wantest thou, villain?" He stepped two
strides backward, and replied quite coolly: "To request you most
humbly, Count, for once to allow me to see your shadow--the sun shines
at this moment so beautifully in the court."

I was struck as with thunder. It was some time before I could recover
my speech. "How can a servant toward his master"--he interrupted very
calmly my speech.

"A servant may be a very honorable man, and not be willing to serve
a shadowless master--I demand my discharge." It was necessary to try
other chords. "But honest, dear Rascal, who has put the unlucky idea
into your head? How canst thou believe--?"

He proceeded in the same tone: "People will assert that you have
no shadow--and, in short, you show me your shadow, or give me my
discharge."

Bendel, pale and trembling, but more discreet than I, gave me a sign.
I sought refuge in the all-silencing gold; but that too had lost
its power. He threw it at my feet. "From a shadowless man I accept
nothing!" He turned his back upon me, and went most deliberately out
of the room with his hat upon his head, and whistling a tune. I stood
there with Bendel as one turned to stone, thoughtless, motionless,
gazing after him.

Heavily sighing and with death in my heart, I prepared myself at last
to redeem my promise, and, like a criminal before his judge, to appear
in the Forest-master's garden. I alighted in the dark arbor, which was
named after me, and where they would be sure also this time to await
me. The mother met me, care-free and joyous. Mina sat there, pale and
lovely as the first snow which often in the autumn kisses the
last flowers and then instantly dissolves into bitter water. The
Forest-master went agitatedly to and fro, a written paper in his
hand, and appeared to force down many things in himself which painted
themselves with rapidly alternating flushes and paleness on his
otherwise immovable countenance. He came up to me as I entered, and
with frequently choked words begged to speak with me alone. The path
in which he invited me to follow him, led us toward an open, sunny
part of the garden. I sank speechless on a seat, and then followed a
long silence which even the good mother dared not interrupt.

The Forest-master raged continually with unequal steps to and fro in
the arbor, and, suddenly halting before me, glanced on the paper which
he held, and demanded of me with a searching look--

"May not, Count, a certain Peter Schlemihl be not