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'If thy wit be scant, good Bon Bec, thy manners are a charm. I have made a good bargain. So he to the 'rotboss, and I to a decent inn, and sketched the landlord's daughter by candle-light, and started at morn batzen three the richer, but could not find my master, so loitered slowly on, and presently met him coming west for me, and cursing the quiens. Why so?
On the little Zurich and Baden Railway, the only one yet in Switzerland, our traveller meets again with his old acquaintance the franc; but this is worth 14-1/2d., instead of 9-1/2d., and, moreover, it is divided into ten batzen, each of which is worth ten rappen.
I told him not all: the psaltery: 'Well, what of that? 'Twas not mine, but his; I would pay him the price of it. 'Then throw me a rix dollar, said he. I counted out my coins, and they came to a rix dollar and two batzen. I threw him up his money in three throws, and when he had got it all he said, softly, 'Bon Bec. 'Master, said I. Then the poor rogue was greatly moved.
The booths of the so-called /Pfarreisen/ were very important places for us children, and we carried many a /Batzen</> to them in order to purchase sheets of colored paper stamped with gold animals; though one could but seldom make his way through the narrow, crowded, and dirty market-place.
I blushed for her and thee. Also gavest two batzen for a shell from Holy Land, that came no farther than Normandy. I have culled them myself on that coast by scores, and sold them to pilgrims true and pilgrims false, to gull flats like thee withal. 'What! said I; 'that reverend man? 'One of us! cried Cul de Jatte; 'one of us! In France we call them "Coquillarts," but here "Calmierers."
"There was, accordingly, a truck-porter called in; he loaded my effects on his barrow, and rolled away. Two of my batzen" 2 and a half exact, "would have done; but I had no money at all. Advocat B. had noticed the gray dreary CANDIDATUS, sitting sparrow-like in remote corners; had spoken to him; undertook for a LOUIS D'OR, no purchase no pay, to get back his batzen for him.
Said I, 'They will not let me forth by the door; these be smugglers or robbers. So I feigned drowsiness, and taking out two batzen said, 'Good men, for our Lady's grace let me lie on a bed and sleep, for I am faint with travel. They nodded and grinned their horrible grin, and bade one light a lanthorn and lead me.
True, the batzen are not legal here; but the people should have said to you: You are a stranger, and did n't know the prohibition; well then, we will seal up the Bag of Batzen; you send it back to Thuringen, get it changed for other sorts; we will not take it from you! "'Be of heart, however; you shall have your money again, and interest too.
And he leaned a-weary on his long staff, and offered us a shell apiece. My master would none. But I, to set him a better example, took one, and for it gave the poor pilgrim two batzen, and had his blessing. And he was scarce gone, when we heard savage cries, and came a sorry sight, one leading a wild woman in a chain, all rags and howling like a wolf.
Trembling there a while, a door opened and showed me a smaller hall lighted. I rode into it: a tin goblet came down from the ceiling by a little chain: I put two batzen into it, and it went up again. Being gone, another thick door creaked and opened, and I rid through. It closed on me with a tremendous clang, and behold me in Augsburg city.
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