Part 14 (1/2)
”Have you learned Latin, Knapwurst?” I asked him.
”Yes, monsieur,” he replied, ”I taught myself Latin and Greek. Old grammars were enough,--some of the Count's thrown into the ash-barrel; they fell into my hands and I devoured them. Some time after, the Lord of Nideck having chanced to hear me make some Latin quotation was surprised.
”'Who taught you Latin, Knapwurst?' he asked.
”'I taught myself, monseigneur.'
”He asked me some questions, which I answered pretty well.
”'By Jove!' he cried, 'Knapwurst knows more than I do! He shall keep my archives.'
”And he gave me the key to the archive chamber. During the thirty years since then, I have read every page. Sometimes the Count, seeing me on my ladder, stops a minute and says to me:
”'Ha! ha! What are you doing up there, Knapwurst?'
”'I am reading the family records, monseigneur.'
”'And you enjoy it?'
”'Very much, monseigneur.'
”'Well, well! I am glad to hear it; if it weren't for you, Knapwurst, who would know of the glory of the Nidecks?' and he goes off laughing. I do as I please here!”
”He is a good master then?”
”Oh, monsieur, what a heart, and what kindness!” exclaimed the dwarf, clasping his hands. ”He has but one fault.”
”And what is that?”
”He has no ambition.”
”How so?”
”Why, he could have attained to anything. A Nideck! One of the most ill.u.s.trious families of Germany! Think of that, monsieur! He had only to choose; he might have been a minister or a field-marshal. But no! In his youth he retired from political life. With the exception of a campaign that he conducted in France, at the head of a regiment which he raised by his own exertions--with this exception, he has always lived far from noise and strife, simple and almost unknown, only interesting himself in his hunting.”
These details were of the greatest interest to me. The conversation was taking, of its own accord, the direction that I most wished, and I resolved to profit by my opportunity.
”The Count has never had any great pa.s.sions in his life, then?” I asked.
”None, monsieur; and that is the pity, for n.o.ble pa.s.sions make the renown of great families. It is a misfortune for the member of a n.o.ble race to be devoid of ambition. He allows his family to degenerate. I could cite many examples in proof of what I say. That which would be the pride of the tradesman's family, would be the ruin of the ill.u.s.trious.”
I was amazed; all my speculations regarding the Count's past life were fast being disproved.
”However, the Count has met with many reverses, has he not?”
”Of what nature?”
”He has lost his wife?”