Greifenstein

together in the place on the previous evening, the arrangement of the hall had been considerably changed. The palms alone remained in t

the heart of a Korps student could desire. The proprietor, who entered with enthusiasm into the scheme, moved about, followed by a confidential waiter in his white apron, examining every detail, adjusting the position of the tables and chairs, turning the principal key of the gas-jets a little so as to obtain the best possible flame, and every now and then running to the door which opened to the outer chambers, as

nto the illuminated hall. With the speed of a man accustomed to his work he began to unpack everything, laying out the basket-hilts of the rapiers, adorned with battered colours, side by side, and next to them half a dozen bright blades freshly ground and cleaned, each with its well oiled screw-nut upon the rough end that was to run through the guard, while the small iron wrench was placed in readiness at hand. Then three leathern jerkins were

reserved for his use. Then there was another summons from the door and the members of the Rhine Korps filed silently in, their dark blue caps contrasting oddly with the brilliant yellow of the Swabians. They saluted gravely and kept together upon the opposite side of the room. Next came the Westphalians, in green caps, and the Saxons with black ones, till nearly a

an second to his chief. 'Now, Hollenstein

in an undertone. 'You had better dress while Hollenstein is

the hounds. In ten minutes everything was ready, the seconds on each side drew on their gloves, settled the long visors of their caps well over their eyes, took their blunt rapiers in hand and stepped forward. The witnesses of each party, also gloved, stood on the left of the combatants, it being their duty to watch

ts ready?' inquired the umpire, wh

answered from both s

re. 'The duel begins. Auf

rdsmen, and the combat promised to be a long one. They exhibited to the admiring spectators every intricacy of schlager fencing, in all its wonderful neatness and quickness of cut and parry. From time to time a halt was called, and each man retired to his original place, his right ar

x as he rose from his chair and went to

,' answered Greif with a smile

Hollenstein turned his hand completely round upon his wrist in the act of striking what is called a deep-carte, remained a moment in this singular position, which seemed to confuse his adversary, and then as the latter was

ed both sec

beer that was placed in readiness for him, as though he took no further interest in the proceedings. Hol

The word means that the w

he Swabian second relinquishing his gl

alian chief, making a note of the fact in

en up his sword and was beginning to disarm, while a

man,' said Greif

with a childlike smile. 'I practised all last summer on my fat

dier like it?' asked

too. 'He is a clever churl and has discovered the a

iron eyepieces were being adjusted. All the Swabians present were collected around him, excepting the secon

he ear of his friend. 'I have never seen

orn!' said some of

t his hand in the gauntlet, and then held out the palm to be chalk

andy?' asked some one with a sca

inutes after the word "Go," I will drink a bottle of champagne with you, and I should be greatly obliged if

adversaries stood up in their places. Bauer the Rhine Korps man, was an ugly sight. The eye-pieces gave a singularly sinister expression to his sallow face, and his disorderly hair looked like a wig of twisted black wire, while the jerkin he wore seemed almost dropping from

was between Herr Bauer of the Rhine Korps an

delberg Saxo-Prussia

him, on hearing the name of th

politely, and holding his pencil ready

swered Rex

berg Saxo-Prussians could have so long concealed his identity. But the umpire did not wait, though he reflected that Rex must have been in

rat?' inquire

ar

er and more actively made. And yet Bauer could not get at him. He was one of those fencers who seem to work awkwardly, but who sometimes puzzle their adversaries more than any professional master of the art. His movements appeared to be slow and yet they were never behind time, and he had a curious instinct about what was coming. Bauer's famous deep

f you tried harder,' he whisper

Even through the iron eye-pieces Greif could see

man might possess who had not touched a rapier for years. Nevertheless, as the encounter proceeded, and both remained unhurt, Greif regretted that Rex should have boasted that Bauer would be disabled and laid up for a long time. Meanwhile the saturnine Rhine man grew slowly angry, as his arm beca

