The Argosy — page 156: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

My First Situation. 141 ‘Now get up, Fraulein,” was his unceremonious address. ‘‘ Your things are in already.” I clambered up a thing resembling an iron ladder more than carriage steps, and managed at last to get into my seat under the large hood. When I was settled and the apron buttoned up com- fortably all round, I found that. my ‘‘half-chaise” was not at all an uncomfortable kind of vehicle. The air was refreshing to my poor hot head, aching as it was, and it was a comfort to get away from that odious postmaster. Jacob was rough, but seemed a good-natured creature in the main. Just as we rumbled out of Woltersdorf the first great heat drops began to fall, and night came down suddenly and laid her pall upon all around. We could hardly see a step before us. ‘Why do you not light the lamps, Jacob ?” ‘Never light lamps,” was the civil rejoinder. And I saw it was best to trust the Schimmel and ask no more questions. It was eight o’clock, and in half an hour more a hurricane came up, the precursor of the storm. Now the rain fell in torrents, and the great poplars by the road-side swayed to and fro lke saplings. But of this we only caught glimpses, as ever and anon the blue forked lightning lit up everything round about—only to leave us in greater darkness than before. What with the roar of the thunder, the crash- ing of the trees and the whistling of the wind, it was an awful night: one that I shall never forget. Jacob cursed and swore at his horse. The poor Schimmel was much alarmed and stumbled wofully in the dark, although Jacob had led him for the last half-hour, lest we should have some accident with all the fallen branches lying in the road. ‘Lights at last!” I cried out in delight ; ‘‘that must be Dahlsburg,” _and I peered out into the darkness to try and see something of the place. But nothing but distant specks of light, growing bigger every moment, could I see, until a flash of lightning revealed to me—no Castle Dahlsburg, but only a way-side inn, before which Jacob now pulled up, amid many imprecations at the thunder and lightning and weather generally. It was a bitter disappointment, and when Jacob came round and said, ‘‘ Will the Fraulein get out?” I only answered, ‘‘No; how much longer to Graf. Dahlen’s ? ” ‘A good hour or so ; it depends upon the storm,” and Jacob dis- appeared within the inn-door, from which issued sounds of boisterous merriment and song. My heart fell. Alone, in a strange country, Defore a way-side inn at night, with a storm raging above me—it made me shiver a little in spite of the warmth of the night. Jacob soon reappeared and we continued our journey. Just as the storm was over, and the moon was beginning to disperse the clouds, we turned into a gate, and drove on towards a long, low pile of build- ings, in which not a light was visible. ‘Tt must be midnight, and they’ve all gone to bed!” said Jacob, GOMiGoIoOO (C(O)