"
"Give him food," whispered Friedel; but the merchant was too anxious
to have any appetite. Only he faltered in broken German a proposal
to pay his respects to the Signora Castellana, to whom he owed so
much.
"No! Dormit in lecto," said Ebbo, with a sudden inspiration caught
from the Latinized sound of some of the Italian words, but colouring
desperately as he spoke.
The Latin proved most serviceable, and the merchant understood that
his property was restored, and made all speed to gather it together,
and transport it to the stable. One or two of his beasts of burden
had been lost in the fray, and there were more packages than could
well be carried by the merchant, his servant, and his horse. Ebbo
gave the aid of the old white mare--now very white indeed--and in
truth the boys pitied the merchant's fine young bay for being put to
base trading uses, and were rather shocked to hear that it had been
taken in payment for a knight's branched velvet gown, and would be
sold again at Ulm.
"What a poor coxcomb of a knight!" said they to one another, as they
patted the creature's neck with such fervent admiration that the
merchant longed to present it to them, when he saw that the old white
mare was the sole steed they possessed, and watched their tender
guidance both of her and of the bay up the rocky path so familiar to
them.
Pages:
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241