Tales Of Hearsay by Joseph Conrad
page 39 of 122 (31%)
page 39 of 122 (31%)
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the very heart of the land.
"The Prince directed his way through a village lying a little off the track. The roadside inn with its stable, byre, and barn under one enormous thatched roof resembled a deformed, hunch-backed, ragged giant, sprawling amongst the small huts of the peasants. The innkeeper, a portly, dignified Jew, clad in a black satin coat reaching down to his heels and girt with a red sash, stood at the door stroking his long silvery beard. "He watched the Prince approach and bowed gravely from the waist, not expecting to be noticed even, since it was well known that their young lord had no eyes for anything or anybody in his grief. It was quite a shock for him when the Prince pulled up and asked: "'What's all this, Yankel?' "'That is, please your Serenity, that is a convoy of footsoldiers they are hurrying down to the south.' "He glanced right and left cautiously, but as there was no one near but some children playing in the dust of the village street, he came up close to the stirrup. "'Doesn't your Serenity know? It has begun already down there. All the landowners great and small are out in arms and even the common people have risen. Only yesterday the saddler from Grodek (it was a tiny market-town near by) went through here with his two apprentices on his way to join. He left even his cart with me. I gave him a guide through our neighbourhood. You know, your Serenity, our people they travel a lot |
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