from
the reflection of the fire, like a couple of watch-glasses.

His wife, the worthy Marie Lagoutte, her spare figure draped in
voluminous folds, her long and sallow face like a skin of chamois
leather, was playing at cards with two servants who were gravely seated
on straight-backed arm-chairs. Certain small split pegs were seated
astride across the nose of the old woman and that of another player,
whilst the third was significantly and cunningly winking his eye and
seeming to enjoy seeing them victimised upon these new Caudine Forks.

"How many cards?" he was asking.

"Two," answered the old woman.

"And you, Christian?"

"Two."

"Aha! now I have got you, then. Cut the king--now the ace--here's one,
here's another. Another peg, mother! This will teach you once more not
to brag about French games."

"Monsieur Christian, you don't treat the fair sex with proper respect."

"At cards you respect nobody."

"But you see I have no room left!"

"Pooh, on a nose like yours there's always room for more!"

At that moment Sperver cried--

"Mates, here I am!"

"Ha! Gideon, back already?"

Marie Lagoutte shook off her numerous pegs with a jerk of her head. The
big butler drank off his glass. Everybody turned our way.

"Is monseigneur better?"

The butler answered with a doubtful ejaculation.

"Is he just the same?"

"Much about," answered Marie Lagoutte, who never took her eyes off me.

Sperver noticed this.

"Let me introduce to you my foster-son, Doctor Fritz, from the Black
Forest," he answered proudly. "Now we shall see a change, Master Tobie.
Now that Fritz has come the abominable fits will be put an end to. If I
had but been listened to earlier--but better late than never."

Marie Lagoutte was still watching us, and her scrutiny seemed
satisfactory, for, addressing the major-domo, she said--

"Now, Monsieur Offenloch, hand the doctor a chair; move about a little,
do! There you stand with your mouth wide open, just like a fish. Ah, sir,
these Germans!"

And the good man, jumping up as if moved by a spring, came to take off my
cloak.

"Permit me, sir."

"You are very kind, my dear lady."

"Give it to me. What terrible weather! Ah, monsieur, what a dreadful
country this is!"

"So monseigneur is neither better nor worse," said Sperver, shaking the
snow off his cap; "we are not too late, then. Ho, Kasper! Kasper!"

A little man, who had one shoulder higher than the other, and his face
spot