"Surely," said I, "it is impossible that anyone so beautiful can
also be hard-hearted? You will not refuse me the refuge which I
need."
She looked at my whiskers and I saw that she was softened. I
took her hand, and in two minutes we were on such terms that her
husband swore roundly that he would give me up himself if I
pressed the matter farther.
"Besides, the road is full of Prussians," he cried.
"Quick! quick! into the loft!"
"Quick! quick! into the loft!" echoed his wife, and together they
hurried me toward a ladder which led to a trap-door in the
ceiling. There was loud knocking at the door, so you can think
that it was not long before my spurs went twinkling through the
hole and the board was dropped behind me. An instant later I
heard the voices of the Germans in the rooms below me.
The place in which I found myself was a single long attic, the
ceiling of which was formed by the roof of the house. It ran
over the whole of one side of the inn, and through the cracks in
the flooring I could look down either upon the kitchen, the
sitting-room, or the bar at my pleasure.
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