hour after hour the storm-beaten party sat before a blazing fire in the cottage of the german peasant. their clothing was dry, and they were quite comfortable. the only thing that disturbed them was the anxiety of their friends at friedrichshafen. possibly something else disturbed the young baronet, for the lady, ingenuous enough to talk and act as she felt, seemed to be delighted with her gallant preserver. after they entered the house, shuffles heard sir william call her lady feodora. she also belonged to the nobility, and he soon learned that she was the youngest daughter of the earl of blankville. sir william's father was dead, and though only eighteen, he was a baronet. they were travelling with their friends.
lady feodora declared that she adored sailors, and sir william was afraid she spoke only the truth. they had been affianced by their parents; but the young lady did not seem to feel a very deep interest in the baronet; and on the other hand, she did seem to feel a deep interest in the commander of the young america. his courage, skill, and energy had made a deep impression upon her; and the signal service he had rendered called forth all her gratitude. she was only sixteen, and perhaps had not judgment enough to see that it was perilous to cast pleasant glances at a young american tar, and might disturb the calculations of her prudent parents.
the wind howled, and the rain poured all night long; but the party were in comfortable circumstances. they were too thankful to have escaped the perils of the storm to complain of the rudeness of their quarters. it was not possible to go to their friends either by water or by land, till the tempest had abated, and they were disposed to make the best of their situation.
"i was not aware that they had such heavy storms on these fresh-water lakes," said shuffles, after they had partaken of the simple fare set before them by their host.
"nor i," replied lady feodora. "if i had, i should not have gone so far in an open boat. we went across the lake to romanshorn, but sir william said he knew all about a boat."
"so i do, under ordinary circumstances," replied the baronet, rather nettled at the implied censure.
"it was a very savage storm," added shuffles.
"i never saw anything like it, even in the channel," said feodora. "but you seemed to handle the boat just as easily as though the wind came only in zephyrs."
she bestowed another glance of admiration upon the modest tar, who explained that he had always been used to boats from his childhood, and he felt more at home on the deck of a ship than he did in the parlor of his father's house. they talked of the perils of the day till midnight. a bed had been provided for the lady, but the two young gentlemen lay on the floor before the fire. in the morning the clouds broke away, and the sun rose bright and clear. the calm that follows the storm prevailed upon the lake. the party ate their simple breakfast, and sir william paid liberally for their accommodations at the cottage.
the manner of reaching friedrichshafen was thoroughly discussed. they could go to lindau, and take the steamer, or proceed in the sail-boat. sir william proposed to take feodora with him, while shuffles sailed the boat back alone. the lady protested. she was not afraid to sail back in the boat, if the captain would manage it; and this arrangement was finally agreed upon, though the baronet was not at all pleased with it. they embarked, and a little breeze came to their aid; but it was eleven o'clock when they reached their destination.
"i do not know at what hotel our ship's company is stopping," said shuffles, as they landed.
"my friends are at the deutschen haus; and you must come there with us," replied lady feodora. "my father and mother are there, and they will be delighted to see you."
"perhaps our people are there," added shuffles.
they walked to the hotel named, and found that the american party was there. as they approached the house, an elderly lady and gentleman rushed down from the veranda, and grasped feodora in their arms at the same moment. they were her parents, and wept tears of joy over her safe return.
"we thought you were lost," said the fond mother.
"i have sent boats in every direction to look for you," added the father. "mr. lowington, the principal of the marine academy, who is here with his students, assured me you were safe."
"i am safe, father, thanks to captain shuffles," replied feodora, turning to the young commander.
"his lordship, the earl of blankville," interposed sir william, introducing the hero of the day.
the gentleman grasped the hand of shuffles, and expressed his gratitude in the warmest terms.
"we have heard part of the story, and we watched the boat till it disappeared in the distance," added his lordship. "it was a terrible hour for us all."
"worse than death," sighed the countess, as she pressed her daughter to her heart again.
"mr. lowington assured us that the young man who had so daringly thrown himself into the boat would certainly take her to the shore. but we could only hope, rather than believe."
"it was a heavy blow," said shuffles.
"it was fearful!" exclaimed the earl, with a shudder, as he thought of the anxiety and terror they had endured. "i owe you an everlasting debt of gratitude."
"i only did what the occasion seemed to require of me, and i am as thankful as any one can be, that i succeeded in getting the boat to the shore," answered shuffles.
"it was remarkably fortunate that you were at hand, for i don't believe there is another person on the continent of europe who could have managed the matter so cleverly."
