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Updated: May 18, 2025
He and I I and he until death! Here's the health of Doctor Fritz!" Knapwurst, standing as high as he was able upon the seat of his arm-chair, not unlike a turnip half divided in two, leaned towards me and held me out his glass.
A little while after the count, hearing me drop a Latin quotation, was quite astonished, and said, 'When did you learn Latin, Knapwurst? 'I taught myself, monseigneur. He asked me a few questions, to which I gave pretty good answers. 'Parbleu! he cried, 'Knapwurst knows more than I do; he shall keep my records. So he gave me the keys of the archives; that was thirty years ago.
Rubbish!" cried Knapwurst with a discordant laugh. "See look at this wooden snuff-box; in it you see a portrait of my great-grandfather, Hanswurst. His nose is as long and as pointed as an extinguisher, and his jaws like nutcrackers. How does that affect his being the grandfather of me of a man with finely-formed features and an agreeable mouth?" "Oh no! of course not."
My eye passed from the one to the other with singular curiosity. Sperver, standing at the library door, had aroused the attention of Knapwurst with a sharp whistle, which made that worthy send a glance in his direction, though it did not succeed in fetching him down from his elevation. "Is it me that you are whistling to like a dog?" said the dwarf. "I am, you vermin!
He comes and goes along the shelves of the library just like a big cat. Knapwurst knows our story better than we know it ourselves. He would tell you the longest tales, Fritz, if you would only let him. He calls them chronicles ha, ha!" And Sperver, with the wine mounting a little into his head, began to laugh, he could hardly say why.
"Knapwurst," insisted the huntsman, raising his finger impressively, "I have reasons for wishing to hear the same again and no other. Cut it shorter if you like. There is a great deal in it. Now, Fritz, listen!"
I wondered at my own insensibility that I had never before noticed these fair roses blooming in the towers of the ancient manor. "Silence!" cried Sperver for the second time. "Our friend Knapwurst is going to tell us again the legend he related to us just now." "Won't you have another instead?" asked the hunchback. "No. I like this best." "I know better ones than that."
But, then, what was the meaning of that scene at night, that strange connection with the Black Pest, that fearful acting, that remorse in a dream, which impelled the guilty to betray their past atrocities? I lost myself in vain conjectures. Knapwurst relighted his pipe, and handed me one, which I accepted.
Then Sperver, rising from his seat, took a lamp and demanded of Knapwurst the keys of the library, and beckoned to me to follow him. We rapidly traversed the long dark gallery, then the armoury, and soon the archive-chamber appeared at the end of the great corridor. All noises had died away in the distance. The place seemed quite deserted.
"Very good; now get ready for this gentleman the bedroom at the end of the long gallery Hugh's room; you know which I mean." "Yes, Sperver, in a minute." "And you will take with you, as you go, the doctor's knapsack. Knapwurst will give it you. As for supper " "Never you mind. That is my business." "Very well, then. I will depend upon you."
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