My ancestor, as he scanned the grim features of his host, could not help imagining himself a prince in a fairy-tale who had been lured by the evil genius of the storm into the castle of some ogre, who would sooner or later devour him unless rescued by the good fairies. The ogre was not a communicative person. He had not opened his mouth once since he had taken his seat at the table, save to toss down a glass of schnaps. At length the Englishman, curious to know something of the life and habits of this mysterious individual, was the first to break silence. "You live in a very isolated spot, mine host," said he. "Ja," was the laconic reply. "Have you no nearer neighbours than those of the township?" demanded his guest. "Nein," grunted the ogre. "And do you enjoy this solitary existence?" pursued the traveller. "Ja!" was the inevitable monosyllabic response. "I shall not get much out of him," said my ancestor to himself, and again there was silence for the space of five minutes. As if searching for some topic wherewith to renew the conversation, the student cast his eyes round the apartment, taking in at a glance the minutest article of furniture or other commodity that the room contained. It was a homely, undecorated apartment, built after the fashion of the period, and differed little from most other apartments of the sort. If it was remarkable for anything, it was for its extreme simplicity, not to say nakedness, but there was one object hanging on the wall that at once attracted the traveller's eye. It was a two-handed sword of peculiar shape, and appeared bright and sharp as if ready for use. "Aha!" exclaimed the Englishman, fixing his eye on the object, "you have been a soldier, I see." "Not I," said the host. "No? Ah! I see that your sword is not of the same form as those used in battle. It is probably antique--an heirloom, perhaps." The man answered with a nod of the head. "I thought so," said the stranger; "and yet it seems bright and well cared for. It has evidently been sharpened lately. Do you always keep it well sharpened?" "On great occasions, yes," was the reply, and our host gave a peculiar wink, accompanying it with a significant gesture with both hands, in imitation of wielding the two-handed instrument over his head, then slapping his own neck he uttered a low whistle and a sort of chuckle thus: "Wh--ew!--click!" being his mode of expressing the action of cutting off a head. "Ho! ho!" exclaimed the Englishman, "is that in your line?" The ogre answered by a savage laugh. At this moment the crying of a child was heard overhead, together with the harsher tones of its mother scolding it. "Then you do not live perfectly solitary, as I thought," said the student; "you have also wife and children?" "One boy only," replied the man. "Ah! An only son--a great pet, I'll warrant," said his guest, finishing his last morsel of supper. "What age may he be?"