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tered me, and with™ Kept on good terms,
though they had, so to say, to eat dirt in order to
avoid falling out with me, for I brooked no inter-
ference and no contradiction whatever, and did what
I pleased when I pleased and where I pleased always,
wiaich was my idea of enjoying life as a Baron should
emjoy it.’

‘Why, what an old rascal you must have been!’
here iterrupted the traveller.

THe little red man frowned. ‘If you interrupt,’
he said, ‘I shall shut up directly. I have already
told you what a bad fellow I was, and I don’t think it
very civil of you to recall attention to the fact.’

‘Upon my word, I beg your pardon,’ said the
traveller. ‘It was very thoughtless of me, and quite
unnecessary.’

‘Don’t do it again, then!’ observed the other
severely ; and then, taking another whiff of his pipe
and another glass of madeira, continued his narrative.

“My fame in battle had become considerable, and
not only my fame in battle, but my reputation for
cruelty had also spread abroad near and far. To tell
you the truth, I was naturally of a merciful disposi-
tion. I could not bear the idea of immuring poor
creatures in the dungeons of my castle (which are
exceedingly damp and unpleasant even at the present
day), or of subjecting them to torture in order to ex-
tract ransom from their friends. These things were
done, I knew, by other barons, but for my part I al-
ways thought it best to kill people outright rather
than resort to such expedients. Besides, I hated to
be troubled with prisoners, and altogether I made up