"really, i think your lordship over-estimates my services."
by this time mr. lowington and the young america's party came out to welcome shuffles. they astonished him by giving three rousing cheers, and the captain was again on the top of the wave of popularity. mr. lowington said he was satisfied, at the time of it, that he would take the boat to the shore, and save both of his passengers, so great was his confidence in shuffles. the earl acknowledged that his prediction had been fully verified.
"you had a rough time, shuffles," said the principal.
"rather, sir;" and the affair was discussed at length.
"we have seen the town; but we cannot leave by train for ulm till two this afternoon. if there is anything here you wish to see, you must improve your time," added mr. lowington.
"what is there to be seen?"
"nothing but the château of the king of würtemberg, and some old buildings. but mr. mapps is about to give a lecture, from which you shall be excused if you desire it."
"no, sir; i think i will hear the lecture," replied the captain, as he followed the principal into the coffee-room, where all the students had collected.
lord blankville's party had been informed of the lecture, and desired to attend. shuffles had hardly seated himself when they entered the room. lady feodora had hastily made her toilet; but she looked like a queen, and the captain could hardly believe she was the same person. those who had attended the emperor's ball in paris recognized her, and paid their respects. ben duncan declared she was as "stunning" as when she wore her white ball-dress. shuffles gave her a seat, and had the courage to take one by her side, before sir william could secure the enviable position.
"würtemberg is a kingdom belonging to the germanic confederation," the professor began. "it has an area of about seventy-eight hundred square miles, varying but a few miles from that of the state of massachusetts. it has a population of one million seven hundred thousand, which during the last ten years has diminished on account of the large emigration to the united states. the government is an hereditary monarchy, and, like so many english stock companies, 'limited.' freedom of person and property, liberty of speech, and liberty of conscience, are guaranteed by the constitution; but liberty of the press, like the monarchy and the stock companies, is also 'limited.' the legislature is composed of two houses, the higher one being made up of princes and nobles. the present king is charles i., whose wife is the daughter of czar nicholas i. of russia. the royal family is quite numerous in its various branches, and is connected by marriage with many of the royal houses of europe. the former duchy of würtemberg was made a kingdom in 1806, by napoleon, after having been enlarged by the annexation of several smaller states. stuttgart, the capital, is also the largest town, containing a population of fifty thousand. i close this lecture, which i think has not been a very tedious one, with this remarkable fact: in 1840 there was not to be found an individual in the kingdom, above the age of ten years, who could not read and write."
"is that all?" asked lady feodora.
"that's all this time; but sometimes we have to take it for a couple of hours," laughed shuffles.
"i'm sure i wish he had said more. what do you do now?"
"we go to ulm at two this afternoon. after that we go to stuttgart, carlsruhe, baden, and then down the rhine."
"we must go with them, pa," added she, turning to the earl.
"we shall be ready to go to ulm this afternoon in the same train," replied her father.
"i am delighted!" exclaimed feodora. "i hope we shall go with you down the rhine."
sir william, for some reason or other, did not hope so. in fact, he was rather dumpy and morose.
"possibly you will," suggested shuffles.
"what a happy life you must lead, captain!"
"perhaps you would not think so, if you were at sea with us, when we have to stand watch in the night and the storm, whether it blows high or blows low."
"but you are the captain."
"i was a seaman. it is nearly an hour till dinner time; and i think i shall take a run down to the château of the king. of course you have been there," said the captain, suggestively.
"i have, but i should be delighted to go again."
a carriage was called by the earl. it had seats for only four, and feodora's father and mother had decided to go. so had sir william; but his lordship hinted that, as the baronet had already visited the château, he might stay at the hotel and play with her ladyship's poodle dog. it would require too much space to narrate all that was said and done on this little excursion; but the two young people were very much pleased with the château, after and very pleased with each other, probably more pleased with each other than with the château, though the latter was a very beautiful place, as it ought to be for the summer residence of a king. captain shuffles handed the noble young lady out and in the carriage, handed her up various steps, into various grottos; indeed, he handed her up and down everything that would afford him any excuse for offering his assistance. lady feodora certainly appreciated his kindness, and rewarded him with many a smile.
they returned to the hotel; and though the noble party were in the habit of dining at the aristocratic hour of six, they took places at the table d'hôte with the republicans. the party hastened to the railroad station after dinner, and at the appointed hour, were on their way to ulm. the compartment in which dr. winstock, paul, and the arbuckles rode, contained one less than usual, for captain shuffles—not entirely to the satisfaction of sir william—occupied a place with the party of the earl. the railway carriages in germany are generally built with a first-class compartment at one end, while the rest of the space is devoted to the second-class passengers. the former is very luxuriously furnished, the seats having stuffed arms and backs, with a table between the two rows of seats, while the latter has about the same arrangement as is found in the ordinary cars in the united states.
