The King of the Mountains

ted gold spectacles. A long, loose woolen coat, or paletot, drooped in a melancholy way around his form, like a sail around a mast in a calm. He wore no gloves; his ta

as a student in the German Universities; I put down m

ent, "my name is Hermann Schultz; I have come to pass some mon

s gold glasses a swift look of gratitude. You would scarcely believe, dear reader, how much we love those who have taken the trouble to

people. His naive descriptions, his terse but just decisions, recalled to me, a little, the simple old Herodotus. He expressed himself awkwardly, but with a candor which inspired confidence; he emphasized his words with the tone of a man entirely convinced. He questioned me, if

e who travel in Italy talk of paintings; those who visit E

u met any brigands? Is it true, as is report

I speak then from experience. If you have leisure, and a long story will not weary you, I am ready to give you the details of my adventure. You may

et us go to my study. It is cooler there than in the garden a

ing to himself in Gr

lack eyes descen

heard at

vultures: 'Do

o you the Pash

an story-tellers, took off his loose paletot, lighted his pipe and began his

amiable stranger told me such surprising things that I asked myself many times if he was not mocking m

noon. He stopped two or three times

Each time I raised my eyes, I beheld him, calm, smiling, in the midst

. I said to myself that a good digestion rarely accompanies a bad conscience. The young German was too good an eater to be an untruthful narrator, and his voracity restored

not drag. At five o'clock, he knocked the ashes from his pipe, put on hi

eave to-night at seven o'clock, and I

nounced the pleasure of traveling, and

shall pitch my tent. Germany is large;

story, at least I oug

the book is published, it will appear

en. I found some remarkable details, but nothing which cont

t into Hermann's statements? In my quality of editor was I not responsible? To publish the story

the first to M. Pseftis. I begged him to point out, candidly, all t

e myself the corrector of the young German's statements, I would become hi