Part 46 (2/2)
Two women servants, a cook, and a boy composed the whole court of this lady who formerly was surrounded by a crowd of servants dressed in cloth of gold.
They were telling wonders about the prisoner.
Zaklika remained a couple of days without raising any suspicion, and as he gave a couple of thalers to the innkeeper on account of skins, he felt more a.s.sured, and one day he went out towards noon to look at the castle. He convinced himself that from one side, where was the forest, he could steal through the undergrowth near to the walls; but he could not find out whether there were any windows from Cosel's room on this side. He proposed to see that later.
Towards evening he returned to the inn, drank the bears'-fat recommended to him by the innkeeper, and went to bed, thinking how he could deceive the German and remain longer in the inn without exciting suspicion.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The next morning, as Zaklika was drinking warmed beer in the common room, there entered, with a great noise, three soldiers from the guard of the castle.
Zaklika immediately recognized them as soldiers whom he had seen in Dresden, and one of them began to look at him attentively.
”Well,” said the soldier, leaning on the table, ”I seem to know you.”
”To be sure,” answered Zaklika, ”for I was a long time in service at the Court, till I took to business.”
”Ah! you are the man who breaks horse-shoes!” exclaimed the soldier.
”Yes, I could even stop an ox by taking it by the horns; but now I don't know whether I could do the same even with a sheep.”
The soldier saluted him smiling. Zaklika called for beer for him, and they became friends.
”We are now doing penance,” said the soldier. ”We are in Nossen watching a petticoat! It is frightfully dull there.”
”They might at least have given a few pretty girls to the Countess,”
said another soldier.
”How long are you going to stay here?”
”Who knows? And it is so dreadful to have nothing to do.”
”Why don't you play cards?” said Zaklika.
”With whom? And then we don't have much money.”
He gaped, and drank the beer.
When they started to return to the castle, Zaklika accompanied them to the gate, then, still talking, he entered the courtyard and the corridor.
The other soldiers were not surprised at the newcomer; on the contrary, they were glad he came. They began to chat together. They found cards, and won from him two thalers. This pleased them very much. As he was going, he expressed a wish to see the castle, and n.o.body objected to it. The officer was in the town, playing the guitar to a butcher's daughter.
He was not able, however, to do anything more that day.
Zaklika stayed on, pretending that he was not well, purchased skins, and looked about for a way of stealing into the castle. They did not suspect him, but the difficulties were great from the position of the castle. The part of the castle in which the Countess was imprisoned adjoined the empty portion of it. There the old steward and his family were living. Through the soldiers, Zaklika became acquainted with him.
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