"You will never see them again."
"The hundred, or the distinguished travellers?"
"Neither."
"Pleasant journey to them, and may they never cross our path again!"
The doctor sank into a devout silence; I think that something like a hymn of praise arose from his heart.
"Do you know, they are going!" resounded a deep voice behind us. It was the sergeant, who came in with a lighted lamp.
"Carriage to be ordered at Hopp's livery-stable to-morrow morning at the stroke of nine," continued the veteran. "Eight would not be too soon, one would think."
And he joyously rubbed his hands, and declared that he felt like a bear that itched in all his seven senses. But suddenly the laughter vanished from the thousand wrinkles of his face, and leaning over the back of the doctor's chair he said in a suppressed voice:
"Now we must drive away the young one, doctor; clean away! the brood is worse than the old ones, in my opinion."
"In my opinion too," said Doctor Snellius, springing up. "I have given the old ones their dismissal; you must do it for the youngster, mammoth; by heaven must you!"