re we?--Englishmen, he was
aware; but had we any business, or did we come to dispose of any goods?
We satisfied him on this head also, upon which he retired for a moment,
but soon returned again. There was a gentleman in the next room, the
head of the graff's chancery, who spoke French, and would be glad to
make our acquaintance. We begged that he might be introduced, and in he
came, followed by several others.

"You know, Messieurs," said he, "that we are obliged in this country to
act somewhat uncivilly to strangers. You have, of course, a passport?"

I produced my passport at once; it was the only time I ever had
occasion to show it in this quarter of Bohemia; but I was immediately
taught by his manner of examining it, that the question relative to
passports was a mere pretext on the part of the chancellor, for opening
with us a friendly conversation; he contented himself by glancing
hastily at the signature of the Austrian minister, and laid it down.
And now began a discussion which I was reluctantly forced to interrupt
by reminding him of the unfinished state of my toilet, and by begging
that he would have the goodness to wait for a few minutes in another
apartment till it should be completed. He withdrew at once, with
numerous apologies, and carried his train along with him.

So far we had good reason to be satisfied with the reception that was
awarded us in Starkenbach; but the kindness of its inhabitants was far
from stopping here. After loitering about for a quarter of an hour, and
receiving no renewed visit from the chancellor, we strolled out, with
the intention of taking a survey of the environs while yet daylight
lingered; but we had not proceeded far when our friend overtook us, and
offered to be our guide. Nor was this all. In the most modest yet
hospitable manner imaginable, he said that he would feel highly
honoured and flattered if we would make his house our home during our
stay in Starkenbach, and when we objected to his proposal on the ground
that such a proceeding would not be fair towards the innkeeper, he
assured us that that point was settled already. In a word, though he
consented to be our guest at supper, which having been actually cooked
could not be put aside, nothing short of the removal of our knapsacks
from the inn would satisfy him, and we found ourselves in consequence,
about ten o'clock at night, under the shadow of his hospitable roof.

The habitation of which we had thus unexpect