"we have lost our good friend captain shuffles," said grace, with a pleasant smile.
"perhaps our loss is his gain," added paul.
"lady feodora is very pretty."
"very; and interesting, too."
"i really pity her every time i look at sir william."
"why?" asked paul, curiously.
"because she is doomed by her parents to be his wife; and he is a selfish, supercilious fellow, if he is a baronet."
"her parents seem to be very fond of her, and i am sure they will not sacrifice her, if she don't like him."
"there are a great many considerations of policy which influence these great families," replied grace. "she seems to like the captain much better than she likes sir william."
"and i know that he likes her."
"let us hope for the best," said grace, gayly, as she glanced out the window at the fine mountain scenery.
"how far is it to ulm, dr. winstock?" asked paul.
"fourteen miles," replied the surgeon, with a twinkle of the eye which seemed to mean something.
"fourteen miles!" exclaimed paul, glancing at his watch. "why, we ought to be nearly there by this time, then."
"the german trains rarely go more than four miles an hour."
"why, that's no faster than a smart boy can walk."
"rather, i think."
"you are joking, doctor."
"i never was more serious in my life. this train is not going more than four miles an hour."
"i should say it was going at the rate of twenty."
"i am afraid you have not read your guide-book since you came into germany," laughed the doctor. "perhaps it has not occurred to you that a german mile is equal to about four and two thirds english miles."
"i didn't think of that."
"it is sixty-four and a half english miles from the point where we started to ulm; and the time is over three hours. we shall arrive there at half past five," continued dr. winstock.
"i thank you for setting me right," replied paul. "i have been bothered with the german money."
"i have a copy of the last issue of harper's hand book for travellers, which i obtained in paris. it is a capital work for the tourist, for it does not compel him to carry a whole library of guide-books, and is complete enough for ordinary purposes," said dr. winstock, taking the neat little volume from his bag. "in connection with each country, you will find the value of its money in united states currency, and the names and value of the several coins in use. in the prussian states, values are reckoned in thalers and silver groschen. a thaler is about seventy-three cents. a silver groschen, of which thirty make a thaler, is worth two and two fifths cents."
"what's a florin?"
"a florin of baden, würtemberg, &c, is forty cents; but a florin in austria is forty-nine cents. the former has sixty kreutzers, of two thirds of a cent each, the latter one hundred, of about half a cent each. in prussian germany, twelve pfennings make a silver groschen. five pfennings, therefore, are about equal to a cent. of course these values vary with the rates of exchange, and even in the different countries where the currency is used."
it was dark when the train arrived at ulm, though the tourists obtained an obscure view of the danube, on which the city is located. after supper, professor mapps gave a brief account of the place to the students. it is a fortress and frontier city of würtemberg, on the right bank of the danube, and has twenty-five thousand inhabitants. it is largely engaged in linen manufactures, and snails are fattened in the surrounding region, and sent into austria and other countries, where they are highly esteemed as an article of food. for three centuries the town was an imperial free city, and one of the most thriving in germany. it is noted in modern times for the disgraceful capitulation of general mack, in 1805, who surrendered thirty thousand men and sixty guns to the french.
the party slept at the kronprinz hôtel, and the next day, after a glance at the minster,—which is ranked among the six finest gothic cathedrals in germany, and is now a protestant church,—the excursionists resumed their journey, arriving at stuttgart in two hours and a half. this city is on the neckar, and is situated in the midst of a beautiful country, the slopes of whose hills are studded with vineyards. the party, having no time to spare, immediately devoted themselves to the business of sight-seeing, hastening first to the palace of the king, said to contain as many rooms as there are days in the year, though our arithmeticians did not count them. it is a grand edifice, with a tremendous gilt crown over the chief entrance, so that strangers in the city cannot possibly mistake the royal character of the building.
