"No, Paula," said Kurt, "that is not so, George is younger than father, and bigger too."
"Here comes father," said Paula, "and mother with him; and now be quiet."
The superintendent came up the path; his wife held his arm, and he was leading her slowly. Her eyes were covered with a broad green shade. Behind them, now on the left and now on the right side of the path, turning his uncovered head first in one way and then in another, with a hat and stick that he kept changing from hand to hand, came a short compact figure with a disproportionately large head, whose perfectly bald surface shone in the light of the evening sun.
This was Dr. Willibrod Snellius, resident physician and friend of the family.
I had arisen, and advanced a few paces to meet them.
"How are you now?" asked the superintendent, giving me his hand; "has your first long stay in the open air done you good?"
"We will ask about that early to-morrow morning--hm, hm, hm!" said the doctor.
Doctor Snellius had a habit of accompanying his remarks with a peculiar nasal sound which was half a grunt and half a snort, and always just an octave below his ordinary voice, which was very thin and of an unusually high pitch. This shrill voice was the trial of his life to the doctor, who was a man of great taste; and by the deep, growling sound he emitted from time to time, he strove, according to his own explanation, to convince himself that he was really a man and not a cock, as his voice would indicate.
"But you ordered it yourself, doctor," said the superintendent.
"Can I know from that that it will do him good?--hm, hm, hm!" said Dr. Snellius. "It was a medicine like another. If I always knew what effect my prescriptions would have, I would die Baron Willibrod Snellius of Snelliusburg--hm, hm, hm!"