Stolzenberg poked the fire with an oak stick and gazed thoughtfully into the blaze.
"Yes," he said gravely.
"Well," cried Wendenstein, "you say so in the tone of the marble guest; speak out and tell me all about it. Drink first and take a good draught, you know some philosopher has said presentiments come from the stomach, and for the stomach nothing is better than to be comforted in moderation with a good drink."
Herr von Stolzenberg took kindly to his friend's didactic advice, and then said, again gazing gravely at the fire,--
"Do you know I feel shy of speaking about it? It is really nothing--neither has a spirit appeared to me, nor have I had a dream, nor is there anything I can really describe. When I was leaving my room quite ready to mount my horse, suddenly an icy coldness passed like an electric spark through all my veins, and a voice seemed to say, 'You will never return.' The impression was so vivid and powerful that I stood still for a moment as if spell-bound. But suddenly the feeling was gone, as if it had never been."
"This is madness!" said Wendenstein leaning his head on his hand and gazing up at the stars; "I remain firm in my opinion that your stomach is out of sorts, and what more natural, after the early rising and fatigue of the day? You must double your dose of punch!"
"And once again," said Stolzenberg thoughtfully, without heeding his friend's jest, "I had the same feeling. As we passed the Crown in Göttingen and the king greeted us from the window, and all our lads hurrahed madly, just as I raised my sword to salute--in that very moment the icy coldness seized me, and again a voice cried: 'You will never return. The king will never return!'" He spoke in a low troubled voice.
"Man, you are raving!" cried Wendenstein, sitting up with a great jerk. "Have as many presentiments about yourself as you please, but leave the king out of the game. Pray oblige me by telling no one else of your hallucinations!"
Stolzenberg gazed straight before him.
"If it is to be so," he said in a low voice, "in God's name it is well; if we come to blows many a brave soldier will fall, and it is our lot; a quick honourable death is all a man can wish, only no long suffering, nor to return a cripple."