Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 2.djvu/10

 The cloth being laid we sat down to supper, but none of us did honor to the meal except the Austrian; the wine promised to dispel the clouds of gloominess from our circle; however our host plied us in vain with bumpers, the heart-elevating juice of the grape could not raise our crest-fallen spirits, and the Austrian was the only one who relished it, and experienced "its powers divine."

The farther the night advanced the lower our spirits sunk, in despite of my friend's endeavours to spread the glow of merriment around, and to encourage us to join him heartily in his libations. Though he sounded the praise of the wine's excellence, by words and deeds, yet he kept within the bounds of soberness, and when it struck eleven o'clock, bade us drink a final bumper to good success, and then took up his hat and sword.

I did the same, and our companions followed our example with fear and trembling. We went down stairs in solemn taciturnity,