And you can get Bourbon whisky
anywhere. It's sickening."
"The Americans have done much for Edelweiss, sir. We don't resent their
progressiveness. They have given us modern improvements without
overthrowing ancient customs. My dear young sir, we are very old
here--and very honest. That reminds me that I should accept your kind
invitation to the Cafe garden. If you will bear with me for just one
moment, sir." With this polite request, the old man retired to the rear
of the shop and called out to some one upstairs. A woman's voice
answered. The brief conversation which followed was in a tongue unknown
to King.
"My niece will keep shop, sir, while I am out," Spantz explained, taking
his hat from a peg behind the door. Truxton could scarcely restrain a
smile as he glanced over his queer little old guest. He looked eighty
but was as sprightly as a man of forty. A fine companion for a youth of
twenty-six in search of adventure!
They paused near the door until the old man's niece appeared at the back
of the shop. King's first glance at the girl was merely a casual one.
His second was more or less in the nature of a stare of amazement.
A young woman of the most astounding beauty, attired in the black and
red of the Graustark middle classes, was slowly approaching from the
shadowy recesses at the end of the shop.
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