Page:Karl Gjellerup - Minna, A novel - 1913.djvu/17

 which he succeeded, as I was well acquainted with the surroundings of Kolding, where for a long time he had been quartered. He now became quite excited, questioning me as to whether I remembered this farm and that house, this forest and those hills, and with the mouth-piece of his pipe he pointed out on the coloured table-cloth the position of the different places. He was most anxious to know whether the stout Ole Larsen was still in possession of the farm with the outbuildings of stone and the green fence, or whether his son Hans had succeeded to the property—for he and the son had been together in the hospital at Flensburg.

He then talked of the battle in which he had been wounded.

I cannot say that this conversation was either pleasant or unpleasant, but there was something both attractive and straightforward in the way the German spoke of bygone days. It was agreeable to feel how little personal animosity such a war had left, though all the same I had a feeling that everything was not as it ought to be.

I therefore took advantage of a short pause to ask who owned the smart villa, into the grounds of which I had wandered.

"It belongs to the Kammerherr von Zedlitz. He lives here every summer, when he is not with the King at Pillnitz. A distinguished family who livelives [sic] in a rather secluded manner, but who givegives [sic] a considerable amount to the school fund. But, my word, they have a governess, well, you will see for yourself, she is a pretty girl. Slightly related to me—not that I know much about her. In fact she is very retiring, and I only wish she was less so."

Just then the whistle from the river steamer sounded, and, having said good-bye to the schoolmaster, I hurried down to the bridge.