Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/145

 "Hallo! my dear Theodore," exclaimed this honest man, "where the devil do you come from to wet your feet in the snow, at the risk of catching a fatal cold? I have been looking for you everywhere, for the justice has been waiting for you at the castle two long hours."

Recalled to the track of common sense by the remembrance of my great uncle, I followed, a little mechanically, the guide who had been sent to seek me.

On arriving, I found him gravely attending to his duties, in the audience hall. I counted on receiving a lecture; but the good man was very indulgent.

"Cousin," said he to me, smilingly, "thou didst well to go out and cool thyself to-day, but be more reasonable for the future; thou art not of an age to permit thyself those little excesses."

As I did not answer a word, and as, like a scholar caught in fault, I feigned an anxiety to set myself to work—

"Tell me then, in full," continued my great uncle, "what passed between the baron and thee."

I confessed all, without restriction.

"Very well," interrupted my great uncle, when he had heard enough of it; "the baron confided to thee a famous mission! Luckily for him we go away to-morrow."

At these words I thought that I should fall. But on the morrow the great uncle kept his word, and since then I have never seen Seraphine.

A few days after our return, the respectable justice was assailed by extremely violent attacks of the gout. His temper, on account of the sufferings that he endured, became suddenly morose and bitter; in spite of my care and the aid of medicine, the disease only grew worse.

One morning I was called to him in great haste; a crisis more painful than the others, nearly killed him; I found him lying on his bed; his hand held a crumpled letter, which he tightly pressed. I recognized the hand-writing of the steward of R—sitten; but my sorrow was so great that no curiosity was awakened in my mind; I trembled constantly, for