only a few of the numerous apartments were visited, which contained some fine pictures by german artists, and sculpture by thorwaldsen. the palace may be said to be in both town and country; for while the front opens upon the grand square of the city, the rear faces an extensive park, which reaches far out into the rural region. the king's stables, containing the finest arabian horses in germany, were visited by a portion of the party. the public library next claimed attention. its catalogue of three hundred thousand volumes includes over three thousand manuscripts, half of which are very rare and valuable. the collection of bibles, amounting to eighty-five hundred in number, and in sixty different languages, is doubtless the most extensive in the world. the museums of the fine arts and of natural history used up the rest of the day.
the next place to be visited was carlsruhe, the capital of the grand duchy of baden. it was only a three hours' ride from stuttgart, and, as the trains connected, the principal decided to proceed at six o'clock in the evening, for he could not otherwise reach his destination till noon the next day. the earl's party had taken apartments at the hôtel marquardt for the night, and shuffles sent word to them that he was about to leave. he was invited to the elegant parlor occupied by his lordship, where he proceeded at once to take leave of lady feodora.
"probably we shall never meet again," said he. "if we—"
"pray, don't say that, captain shuffles," interrupted she, with an expression even more sad than that which the young captain wore. "i hope we may meet many times yet."
"we may, but it is not probable that we shall," added shuffles. "after remaining a week or ten days longer in germany, we shall go to brest, and from there sail for the united states."
"but your ship crosses the ocean again next spring, i think i heard the principal say," interposed the earl.
"very true; but i may not come in her—i don't know."
"i will not believe we are not to meet again. you must come to england and visit us at blankville. we shall all be delighted to see you."
all except sir william.
"i hope i shall have the pleasure of meeting you again. if i do not, i shall remember the hours i have spent with you as the pleasantest of my life," continued shuffles.
"but i am not going to think of such a thing as not seeing you again," persisted lady feodora. "i shudder every time i recall the circumstances under which we met. but for your daring courage and your wonderful skill, both sir william and myself would have been drowned."
the young baronet looked as though the actual situation was not much improvement upon the possible one suggested by his affianced, if he was to be "cut out" in this extraordinary manner.
"you over-estimate the value of my services; but however you regard them, i shall always rejoice that i was able to serve you. i must leave now."
"but we shall meet again, and very soon, too," said lady feodora, as she extended her hand to the young officer.
the other members of the party each in turn took him by the hand. the earl and his lady manifested a warm interest in the young hero, and seconded the wish of their daughter that they might meet again.
"i am really sorry you are going," said sir william; but it is doubtful whether he was as sincere as his friends. "couldn't you contrive it some way so as to drop in upon us at blankville? it would really be a very great pleasure—it would, upon my honor."
"i am afraid it will be impossible," replied shuffles, as he bowed himself out of the apartment.
perhaps sir william was the only happy person in that group, for there was no doubt that he was glad to get rid of the troublesome hero.
the ship's company took the train at the appointed time, and by ten o'clock were in their rooms at the hôtel erbprinz, in the capital of the grand duchy of baden. as soon as it was light in the morning, the students were scattered through the streets of the town, which, like those of washington, radiate from a common centre, where the king's palace is located. the meals of the party at the hotels were usually served separate from those of other guests, and at breakfast professor mapps had an opportunity to say a word about the city. he told them, what many of them had already ascertained, that it was a very pretty, but very quiet place. it is of modern growth, being unable to boast of much more than a century's duration. charles, the margrave of baden, built a hunting-seat on the spot in 1715, which, on account of the seclusion of the place, he called "charles's rest." in the course of time, his retreat was invaded by others, and a city grew up around him, which was called karlsruhe—the german for the name the margrave had given his hunting-seat.
the schloss, or palace, did not essentially differ from a dozen other similar structures the party had seen. in fact, palaces and cathedrals were getting rather stale with them, and they coveted a new sensation, which they were likely to realize at their next stopping-place. before noon the tourists reached baden-baden, and were pleasantly installed at the hôtel de l'europe. as the season was somewhat advanced, there was plenty of room, though the glories of the german watering-place were not seen at their height.
the place is called baden-baden to distinguish it from baden in austria and baden in switzerland. it is beautifully located in a lovely valley surrounded by the hills of the black forest. although it has but seven thousand permanent inhabitants, not less than forty thousand visitors have made their abode within its precincts in a single season. it is the most fashionable, and at the same time the most attractive, of the german watering-places. the nobility and gentry, as well as the blacklegs and swindlers of all the nations of europe, gather there. the country around the town is romantic and pleasing, and with good roads through the forests and up the hills, there is a great variety of delightful walks and drives. everything which nature and art could do to make the place and its surroundings an attractive abode, has been done.
