gesture, as the old man opened his lips. "You have sufficiently marked
your zeal to your employer; and I begin to weary of a moderation you
abuse."

The Chancellor moved to the appointed chair and took his seat in
silence.

"And now," said Otto, opening the roll, "what is all this? It looks like
the manuscript of a book."

"It is," said Gotthold, "the manuscript of a book of travels."

"You have read it, Dr. Hohenstockwitz?" asked the Prince.

"Nay, I but saw the title-page," replied Gotthold. "But the roll was
given to me open, and I heard no word of any secrecy."

Otto dealt the Chancellor an angry glance.

"I see," he went on. "The papers of an author seized at this date of the
world's history, in a state so petty and so ignorant as Gruenewald, here
is indeed an ignominious folly. Sir," to the Chancellor, "I marvel to
find you in so scurvy an employment. On your conduct to your Prince I
will not dwell; but to descend to be a spy! For what else can it be
called? To seize the papers of this gentleman, the private papers of a
stranger, the toil of a life, perhaps--to open, and to read them. And
what have we to do with books? The Herr Doctor might perhaps be asked
for his advice; but we have no _index expurgatorius_ in Gruenewald. Had
we but that, we should be the most absolute parody and farce upon this
tawdry earth."

Yet, even while Otto spoke, he had continued to unfold the roll; and
now, when it lay fully open, his eye rested on the title-page
elaborately written in red ink. It ran thus:

MEMOIRS
OF A VISIT TO THE VARIOUS
COURTS OF EUROPE
BY
SIR JOHN CRABTREE, BARONET

Below was a list of chapters, each bearing the name of one of the
European Courts; and among these the nineteenth and the last upon the
list was dedicated to Gruenewald.

"Ah! The Court of Gruenewald!" said Otto, "that should be droll reading."
And his curiosity itched for it.

"A methodical dog, this English Baronet," said Gotthold. "Each chapter
written and finished on the spot. I shall look for his work when it
appears."

"It would be odd, now, just to glance at it," said Otto, wavering.

Gotthold's brow darkened, and he looked out of window.

But though the Prince understood the reproof, his weakness prevailed. "I
will," he said, with an uneasy laugh, "I will, I think, just glance at
it."

So saying, he resumed his seat and spread the traveller's manuscript
upon the table.

CHA