CHAPTER XX.
Gondorf Castle.
The rock that projects into the river below Alken was formerly a very dangerous point for boats to pass; now, owing to the submerged portions having been blasted, it is no longer regarded with terror: but still we see a saint’s image placed in a niche of the rock, so that he may be near if required to render any assistance. The summit of this rock is level, and some hundreds of acres of corn are grown on the curious table-land thus formed.
The road from Alken to Coblence is very indifferent, but not so bad as represented by the coachmen of Coblence. One who drove us told us beforehand, that a short time previous a lawyer going this road was upset, and had not since left his bed; but as we found that the road so abused was perfectly safe if ordinary care was taken, we suspected that, like the man in the play, who wished “every soldier would kill a lawyer and take the legal consequences,” the learned gentleman’s driver must have had some spite against him. Our driver was a funny fellow, and among other things, speaking of a village we were passing, he said, “They make excellent wine there, although they are Protestants.”
At Kür we found so clean and pleasant an inn, that we stopped for the night. As we were resting at one of the open windows, through which the still evening was visible, suddenly the shutters flapped to, and in an instant the water was ruffled, the wind howling, and everything creaking and slamming.
The storm grew louder and fiercer, the waters were boiling: then came a crash through the hills, as if the mountains were rent; the rain poured in jets from the sky, the blackness of which was illumined by lightning, which at short intervals flashed over the valley.
Soon the storm had passed by, and the ever calm moon was floating serenely in heaven.
The lights of the stars fell tremulously down on the still agitated waters. The air was so sweetly refreshing, that we sat on and on enjoying the now lovely evening, till we were quite startled by being suddenly summoned to supper,—not exactly startled at the notion of supper, but astonished to see the ghost of a first-rate-inn waiter, for such our summoner seemed, clad, not in grave-clothes, but clothes of grave hue, and a white handkerchief, folded with the greatest precision, round his waitership’s neck. We had so long been absent from civilisation, that we were rather abashed at so fine a gentleman waiting on us rugged wayfarers, as we appeared; so we came quietly up to our table, modestly ate, and retired to our rooms.