"Frau von Walden has forgotten it," I said; for my friend, returning
straight to Kronberg, had offered to take it home for me in her bag for
fear of accidents. "It does not matter," I added, "I will pack it among
our soft things. It is a very pretty cup and saucer, but I will show
it to you at Kronberg, for it is so nicely wrapped up. Now I am going
downstairs to order the _Einspaenner_, and we can walk about for an hour
or two."
The children came with me. I had some trouble in disinterring the
landlord, but at last I found him, of course with a pipe in his mouth,
hanging about the premises. He listened to me civilly enough, but when I
waited for his reply as to whether the _Einspaenner_ would be ready about
twelve o'clock, he calmly regarded me without speaking. I repeated my
inquiry.
"At twelve?" he said calmly. "Yes, no doubt the gracious lady might as
well fix twelve as any other hour, for there was no such thing as a
horse, much less an _Einspaenner_, to be had at Silberbach."