church, I figured. I went in then, thinkin’ to search the house from top to bottom.”
Koehl frowned. “Get on with it. What happened?”
“T’was easy. They don’t lock their doors. Nothin’ worth stealing there. Proper poor, even if they make out like they’re gentry. I went in the backdoor, bold as brass, and searched the parlor, hall, and kitchen.” Max fingered the coins in his pocket. “Then, just as I was startin’ on the bedchambers, I see the cripple coming home early. I had to scamper to get away.”
“Damnation!” Koehl kicked a small rock into a patch of weeds.
Max Bauer regained some of his sangfroid . “I’ll go back tomorrow, your honor. It’ll be a pleasure.” He chuckled. “I got my eye on the girl. Her ma keeps her close and works her like a slave, but she’s ripe for the pluckin’, if you get my drift.”
Koehl slapped him. “ Lumpenhund ! I’m not paying you to fornicate. I want the letter.” He stalked off muttering to himself.
6
Nepomuk Stiebel
I defy the wisest man in the world to turn a truly good action into ridicule.
Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews
F ranz found Herr Seutter in his office—a room that had nothing in common with the late Pastor von Langsdorff’s book-filled retreat. Seutter’s workplace contained little more than a large table, shelves with ledgers, and a tall desk at which a clerk stood, making entries in another ledger.
Seutter received Franz warmly. “Now here’s a day to celebrate. I’m happy to see you up and about, Franz, and doing me the honor of a visit. Come and have a seat.” He moved an oaken settle beside his desk. “How’s the leg this morning?”
“F-fine.” Franz looked at the clerk—a pimply-faced young man who stared back at him—and thought that his right leg was still too weak for him to work on his feet all day long. His courage faltered. He bit his lip. “You s-said yes-s-sterday th-that you kn-know s-someone wh-who n-needs h-h-elp.”
Seutter clapped his hands. “I do! Indeed, I do. However, allow me to introduce Kaspar Geiss, my clerk. Kaspar, meet my friend, Lieutenant von Langsdorff.”
Kaspar Geiss, perhaps impressed by the military rank, bowed. Franz nodded back and felt a little better.
Seutter said, “It’s very good of you to offer your help. You would do my friend a great favor, a very great favor.”
Franz blushed a little, aware that he was the one who needed the favor. “I h-hope so, b-but it m-may not s-serve.” Catching the clerk’s eyes on him, Franz flushed again.
“Pah.” Seutter rose. “It will serve capitally. Most capitally. Shall we go right away? Do you feel up to it?”
Franz nodded. “You’re v-very g-good,” he murmured. The clerk now stared at Franz’s crippled leg as Franz took up his crutches and hobbled awkwardly to the door.
This was going to be hard, and not just because he was a cripple.
Privy Councilor and attorney Nepomuk Stiebel had his chambers in another. patrician house at the opposite end of the market. A finely lettered brass plate announced, “ Doctor Juris Nepomucus Stibelius, Advocatus Ordinarius ,” and in smaller letters in German, “offers his services in all legal matters.”
Doktor Stiebel turned out to be elderly and of such short stature that Franz at first took him for a dwarf, a very odd-looking dwarf performing in some Italian pantomime. He perched on an enormous carved chair behind an enormous carved table. An old-fashioned full wig shed powder over the shoulders of his brown velvet coat like snow dusting barren winter fields. On his nose rested thick spectacles, and his hand held a very long quill. Beside his desk, a small, brown bird chirped in a gilded cage.
The little lawyer peered at them over his glasses and became animated. Hopping down from his chair, he cried—in a voice that was surprisingly strong and clear for such a small person, “Seutter, you old devil. What have you done now? Don’t tell me.
Koehl frowned. “Get on with it. What happened?”
“T’was easy. They don’t lock their doors. Nothin’ worth stealing there. Proper poor, even if they make out like they’re gentry. I went in the backdoor, bold as brass, and searched the parlor, hall, and kitchen.” Max fingered the coins in his pocket. “Then, just as I was startin’ on the bedchambers, I see the cripple coming home early. I had to scamper to get away.”
“Damnation!” Koehl kicked a small rock into a patch of weeds.
Max Bauer regained some of his sangfroid . “I’ll go back tomorrow, your honor. It’ll be a pleasure.” He chuckled. “I got my eye on the girl. Her ma keeps her close and works her like a slave, but she’s ripe for the pluckin’, if you get my drift.”
Koehl slapped him. “ Lumpenhund ! I’m not paying you to fornicate. I want the letter.” He stalked off muttering to himself.
6
Nepomuk Stiebel
I defy the wisest man in the world to turn a truly good action into ridicule.
Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews
F ranz found Herr Seutter in his office—a room that had nothing in common with the late Pastor von Langsdorff’s book-filled retreat. Seutter’s workplace contained little more than a large table, shelves with ledgers, and a tall desk at which a clerk stood, making entries in another ledger.
Seutter received Franz warmly. “Now here’s a day to celebrate. I’m happy to see you up and about, Franz, and doing me the honor of a visit. Come and have a seat.” He moved an oaken settle beside his desk. “How’s the leg this morning?”
“F-fine.” Franz looked at the clerk—a pimply-faced young man who stared back at him—and thought that his right leg was still too weak for him to work on his feet all day long. His courage faltered. He bit his lip. “You s-said yes-s-sterday th-that you kn-know s-someone wh-who n-needs h-h-elp.”
Seutter clapped his hands. “I do! Indeed, I do. However, allow me to introduce Kaspar Geiss, my clerk. Kaspar, meet my friend, Lieutenant von Langsdorff.”
Kaspar Geiss, perhaps impressed by the military rank, bowed. Franz nodded back and felt a little better.
Seutter said, “It’s very good of you to offer your help. You would do my friend a great favor, a very great favor.”
Franz blushed a little, aware that he was the one who needed the favor. “I h-hope so, b-but it m-may not s-serve.” Catching the clerk’s eyes on him, Franz flushed again.
“Pah.” Seutter rose. “It will serve capitally. Most capitally. Shall we go right away? Do you feel up to it?”
Franz nodded. “You’re v-very g-good,” he murmured. The clerk now stared at Franz’s crippled leg as Franz took up his crutches and hobbled awkwardly to the door.
This was going to be hard, and not just because he was a cripple.
Privy Councilor and attorney Nepomuk Stiebel had his chambers in another. patrician house at the opposite end of the market. A finely lettered brass plate announced, “ Doctor Juris Nepomucus Stibelius, Advocatus Ordinarius ,” and in smaller letters in German, “offers his services in all legal matters.”
Doktor Stiebel turned out to be elderly and of such short stature that Franz at first took him for a dwarf, a very odd-looking dwarf performing in some Italian pantomime. He perched on an enormous carved chair behind an enormous carved table. An old-fashioned full wig shed powder over the shoulders of his brown velvet coat like snow dusting barren winter fields. On his nose rested thick spectacles, and his hand held a very long quill. Beside his desk, a small, brown bird chirped in a gilded cage.
The little lawyer peered at them over his glasses and became animated. Hopping down from his chair, he cried—in a voice that was surprisingly strong and clear for such a small person, “Seutter, you old devil. What have you done now? Don’t tell me.
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