AT last Captain Schenk changed his posture, and averted his familiar
eyes from the face of Madame Doppeldick; but it was only to give her a
fresh alarm with his free-and-easy mouth. First of all he clenched his
fists--then he raised his arms at full stretch above his head, as if
he wanted to be crucified, and then turning his face upwards towards
the ceiling, with his eyes shut, and his jaws open--he yawned such a
yawn, as panther never yawned after prowling all day without prey, in a
ten-foot cage--
“Auw-yauw-au-ya-augh-auwayawauwghf!”
[Illustration: HOB AND NOB.]
“By all the Saints,” thought the terrified Madame Doppeldick, “he will
be for packing off to bed at once!”--and in the vain hope of inducing
him to sup beforehand, she seized, yes, she actually seized the devoted
dish of oysters, and made them relieve guard, with the home-made bacon,
just under the Captain’s nose. It was now honest Dietrich’s turn to
try to catch the eyes of posts, and tread on the toes of stock-fish;
however, for this time the natives were safe.
“By your leave, Madame,” said the abominable voice through the
moustachios, “I will take nothing except a candle. What with the heavy
rain at first, and then the horse artillery ploughing up our marching
ground, I am really dog-tired with my day’s work. If you will do me the
favour, therefore, to show me to my chamber----”
[Illustration: “WHAT NEXT?” AS THE FROG SAID WHEN HIS TAIL FELL OFF.]
“Not for the whole world!” exclaimed the horrified Madame
Doppeldick--“not for the whole world, I mean, till you have
hob-and-nobbed with us--at least with the good man”--and, like a
warm-hearted hostess, jealous of the honour of her hospitality, she
snatched up the spare-candle, and hurried off to the barrel. If she
could but set them down to drinking, she calculated, let who _would_ be
the second, she would herself be the first in bed, if she jumped into
it with all her clothes on. It was a likely scheme enough,--but alas!
it fell through, like the rest!--Before she had drawn half a flask of
Essigberger, or Holzapfelheimer, for I forget which--she was alarmed
by the double screech of two chairs pushed suddenly back on the
uncarpeted floor. Then came a trampling of light and heavy feet--and
although she dropped the bottle--and forgot to turn the spigot--and
carried the candle without the candlestick--and left her left slipper
behind her,--still, in spite of all the haste she could make, she
only reached the stair-foot just in time to see two Prussian-blue
coat-tails, turned up with red, whisking in at the bed-room door!