"
"But is red hair so very peculiar here?" I asked.
"Among the Jews--yes, sire! I mean yes, SIR," she corrected
herself. "You seldom see a red-headed Jew."
"The Jews!" I repeated in astonishment.
"Of course you know the S'helpburgs are descended directly from
Solomon--and have indeed some of his matrimonial peculiarities,"
she said, blushing.
I was amazed--but recalled myself. "But why do they call the Duke
of Kohlslau Black Michael?" I asked carelessly.
"Because be is nearly black, sir. You see, when the great Prince
Rupert went abroad in the old time he visited England, Scotland,
and Africa. They say he married an African lady there--and that
the Duke is really more in the direct line of succession than
Prince Rupert."
But here the daughter showed me to my room. She blushed, of
course, and apologized for not bringing a candle, as she thought my
hair was sufficiently illuminating. "But," she added with another
blush, "I do SO like it."
I replied by giving her something of no value,--a Belgian nickel
which wouldn't pass in Bock, as I had found to my cost. But my
hair had evidently attracted attention from others, for on my
return to the guest-room a stranger approached me, and in the
purest and most precise German--the Court or 'Olland Hof speech--
addressed me:
"Have you the red hair of the fair King or the hair of your
father?"
Luckily I was able to reply with the same purity and precision: "I
have both the hair of the fair King and my own.
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