arrangement of the difficult point of etiquette, for he issued from his
own gate with a sort of side-long movement that kept him nearly confronted
to the Signor Grimaldi, though it left him the means of choosing his path
and of observing the aspect of things in the crowd. At any rate, the
Genoese, though apparently occupying a secondary station, had no grounds
to complain of indifference to his presence. Most of the observances and
not a few of the sallies of honest Peter, who had some local reputation as
a joker and a _bel esprit_, as is apt to be the case with your municipal
magistrate, more especially when he holds his authority independently of
the community with whom he associates, and perhaps as little likely to be
the fact when he depends on popular favor for his rank, were addressed to
the Signor Grimaldi. Most of these good things were returned in kind, the
Genoese meeting the courtesies like a man accustomed to be the object of
peculiar attentions, and possibly like one who rather rioted in the
impunity from ceremonies and public observation, that he now happened to
enjoy. Adelheid, with a maiden of the house of Blonay, closed the little
train.

As all commendable diligence was used by the officers of the peace to make
way for the bailiff, Herr Hofmeister and his companions were soon in their
allotted stations, which, it is scarcely necessary to repeat, were the
upper places on the estrade. Peter had seated himself, after returning
numerous salutations, for none in a situation to catch his eye neglected
so fair an opportunity to show their intimacy with the bailiff, when his
wandering glance fell upon the happy visage of Father Xavier. Rising
hastily, the bailiff went through a multitude of the formal ceremonies
that distinguished the courtesy of the place and period, such as frequent
wavings and liftings of the beaver, profound reverences, smiles that
seemed to flow from the heart, and a variety of other tokens of
extraordinary love and respect. When all were ended, he resumed his place
by the side of Melchior de Willading, with whom he commenced a
confidential dialogue.

"We know not, noble Freiherr," (he spoke in the vernacular of their common
canton,) "whether we have most reason to esteem or to disrelish these
Augustines. While they do so many Christian acts to the travellers on
their mountain yonder, they are devils incarnate in the way of upholding
popery and its abominations among the people. Look you