[XV.]
M. GOEFLE’S fourth meal had just been served, and he was seriously occupied in giving Master Nils a lesson in deportment, while the child, standing before him with a napkin on his arm, seemed in quite a teachable mood.
“Bravo, Christian, you have come precisely at the right time!” cried the doctor of laws; “I was on the point of taking my coffee all alone. I made it myself, for both of us; I can guarantee that it is excellent, and you must want something to warm your stomach.”
“I will join you in a moment, my dear doctor,” replied Christian, taking off his torn vest and preparing to wash his hands, which were covered with blood.
“Good gracious!” resumed M. Goefle, “are you wounded, or have you by chance cut the throats of all the bears of Sevenberg?”
“There has been a little of that,” replied Christian, “but I think it is human blood that is on my hands now, Oh, M. Goefle, I have such a story to tell you!”
“You are pale!” cried the lawyer; “you have something more serious to tell me about than a hunting exploit. What has happened—a quarrel—a misfortune? Speak quickly—you take away my appetite.”
“Nothing has happened to me that ought to have that effect upon you, M. Goefle. Go on with your supper. I will try to keep you company, and I will speak French, because of—”
“Yes, yes,” replied M. Goefle, in French; “because of the red ears of this little imbecile. Go on, I hear you.”
While Christian was giving M. Goefle all the particulars of his adventures, and confiding to him also his conjectures and his emotions, they heard from afar the sound of the noisy fanfares. The baron had left the forest as he so frequently disappeared from his saloons. The cold, the fatigue of the expedition, and, above all, his impatience to attend to the business treated of in Johan’s missive, were more than he could endure, and accordingly, after killing a deer, he had stepped into his sleigh under the pretence of going farther on, while the other hunters were requested to pay no attention to his movements, but to continue their sports in any way they chose. Soon after, Larrson and the lieutenant had joined this hunt, where, agreeably to the universal anticipation, no trace of any bears had been seen, but where some few white deer had been killed, and a great number of very large hares.