s sink into the shadows and disappear.

"I have made a good journey to-day," he said, "and whatever the
strange town below me may be, it will be safe for me to spend the
night there. I see that it has a church and an inn."

Lek had travelled much over Germany, but he had never before seen a
town like the one below him. It wore an air of strange
antiquity,--as a town might look that had remained unchanged for
many hundred years. An old banner hung out from a quaint steepled
building; but it was unlike any of modern times, national or
provincial.

The fires of sunset died away; clouds, like smoke, rose above them,
and a deep shadow overspread the forests. Lek gathered up his
bundles, and descended the hill towards the town. As he was hurrying
onward he met a strange-looking man in a primitive habit,--evidently
a villager. Lek asked him the name of the place.

The stranger looked at him sadly and with surprise, and answered in
a dialect that he did not wholly understand; but he guessed at the
last words, and rightly.

"Why do you wish to know?"

"I am a traveller," answered Lek, "and I must remain there until
to-morrow."

"TO-MORROW!" said the man, throwing up his hands. "To-morrow! For
_us_," pointing to himself, "there is no to-morrow. I must hurry
on."

He strode away towards a faded cottage on the outskirts of the town,
leaving Lek to wonder what his mysterious answer could mean.

[Illustration: OLD PEASANT COSTUME.]

Lek entered the town. The people were strange to him; every one
seemed to be in a hurry. Men and women were talking rapidly, like
travellers when taking leave of their friends for a long journey.
Indeed, so earnest were their words that they seemed hardly to
notice him at all.

He presently met an old woman on a crutch, hurrying along the
shadowy street.

[Illustration: THE OLD CITY.]

"Is this the way to the inn?" he asked.

The old one hobbled on. He followed her.

"Is this the way to the inn? I wish to remain there until
to-morrow."

The cripple turned on her crutch.

"TO-MORROW!" she said. "Who are you that talk of to-morrow? All the
gold of the mountains could not buy a to-morrow. Go back to your
own, young man! they may have to-morrows; but my time is short,--I
must hurry on."

Away hobbled the dame; and Lek, wondering at her answer, entered
what seemed to him the principal street.