"Right!" said Bräsig, taking one of the revolvers in his hand, and playing with it, rather absently, "but Frau Nüssler, you have made it all wet, it might get rusty," and he wiped it on his coat-tails, and went to the window, as if to examine it more closely, while Fritz, meantime, explained to Jochen Nüssler the construction of the other.
"Jochen, where is your tool-chest," asked Bräsig.
Jochen pointed, with his foot, to the lower part of the cupboard.
Fritz heard a sort of clattering behind him, and then a sharp noise, as if something hard was broken, and, as he looked round, Bräsig held out to him his revolver, without any cock, for he held that in the pincers, in the other hand: "There!"
"Thunder and lightening!" cried Fritz springing up.
"So!" said Bräsig, "now you can't shoot anybody with the thing."
"Herr, how did you dare to ruin my revolver?"
"Because you are a foolish boy, and children should not play with fire-arms."
"You are an old----"
"You want to say 'jackass?' And it is possible that I am, in meddling with you; but, Herr, I stand to you in the place of your aunt, and I have done this on her account."