"This goes off right merrily, Herr Bailiff;" exclaimed the baron, animated
by that encouraging smile, as the blood is quickened by a genial ray of
the sun's heat when it has been long chilled and deadened by cold.--"This
goes off with a joyful will, and is likely to end with credit to thy town!
I only wonder that you have not more of this, and monthly. When joy can be
had so cheap, it is churlish to deny it to a people."
"We complain not of the levities, noble Freiherr, for your light thinker
makes a sober and dutiful subject; but we shall have more of this, and of
a far better quality, or our time is wasted.--What is thought at Berne,
noble Melchior, of the prospects of the Emperor's obtaining a new
concession for the levy of troops in our cantons!"
"I cry thy mercy, good Peterchen, but by thy leave, we will touch on
these matters more at our leisure. Boyish though it seem to thy eyes, so
long accustomed to look at matters of state, I do confess that these
follies begin to have their entertainment and may well claim an hour of
idleness from him that has nothing better in hand.
Pages:
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354