The Galaxy, June 1877: Vol. XXIII.—June, 1877.—No. 6.Various
General
The Galaxy, June 1877: Vol. XXIII.—June, 1877.—No. 6.
Various
American literature -- Periodicals
"Jules," I said soothingly, "I am just going for a stroll over the
fields toward Louvain. Ask permission from monsieur, your professor, to
join me."
Danneris smiled. "That was well done," he said. "You cannot too soon
become acquainted. Call here for the boy to-morrow midday. I will see
that he is prepared."
When I said adieu to Jules that evening, after a long ramble over the
endless corn fields that bordered the "road to Waterloo," I saw with
pleasure that I had awakened in him a generous confidence. He too had,
by his artless manner, inspired in me no common interest.
We started. Six days' journey to reach Vienna, a hundred-mile trip up
the Danube to Buda, seven leagues in a _caleche_, and we should be at
Dressdorf Castle.
Uneventful the days were. Poor Jules, weary with travel, talked but
little, for which I was appropriately thankful. It was painful to see
how he shrank from the gaze of any official who might question us a
little closely as to our destination, and to watch his quivering lips
as he muttered in response to my assurances of safety, "I trust all to
the good Englishman."
As we neared the Austrian frontier he harped more on the subject of his
Austrian wrongs, and I was frequently obliged to check him. A fire
seemed consuming the boy, a burning vengeance toward the oppressor.
We reached Vienna at dusk on the sixth day, and put up at the Hotel
d'Hollande, according to the suggestions of Danneris. Jules complained
of sick headache, and I was somewhat relieved to hear him suggest bed.
It was not till I had seen him safely settled, and had extracted a
promise from him not to leave his room, that I felt at liberty to call
a few hours my own.
Having dined, I stood on the doorstep of the hotel smoking a cigar and
revolving in my mind where I should spend my evening, when I was
accosted by a police agent making some inquiry about my passport.
"By the way," said I, "I never was in Austria before, but in France I
have been accustomed to give a gensdarme a couple of francs to take my
passport to the bureau of the police to be _vise_."
"Herr Englaender can pursue the same plan here," was the polite
rejoinder. "I shall be happy to oblige him."
Glad to be relieved of the bother, I handed him the document. He
briefly compared my person with the description, and then queried:
"And the boy?"
"He is sick and has retired; but if you desire it, you shall see him."
"No need--a boy is no great matter"; and the courteous official, with a
bow that would have graced a D'Orsay, was gone.
To the Grand Opera House, the largest in the world, I bent my steps,
and in an hour was revelling in Mme. Garcia's thrilling notes, when a
hand was laid on my shoulder and a grim, moustached, soldier-like
fellow whispered in my ear:
"Your passport, Herr Englaender."
"It is gone to the police bureau to be _vise_. I sent it from the Hotel
d'Hollande by an officer."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account