THE LOST JAGER. 193 



choked him, walked hastily to the window. One glance seemed 

 enough. He closed the shutters, and returning slowly to his seat, 

 muttered, as he habitually replaced his meerschaum in his mouth, God 

 help the jagers to-night ! 



te A rough evening, Herr Krjiger," said Hans, who this moment 

 entered the room, and clapped his carabine in the corner. He had evi- 

 dently dipped deep in the kirschwasser. 



" What, Hans ! is that you ? Beym kimmel ! I was afraid you were 

 going to pass the night up yonder and young Fritz ? you and he were 

 to have been at the jagd together ?" 



" True, so we were ; but, heaven be praised. Fritz called to bid 

 good bye to pretty Netty and and so old Hans had to go alone." 



f( And feeling lonely among the hills, had the good luck to come back 

 to Grindlewald, instead of sleeping till doomsday in a dainty white snow- 

 wreath. There are no others out ?" 



" None, thank heaven/' and he filled the glass which stood next him 

 from the bottle at my elbow. " So here's your health Herr Kriiger, and 

 to you, Herr B , good health, and good luck, and a good wife, when you 

 get one." I was just putting my German in order, for the purpose, 

 in after-dinner phrase, of " returning thanks," when our hostess, looking 

 in at the door, said, in a voice of the greatest earnestness ; " A word, 

 Hans/' 



Hans was just in the middle of his goblet, and its bottom was gra- 

 dually turning upwards to the ceiling-, when he was thus interrupted. 

 He merely rolled his eyes in the direction of the speaker, with an 

 expression which indicated, " 111 be there immediately," and continued 

 his draught with the good- will of one who hates mincing matters. 



" Come, once more, Hans," said I, as I filled his cup to the very brim. 

 " I have a health to give, you will drink heartily I am sure. Here's to 

 our good friend Fritz and his little liebchen a long life and a happy 

 one." 



" Topp ! mem bester manu !" said Hans, and the second goblet dis- 

 appeared as quickly as the first. 



Once more the head of our hostess appeared at the door, and her pre- 

 vious summons was repeated. 



" I '11 be there immediately, my dear, pretty, agreeable, good-natured 

 Wirthinn there immediately immediately ;" hiccupped Hans. " I 

 like you my young Englishman, I like you, and I like you the better for 

 liking Fritz ; and if you have any fancy for bringing down a gemsbock, 

 there's my hand, junker ! Hans Clausen knows every stone of the 

 mountains as well as >" 



Once more the door opened, and not our hostess, but Netty herself, 

 entered the room. 



It seemed to be with difficulty that she crossed the floor. Her face 

 was pale, and her long Bernese tresses were wet with the rain. She 

 curtsied to me as she rose, and would almost have fallen, had she not 

 rested one hand on the table, while the other passed with an irregular 

 and quivering motion over her pale brow and throbbing temples. Hans 

 had become perfectly quiet the instant of her entrance, and stood with an 

 air of the most dogged and determined sobriety, though the tremulous 

 manner in which the fingers of his left hand played among the skirts of 

 his hunting-jacket, bespoke a slight want of confidence in his own 

 steadiness. Poor Netty ! She had just strength to whisper, " Where is 



M. M. No. 80. O 



