Shuddering, he left the singular apartment. A gentlewoman of Julienne
came across his way. She could tell him that she had seen the
"Profile-cutter," in a red mantle, with a pocket spy-glass in his hand,
go out across the castle yard. He hastened after, when Augusti came to
meet him below the gate, with the request of the Prince, that he would
visit him once more. "Cannot possibly now; I must first have my crazy
Schoppe again," replied he. In his bosom no one lived but his friend;
moreover, he took the Prince, in this case, to be only the mask of his
talkative sister. "I saw him on the way to Blumenbühl," said the
Lector. He darted off. At the gate, Augusti's intelligence was
confirmed by the guard.
On the road to Blumenbühl he was met by the carriage of the court
chaplain, Spener, who was on his way to the Prince. Albano asked after
Schoppe. Spener informed him he had talked with him for some time
before a solitary house, where he had stopped an hour for the sake of a
sick old penitent daughter; had found him well, uncommonly sensible,
only older and more reserved than usual. To the question as to his
route, the court chaplain replied he had gone toward the city. This
appeared to him impossible, but Spener's people confirmed the story,
and spoke of the man as wearing a green coat. Albano spoke of a red
cloak; Spener and all the rest stuck to the green coat.
He turned back to his own house, where, perhaps, he thought, Schoppe
might be seeking and awaiting him. The bondman of the Doctor, the lank
Malt, ran to meet him with the intelligence that Herr von Augusti had
just been looking for him, and that the sick gentleman had gone out at
the old gate in a new green coat. It was the street to the Prince's
garden, which, according to Albano's presumption, he had certainly
taken, so soon as he had been informed of the Spaniard's having taken
the same. Out of doors it was confirmed by Falterle, who related how he
had, in his way out, overtaken him, and immediately inquired: "Whither
so fast, Mr. Librarian?" whereupon he had stood still, looked at him
seriously, and given the answer, "Who are you? You are mad," and then
hastened on. Albano inquired about the dress. "In green," replied
Falterle. Now his way was decided. The loitering rider could even
avouch that the uncle had previously taken the same.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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