'H'm, h'm ... well, well!' said the old Sword; 'hold your peace! indeed you speak too loud.... One must be more discreet in delicate matters.... As to the spell, it is evident: have you not noticed the lady to be absolutely silent?'
'Well, what can she say if she has nothing to say? Ha! ha! ha!'
'What!' roared the Sword, and was about to teach the reveller politeness in his own way, but the latter checked his ardour with these words—
'Listen to what I am going to tell you, old fellow: if you do not intend to hear me quietly, why then do you ask my opinion?'
This remark seemed to the Sword to be reasonable, therefore he restrained himself and resumed his speech, though not without anger.
'You have drowned your reason in wine, that's all. How can it be that such a woman as this has nothing to say? Just look at her smile!'
'But perhaps she does not know anything but how to smile enigmatically.'
But such things the old warrior could no longer endure. Indeed, he would have made a cut at the toper's red nose had he not been taken down at that moment by the owner of the shop to show to some customer.
'Very good indeed,' said the latter; 'but it is not to my taste. I like this far better.' And the customer pointed to the White Beauty.
'Ha! ha! ha!... I should think you do,' laughed the shopman merrily. 'It is my luck she cannot speak, else she would have been married long ago, and I should have lost instead of gained by her.'