The
serving-maidens, bringing him hot water for his ablutions, smiling
asked, "Would he have his couch warmed at eve?" One might have been sure
from their blushes that the tough old soldier made an arch reply. The
family tonsor came to know whether the noble Count had need of his
skill. "By Saint Bugo," said the knight, as seated in an easy settle
by the fire, the tonsor rid his chin of its stubby growth, and
lightly passed the tongs and pomatum through "the sable silver" of his
hair,--"By Saint Bugo, this is better than my dungeon at Grand Cairo.
How is my godson Otto, master barber; and the lady countess, his mother;
and the noble Count Karl, my dear brother-in-arms?"
"They are well," said the tonsor, with a sigh.
"By Saint Bugo, I'm glad on't; but why that sigh?"
"Things are not as they have been with my good lord," answered the
hairdresser, "ever since Count Gottfried's arrival."
"He here!" roared Sir Ludwig. "Good never came where Gottfried was!"
and the while he donned a pair of silken hose, that showed admirably the
proportions of his lower limbs, and exchanged his coat of mail for the
spotless vest and black surcoat collared with velvet of Genoa, which was
the fitting costume for "knight in ladye's bower," the knight entered
into a conversation with the barber, who explained to him, with the
usual garrulousness of his tribe, what was the present position of the
noble family of Godesberg.
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