halted before a low, massive door.

he passageway. The flame leaped back and sent a shower of sparks in all direction

"any one would think you were afraid, Gaston. Come on! We are now

it with terrific gusts. Had any one seen our flaring torch upon the plain, he would have asked himse

closer the folds of my cloak, and holding my hat on with the other hand, I ran after Sperve

acklings. How grateful it was to be sheltered by the thick walls! I had stopped while Sperver closed th

ed pheasants, a blue-backed pike, his mouth stuffed with parsley; cold meats and hot wines is

es, being submitted to the gentle influence of the heat. The sight of this repast served to whet my

about swimming. In the first place, having been eight hours in the saddle, your boots must hurt you, so off with them. Sit down there and put your boot between my knees

lar course of preparation,

e, and remember well the German proverb: 'If Beelzebub c