“And you, Christian?”

“Two.”

“Aha! now I have got you, then.  Cut the king—­now the ace—­here’s one, here’s another.  Another peg, mother!  This will teach you once more not to brag about French games.”

“Monsieur Christian, you don’t treat the fair sex with proper respect.”

“At cards you respect nobody.”

“But you see I have no room left!”

“Pooh, on a nose like yours there’s always room for more!”

At that moment Sperver cried—­

“Mates, here I am!”

“Ha!  Gideon, back already?”

Marie Lagoutte shook off her numerous pegs with a jerk of her head.  The big butler drank off his glass.  Everybody turned our way.

“Is monseigneur better?”

The butler answered with a doubtful ejaculation.

“Is he just the same?”

“Much about,” answered Marie Lagoutte, who never took her eyes off me.

Sperver noticed this.

“Let me introduce to you my foster-son, Doctor Fritz, from the Black Forest,” he answered proudly.  “Now we shall see a change, Master Tobie.  Now that Fritz has come the abominable fits will be put an end to.  If I had but been listened to earlier—­but better late than never.”

Marie Lagoutte was still watching us, and her scrutiny seemed satisfactory, for, addressing the major-domo, she said—­

“Now, Monsieur Offenloch, hand the doctor a chair; move about a little, do!  There you stand with your mouth wide open, just like a fish.  Ah, sir, these Germans!”

And the good man, jumping up as if moved by a spring, came to take off my cloak.

“Permit me, sir.”

“You are very kind, my dear lady.”

“Give it to me.  What terrible weather!  Ah, monsieur, what a dreadful country this is!”

“So monseigneur is neither better nor worse,” said Sperver, shaking the snow off his cap; “we are not too late, then.  Ho, Kasper!  Kasper!”

A little man, who had one shoulder higher than the other, and his face spotted with innumerable freckles, came out of the chimney corner.

“Here I am!”

“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.”

The little man went out, and Gideon, after taking off his cape, left us to go and inform the young countess of my arrival.

I was rather overpowered with the attentions of Marie Lagoutte.

“Give up that place of yours, Sebalt,” she cried to the kennel-keeper.  “You are roasted enough by this time.  Sit near the fire, monsieur le docteur; you must have very cold feet.  Stretch out your legs; that’s the way.”