d Rex during the next halt,

lade flash towards Rex's unprotected cheek. To the amazement of all present the cut did not take effect. There was a loud clash of steel, accompanied by a harsh, grating noise. With irresistible fury Rex had brought down his weapon, countering in carte, parrying with his basket-hilt and then tearing, as it were, the reverse edge of his flexible blade throug

said the latter, in the

his gloved hands, untied the strings and loosed the buckles of his jerkin, wiped the slight perspiration from his face, and divested him of all his defensive accoutrements almost before he had breath to speak. A couple of novices rubbed his arm, whi

is not too cold to drink,' he added wit

you would have to drink i

said the rosy-cheeked Hollenst

ng iron noses wholesale,' remarked some one else, refe

orth his friend was likely to be almost as popular as himself. The fact that Rex had been chief of the Saxo-Prussians was in itself a sufficient recommendation and would long since have inspired them with respect, had Rex

to encourage them and see that everything went well. Swabia was in luck on that day, for the two youths acquitted themselves honou

reif, when he at last sat down to a sa

ning. The gas burned steadily overhead and the meeting of arms proceeded as regularly and quickly as any Roman show of gladiators. From time to time the Korps servants washed the blood-stained marble floor and threw down fresh sawdust for the next encounter. The surgeon and the wounded were kept out of sight behind

inns. In some ways he preferred the Palmengarten as a fighting ground to the forest glades in which the summer duels were sometimes fought. He felt, as he sat there, chief of his Korps, and looked up to by every one, very much as he fancied a Roman emperor must have felt in his high seat over the arena. A deep sense of s

excitement of other struggles, the memory of his home in the dark forest rose before him like a gloomy shadow. His mind went back to that evening when Rex's first prediction had been so suddenly fulfilled, and then, in

' he said. 'That is the rea

Rex quietly. '

a first-rate fencer,' r

ce, from the first, especially as we settled t

ques

asked when I set

distrustful of all cheap theories and of all scientific men who talked eloquently about the progress of learning. That such a person should put any faith in astrology was a monstrous incongruity. And yet Rex not only trusted in what he pretended to foretell, but was actually willing to risk serious personal injurie

id after a long pause. 'Will you tell me what it i

o talk at all,' Rex answered, looking earnestly

t?' asked Greif with

fault of yours, and since nothing which you, at least, can d

ll not

nsist, as much as one friend can with another.' Greif could not qui

d not be silent. If I had any advice to give you, I would offer it, at the risk of offending you. You know that in your heart you would not quite believe me, if I spoke, and that you would always fancy I had some object in view, until all were accomplished. Even then you might never forget

ieve that calculation or mathematics of any sort had anything to do with Rex's seeming knowledge

o drink our early draught in peace without speculating about the future. Look at them! It is nearly a quarter of an hour, and not a

he and his companions went out into the cool, silent streets, realising when they breathed the morning air the closeness of the heated atmosphere they had quitted. They s

he fumes of tobacco. The morning, too, was exceptionally clear and beautiful. A scarcely perceptible mist blended the neutral tints of the old town with the faint colours of the sky, which changed by gentle degrees from dark blue to violet, from violet to palest green, then to yellow and then at last to the living blue of day above, while a vast f

nd altogether unconscious of itself. But when the exceptional loveliness of the dawn and sunrise was drowned in the flooding light of an ordinarily fine day, Greif rose from his seat by the window and went about the bus

his fellow-students, or fellow-artists, an Englishman would have taken a plunge in the icy river and would have gone for a walk in the country. But Greif did none of these things. He drank his coffee and went to his books and his lectures as though nothing unusual had happened. He did it mechanically and felt himself obliged to do it, as much as any guard-officer in Berlin, wh

ct any news concerning him. He turned pale as he read the contents. It appeared that Rieseneck had landed in Europe and intended to proceed without delay to

not safe. In the meanwhile, be careful, my dear boy, and keep amongst your own Korps, where you are not likely to have trouble about your infamous relation. He is not worth fighting for, though you would of course be obliged to go out if a stranger made disagreeable remarks. Happily, in a little more than a month, you will be at home, where such things cannot occur. Praise be to Heaven, we are very well, though your mo

on his way to the lecture, reflecting that at that ve