ante-room, where a few servants were waiting for the orders of their
mistress. We had just entered the corridor when Gideon, who was walking
first, turned quickly round, and, placing both his hands on my shoulders,
said--

"Come, Fritz; I am to be depended upon for keeping a secret; what is your
opinion?"

"I think there is no cause of apprehension for to-night."

"I know that--so you told the countess--but how about to-morrow?"

"To-morrow?"

"Yes; don't turn round. I suppose you cannot prevent the return of the
complaint; do you think, Fritz, he will die of it?"

"It is possible, but hardly probable."

"Well done!" cried the good man, springing from the ground with joy; "if
you don't think so, that means that you are sure."

And taking my arm, he drew me into the gallery. We had just reached it
when the Baron of Zimmer-Bluderich and his groom appeared there also,
marshalled by Sébalt with a lighted torch in his hand. They were on their
way to their chambers, and those two figures, with their cloaks flung
over their shoulders, their loose Hungarian boots up to the knees, the
body closely girt with long dark-green laced and frogged tunics, and the
bear-skin cap closely and warmly covering the head, were very picturesque
objects by the flickering light of the pine-torch.