May not Herr von Rothsattel take a glass of it before he goes to watch over our night's rest ?" inquired the merchant, with calm politeness.
The young man haughtily thanked him and clattered out of the room.

Anton could have thrashed his new favorite with all his heart.
It was now late; and Anton saw, with some astonishment, that the merchant still continued with the utmost politeness to play the host, and to evince a pleasure in every fresh experience of the Tokay not easy to reconcile with the purpose of his journey.

At last, another bottle having been uncorked, and the captain having taken and commenced a fresh cigar of the merchant's, the latter casually observed, "I wish to travel to the insurgent capital to-morrow, and request your permission, if it be necessary." "You do!" cried all the officers round the table.
"I must!" said the merchant, gravely, and proceeded briefly to state the reasons for his resolve.
The captain shook his head.

"It is true," said he, "that the exact terms in which my orders are couched leave it optional whether I bar the frontier against all alike, but yet the chief aim of our occupying this position is the closing up of the disturbed district." "Then I must make known my wishes to the commander-in-chief; but this will delay me more than a day, and this delay will very probably defeat the whole object of my journey.

As you have kindly informed me, there still exists a certain degree of order among the insurgents, but it is impossible to say how long this may last.