Page:Karl Gjellerup - Minna, A novel - 1913.djvu/321

 visitor got up from the table, and said, "I say, is it you, Mr.—Professor! Didn't I think so!" It was the schoolmaster, Mr. Storch. I do not know whether I felt pleased or annoyed to see him, but surely enough I wished him at the bottom of the Elbe when it was evident that he intended to stick to me like a leech and wanted to come with me. He had given a holiday on account of the flood, and had now gone up to Bastei to "get an overlook." There was nothing else to do but to accept his company. I had not time to postpone the trip, unless I had once more stayed the night at Bastei.

"Look, you will get company for dinner, it might even be a whole table d'hôte," he exclaimed, while we were going down towards the bridge, and pointed back to a landau, which a couple of steaming horses drew up in front of the hotel. "They have come from Pirna, I know the conveyance; the proprietor of it is a regular shark, he makes the travellers pay a pretty penny."

A lady's hat appeared out of the window and allowed a long black veil to fly to one side.

"I say, there are also ladies. A young one, I bet; that's something for you."

"Now come along," I said irritably, and hurried out to the rock-bridge.

The first part we descended with rapid steps. When we came to more even ground, he began, as I had expected, at once to speak about Minna, pretending not to know that we had been engaged, as indeed perhaps he did not.

"I suppose you remember Minna Jagemann? I am sure you do; I saw myself how you flirted with her on the forest path.… Well, and right you were.… Now, just imagine, after all, she got married to that painter of whom I told you, your countryman, but 'give a dog