on the rocky hills above the town are the old and the new castles of the grand duke of baden. the former is of roman origin, and was occupied by the reigning dukes in the middle ages. the latter is the summer residence of the present sovereign. at the foot of the rocks on which the modern structure is located are the hot springs, thirteen in number, to which the town owes its origin as a health-giving abode. this part of the place is called "hell" on account of the heat of the springs, which does not permit the snow, even in the coldest weather, to remain upon it. the hottest of these springs has a temperature of 54° réaumur, equal to 153½° fahrenheit. their water is led by pipes to the "trinkhalle" and baths in the village, the passage having but little effect upon its temperature. a kind of temple is built over the principal spring, which furnishes the hottest and most copious supply of water. there is sufficient evidence that the romans used these fountains for vapor baths, and other medicinal purposes. the water is perfectly clear, has a saltish taste, and at the spring is not unlike weak broth, though it has a disagreeable odor. it is beneficial for dyspepsia, gout, rheumatism, and scrofulous diseases.
after dinner the tourists commenced their explorations by a visit to das neue trinkhalle, or the new pump room, opposite the hotel. the spring waters are conveyed to it in pipes, and in the season the place is crowded with visitors, who drink them in the morning.
the conversationshaus is the grand centre of attraction. it is a magnificent building, surrounded by splendid gardens. in front of it is a chinese pagoda, intended as a music stand for the band, which plays there twice a day. it contains a large assembly-room, where the company dance at times, a restaurant, a theatre, and other apartments. there are also rooms for gambling, which is the staple amusement, not only for the blacklegs and swindlers, who resort to the establishment, but for the nobility and gentry. the conversationshaus is rented by the government to a company, who pay fifty-five thousand dollars a year for the monopoly of the gaming tables, and pledge themselves to spend one hundred thousand dollars annually upon the walks and buildings. of course players must lose vast sums of money to enable the keepers of the establishment to pay these large prices. all classes of people gamble, and about one fourth of those who engage in the seductive play are ladies—or rather women, though they include not a few of the nobility.
balls, concerts, promenades, and the theatre, as well as the exciting amusement of the gaming tables, keep the visitors well employed during the season; and when they weary of the din of gayety, a walk of five minutes will lead them to the solitudes of the forests and the mountains. there is a library and reading-room in operation, in the midst of the scene of the revelry. the students spent the afternoon in wandering through these brilliant halls; and some of them observed, with a feeling akin to terror, the operations of rouge-et-noir and roulette. no one spoke at the tables, and no one but players were allowed to be seated. if any of the boys, after the exciting sport had become familiar to them, were tempted to try their hand, they had not money enough to make it an object, which proved the wisdom of the principal's policy in managing their finances for them.
the next forenoon was devoted to a visit to the two castles above the town. only the ancient one has any special interest, and this is noted for the curious dungeons in the rock beneath it. the castellan, or keeper, conducted the party down a winding staircase, to an ancient roman bath, by a passage made in modern times; for originally the only access to the dungeons was by a perpendicular shaft in the centre of the castle, which is still in existence. tradition declares that the prisoners, blindfolded, and lashed to an armchair, were lowered through this shaft to the gloomy vaults hewn out of the solid rock. the dark and mysterious dungeons were closed by a stone slab, revolving on a pivot, and weighing from half a ton to a ton. one room, larger than the others, was the rack-chamber, which contained the instrument of torture; and in the wall several iron rings still remain.
in a passage-way there is a deep aperture, now boarded over, but formerly covered by a trap-door. the victim doomed to the rack was led to the passage, at the end of which was an image of the virgin, which he was required to kiss. in approaching it, he stepped upon the trap, and was precipitated into the depths below upon a wheel armed with knives, upon which he was torn in pieces. the story is, that this horrible pit was discovered in searching for a little dog which had fallen through the planking, when the wheel was found, with its knives rusty, the fragments of bones and garments still clinging to them. but people who go to see sights ought not to be disappointed—and some allowance should be made before accepting all the stories of guides and keepers of mysterious dungeons. doubtless these subterranean apartments were the meeting-places of some secret tribunals, such as the vehmic courts, which existed in the middle ages in westphalia. scott and göthe have made use of these dungeons in their works, and our students regarded them as a splendid field for the later writers of sensational fiction.
the party walked through the upper portion of the castle, and obtained a fine view of the surrounding country from its openings. the rest of the day was spent in the gardens, assembly-rooms, and other places of interest. in the first train, the next morning, the excursionists went to heidelberg, fifty-eight miles distant.
