"Good evening, Sir William," said Ben Duncan, the inveterate joker, who saw the effect produced by the coming of the baronet, and wished to relieve the young couple of his company.
"Good evening, sir," replied the baronet, stiffly; for he was not disposed to be on very familiar terms with the young republicans.
"A friend of mine at the Gas-house—"
"At the what?" demanded Sir William, with a look of contempt.
"I beg your pardon. I mean the Gasthaus. But there were two or three English nobs there who were so gassy in their style, that I forgot my Deutsch for the moment. A friend of mine at the Gasthaus, am Holländischer Hof, expressed a strong desire to see you."
"Indeed! What friend of yours could desire to see me?"
"Well, I call him Elfinstone. If I were more polite than I am, I should say Lord Elfinstone; but he's just as good a fellow as though he were not a lord."
"Is it possible that Lord Elfinstone is in Cologne?" added the baronet.
"Do you know him?"
"I have not that honor."