第281章
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he asked.
The General certainly seemed to grow an inch taller, assumed amore stately demeanor, and took two steps backward and one stepforward, as if he were dancing a minuet, and then came as much gravityand expression into the face of the General as the General couldcontrive to infuse into it; but he replied,
"I never retract my words! You are invited, Professor!" and hebowed with a glance at the King, who must have heard the wholedialogue.
Now, there was a company to dinner at the General's, but onlythe old Count and his protege were invited.
"I have my foot under his table," thought George. "That's layingthe foundation stone."
And the foundation stone was really laid, with great ceremony,at the house of the General and of the General's lady.
The man had come, and had spoken quite like a person in goodsociety, and had made himself very agreeable, so that the Generalhad often to repeat his "Charming!" The General talked of this dinner,talked of it even to a court lady; and this lady, one of the mostintellectual persons about the court, asked to be invited to meetthe Professor the next time he should come. So he had to be invitedagain; and he was invited, and came, and was charming again; hecould even play chess.
"He's not out of the cellar," said the General; "he's quite adistinguished person. There are many distinguished persons of thatkind, and it's no fault of his."
The Professor, who was received in the King's palace, might verywell be received by the General; but that he could ever belong tothe house was out of the question, only the whole town was talkingof it.
He grew and grew. The dew of favor fell from above, so no onewas surprised after all that he should become a Privy Councillor,and Emily a Privy Councillor's lady.
"Life is either a tragedy or a comedy," said the General. "Intragedies they die, in comedies they marry one another."
In this case they married. And they had three clever boys- but notall at once.
The sweet children rode on their hobby-horses through all therooms when they came to see the grandparents. And the General alsorode on his stick; he rode behind them in the character of groom tothe little Privy Councillors.
And the General's lady sat on her sofa and smiled at them, evenwhen she had her severest headache.
So far did George get, and much further; else it had not beenworth while to tell the story of THE PORTER'S SON.
THE END.
1872
FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
THE PORTUGUESE DUCK
by Hans Christian Andersen
A DUCK once arrived from Portugal, but there were some who saidshe came from Spain, which is almost the same thing. At all events,she was called the "Portuguese," and she laid eggs, was killed, andcooked, and there was an end of her. But the ducklings which creptforth from the eggs were also called "Portuguese," and about thatthere may be some question. But of all the family one only remained inthe duckyard, which may be called a farmyard, as the chickens wereadmitted, and the cock strutted about in a very hostile manner. "Heannoys me with his loud crowing," said the Portuguese duck; "but,still, he's a handsome bird, there's no denying that, although he'snot a drake. He ought to moderate his voice, like those little birdswho are singing in the lime-trees over there in our neighbor's garden,but that is an art only acquired in polite society. How sweetly theysing there; it is quite a pleasure to listen to them! I call itPortuguese singing. If I had only such a little singing-bird, I'd bekind and good as a mother to him, for it's in my nature, in myPortuguese blood."
While she was speaking, one of the little singing-birds cametumbling head over heels from the roof into the yard. The cat wasafter him, but he had escaped from her with a broken wing, and so cametumbling into the yard. "That's just like the cat, she's a villain,"said the Portuguese duck. "I remember her ways when I had childrenof my own. How can such a creature be allowed to live, and wanderabout upon the roofs. I don't think they allow such things inPortugal." She pitied the little singing-bird, and so did all theother ducks who were not Portuguese.
"Poor little creature!"