, and blew a puff of smoke, but made no answer.

"The poor man is perhaps deaf," suggested the Count. Whereon the Baron
in louder tones exclaimed, "Can you tell me, friend,"--the burly
individual blew another cloud of smoke--"where shall we find a vessel
about to sail round the world, and when she commences her voyage?"
continued the Baron.

The burly individual opened his eyes as wide as his fat cheeks would
allow him, then blew a fresh cloud of smoke, and with the end of his
pipe, evidently not wishing to fatigue himself by speaking, pointed
along the quay, where the masts of numerous vessels could be seen
crowded together.

"Thank you, friend," said the Count, making a bow, for he always piqued
himself on his politeness. The Baron felt angry at not having his
question answered more promptly, and only gave a formal nod, of which
the burly individual took not the slightest notice.

The two travellers continued on, picking their way among the casks,
cases, bales, packages and anchors, and guns stuck upright with their
muzzles in the ground, and bits of iron chain and spars, and broken
boats, and here and there a capstan or a windlass, tall cranes, and all
sorts of other articles such as encumber the wharves of a mercantile
seaport. As they went along the Baron asked the same question which he
had put to the burly individual of several other persons whom he and his
friend encountered; some laughed and did not take the trouble of
replying, others said that there were vessels of all sorts about to sail
to various lands, but whether they were going round the world was not
known to them.

"We must make inquiries for ourselves," said the Baron. "Remember that
those who want a thing go for it, those who don't want it stay at home;
now, as we do want to know where those ships are about to sail to, we
must go."

"But, my dear Baron, a dreadful thought has occurred to me. I quite
forgot to speak to Johanna Klack, my estimable and trustworthy
housekeeper, to give her directions as to her proceedings during my
absence. I really think I must go back, or she will not know what to
do."

"No, no, my dear Count, I cannot allow you to do so foolish an act. I
know Johanna Klack too well for that," said the Baron, with some
bitterness in his tone. "She'll not let you go away again; she'll talk
you to death with arguments against your going; she'll lock you up in
the blue room, or the brown room, or in the dungeon itself, a