GENERAL NICOLAI AGAIN
EARLY the next morning, Freskel opened the door of Grubert's cottage, and found only Tonie in the kitchen.
"What is it, Freskel?" asked Tonie, who was lighting the fire and getting things ready for Blonda to prepare the breakfast.
"There is to be a great hunt in the forest, Tonie; some fine people from the Tzar's city came to Klingengolf yesterday, and they are all driving down to Carfoos in their Russian troika sledges, and here they will put on snow shoes, and go on foot into the wood and round among the hills, to look for beasts to slay; and Freskel will guide the hunters and find them a bear, and for that Freskel will have money—silver money!" And the lad's eyes gleamed avariciously.
"And what use hast thou for money?" asked Blonda, who at that moment entered the kitchen and heard Freskel's words.
"I want it to hoard; to hoard and to look at sometimes, so that I may hug myself to think how rich Freskel—the poor, foolish Freskel is," replied the youth, his whole full of a covetous greed, which gave it a strangely repulsive appearance.
"Then beware, my lad!" said Grubert's deep voice, for the woodman too had come downstairs, and now joined the little group. "For hark ye, Freskel Valden, the devil baits some of his deadliest traps with silver and gold, and the miser's heart is his very throne. Yes, beware, Freskel, for thou art in danger."
The lad looked from one to another of his friends with a half-puzzled, half-cunning look, which they could not understand. Then he was turning sulkily away, when Grubert said—
"Leave us not, Freskel, until thou hast broken thy fast. Come and share our meal; there is plenty for all."
So Freskel sat down with them.