"'A young lord, like the hero of Macedonia. I have seen the noble race last year in Ostend. The father, a Baron Grenwitz, is a nullity; the baroness, an unknown quantity, which I could not ascertain. At all events, she is a clever woman. I know that that is no small attraction for you. She speaks three or four modern languages, to say nothing of her mother tongue. I even suspect her of having secretly read Latin and Greek with her present tutor, a certain Bauer, who has studied here, and was a thoroughly well-educated youth.'
"'And you, who have told me yourself that you have written a book about the nobles and against the nobles, which, unfortunately, cannot be printed anywhere in Germany, although specially intended for Germany--you advise me, who hold the same pariah notions about this Brahmin caste, to go over to the army of our hereditary enemies?'
"'That is exactly the fun,' laughed Berger. 'I want you to go there like a Mohican into the camp of the Iroquois, and I am delighted at the spoil you will bring back with you. We will hang them up in our wigwams, and enjoy them heartily.'
"'And if I lose my scalp among them--what then?'
"'Then I am the last of the Mohicans, and smoke my calumet in loneliness on the grave of my Uncas.'
"He rested his head on his hand, and stared grimly at the distance. 'Yes, yes, I know,' he growled, 'the Big Serpent, when it is tired hissing at men, will creep into a deep morass and perish there alone.'
"I took his hand in mine: 'That shall not be so; at least not as long as I live.'
"He looked at me sadly.
"'But you will die before me,' he said; 'the big Serpent is tough and you are soft--much too soft for this hard world. But let us leave that alone. What do you think of my offer?'
"'That I like it only so-so.'