Part 21 (2/2)
Would you earn ers closed on the silver It was easy to buy faithful service in Sturatzberg so long as no one was near to offer a higher price for unfaithfulness Ellerey judged that such a ed and unnoticed
”Take this to the Western Gate and ask for the lodging of a Captain called Ellerey He has a servant naive him the paper”
”He shall have it”
”There is double payment, then Run, I shall know if your errand is quickly done, and woe-betide you if you loiter” And having watched the lad disappear, Ellerey went quickly down a side street, and by ht to escape any spy whohie lirunt No , he always awoke early; not fresh, perhaps, that were too lanced round the roorunted again in wonder A tankard was on the floor beside hiht's measure with a wry face Then he pushed open the door of his master's room and looked in
”Empty!” he said, satisfied that hisheard ”Here's another street quarrel,toilet It was a siular intervals, so intervals, and this was not the tih his hair to take soreat frahtened his loosened belt, and took off his boots For a few s stretched out wide apart, then he drew his boots on again, and sta hiht bring forth
The street was still silent and deserted as Stefan went to the door and looked to right and left The neighborhood was one of the last in the city to stir itself If Stefan felt any anxiety regarding his master, there was no expression in his face to mark it He was stolid and imperturbable; would have remained so probably had Ellerey been carried up the street dead on a shutter He grunted now and then, walked half a dozen paces from the door and back to circulate his blood, and then leaned with his shoulders against the wall as though he were a fixture there until desperate necessity moved him
The boy, who turned quickly into the street, and then ca to this side and that, hardly appeared the kind of visitor necessary to move the soldier Stefan looked at him because there was no one else in the street to look at; but he was little interested
As the lad came nearer, however, the soldier beca to rouse itself The blind in aof the house opposite was drawn aside for aseemed speedily to satisfy, for the blind quickly fell back into its place again Without actually looking up, Stefan had seen those peering eyes, and curiously enough they had him interested in the lad, who suddenly stopped in front of hies?”
”Were you told to go into a street and bawl for inforruffly
”I spoke no louder than I always do,” answered the boy
”Then it's a hale pair of lungs you've got concealed in that body of yours I' Come within the doorway,of your question when it does not druh me like the cry of a drunken crowd of rioters”
Somewhat abashed, the boy did as he was told, and repeated his question in a lower tone
”By a strange chance he lives in this selfsame house, but he's not abroad yet,” said Stefan ”We do soin at cock-crow”
”I don't want him,” said the lad, ”I want his servant, Stefan”
”By another strange chance he lives here, too What do you ith him?”
”Is he abroad yet?”
”Aye, he never sleeps at all”
”I live too nigh the city for fairy-tales,” said the boy ”Will you bring e for him”
”Don't bawl it, lad, whisper He's of a delicate constitution, this Stefan--I know, for I am he”