"Come, doctor," he said, "sit down and try to forget that Cloten, this cleverest of all young men, has ever been here." "I believe it is high time for me to be gone," said Oswald; "the sun is near setting--I should not like to get home too late, to-night especially." "As you like it," said the baron. "Welcome the coming and speed the parting guest! I have a great mind to accompany you some distance. Are you fond of riding?" "Rather so." "Then we'll go on horseback, if you like it I will take one of my servants. Excuse me a moment--I must change my dress and give a few orders." * * * * * "You sit your horse very well, doctor," said the baron, as they were slowly riding along on the height of the bluff a quarter of an hour later. "It is really remarkable what talents you have in these things. I believe there is no branch of bodily skill in which you would not quickly become a master." "It is all the more remarkable, because my plebeian descent and my modest education do not entitle me to any of these aristocratic gifts." "What a pity my name is not Cloten," said the baron. "Why?" "Because then I would not suspect your irony in the most remote way, and, on the contrary, be moved by your touching modesty to overcome an antipathy amounting almost to hatred." "Is that Baron Cloten's sentiment towards me?" "Do you think any dandy likes to see another man surpass him in pistol-shooting, dancing, courting, etc., if that is the pride of his little soul? Women and weak men never forgive that superiority. I amused myself royally that night at Barnewitz to watch the faces they were making at you, of course behind your back, and unfortunately enjoyed the malicious pleasure of doing everything to fan the flame of their jealousy." "Why unfortunately? I assure you I mind very little whether these gentlemen think well of me or not." "Oh, no doubt you do. But as long as you live in this neighborhood you are compelled to meet these people, and it is a rule of the simplest wisdom of the world not to offend your fellow-passengers by treading on their corns.--Who on earth comes racing over there across the fields?" This exclamation was caused by the mysterious horseman whom Oswald had noticed at his arrival, and who was now trotting across the heath so as to reach the road at a distance of perhaps six hundred yards ahead of them. Oswald told the baron his experience with the horseman. "We must find that out," said the baron; "let us trot." They had scarcely trotted a few yards when the man before them started his horse also. It looked as if he were stealthily turning round now and then, but as the twilight had come on it was not easy to be quite sure of that. "Let us try a gallop," said Oswald; "I see the mysterious man is repeating his man[oe]uvres of the afternoon."