rode southward
in highest spirits, and crossed the beautiful Lake of Constance in a
boat, and last evening when it was getting rather late I came through
the gates by the bear-pits, thinking no evil; but I did not like to
come down at once upon Herr Aufdembuehel, bag and baggage as they say,
so put up my horse at the 'Stork,' and then set out strolling about the
town to take a general survey of it, as I always do on first getting to
any new place. Yesterday, however, it was unfortunate that I did not
first of all have a meal at the inn. For owing to the long ride and
great sultriness while the storm was gathering, I suddenly became
intolerably thirsty, and felt that I should turn to tinder unless I
could get a draught of wine. I was looking about me, therefore, for a
tavern, just as I passed the one on the island where I heard music and
dancing going on, and I asked a well-dressed burgher whether one could
get tolerable wine there. 'The wine was good enough,' he said, 'much
better than the company. If he were to judge me by my dress he should
say I should not find people of my own class there.' 'I would go into a
stable full of cows and goats,' I laughingly replied, 'if I could find
red wine in one of the milk-pails.' And there I left my worthy,
standing, looking rather anxiously after me, and crossed the bridge to
the tavern.

"When I opened the door, however, I saw that my friend had not
cautioned me for nothing, and that in a stable with brute beasts I
should have found better manners and customs than there. Whether it be
a haunt of thieves I cannot say, but most of the people looked to me as
if they had narrowly escaped the gallows, or were on the high way
thither, men and women both, and when I entered they nudged each other
with surprise. But I who did not like to show the white feather, and
held that a stranger might safely do what an inhabitant of the place
could not, boldly seated myself in a corner, and ordered a measure of
wine. And as I kept quiet, they seemed to be getting used to me, at
least most of them had either drunk themselves stupid, or else were
taken up with their female companions. Amongst the last class, was one
better dressed, and with hair neater than the others, but a bold hussy
like the rest. She neither danced nor sang, nor seemed to care for
drink. She sat on the knee of a tall strong man, whose clothes looked
as if they had originally been good, but were now stained with rain and
wine.