Manchurian Books

This expedition will cost Herr Goebel at least five
thousand thalers, all because of the blandishments of a youth who walked
in from the street, unintroduced. Then he is not an artisan of any sort,
for when he joined us his hands were quite useless, except upon the
sword-hilt."
"He said he was a fencing-master," explained Greusel.
"I know he did, and yet when he was offered a fee to instruct us he
wouldn't look at it. The first duty of a fencing-master, like the rest
of us, is to make money. Roland quite evidently scorns it, and at the
last instructs us for nothing. Fencing-masters don't promote freebooting
expeditions, and, besides, a fencing-master is always urbane and polite,
cringing to every one. I have watched Roland closely at times, trying to
study him, and in doing so have caught momentary glimpses of such
contempt for us, that, by the good Lord above us, it made me shrivel up.
You know, Greusel, that youth has more of the qualities usually
attributed to a noble than those which go to the make-up of any
tradesman.


Pages:
186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210