Manchurian Books

All the score were out of employment, with
the exception of the three sword makers, whose trade the uncertainty of
the times augmented rather than diminished. To cheer up Roland, who was
a young fellow of unquenchable geniality, they elected him to the empty
honor of being their leader, Kurzbold's term of office having ended.
The guild met every night now, instead of once a week, and it may be
shrewdly suspected that the collation of black bread and sausage formed
the sole meal of the day for many of them. Nevertheless, their hilarity
was undiminished, and the rafters rang with song and laugh, and echoed
also maledictions upon a supine Government, and on the rapacious Rhine
lords. But the bestowal of even black bread and the least expensive of
wine could not continue indefinitely. They owed a bill to the landlord
upon which that worthy, patient as he had proved himself, always hoping
for better times, wished for at least something on account. All his
other customers had deserted him, and if they drank at all, chose some
place where the wine was thin and cheap.


Pages:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25