“A truce between us, worshipful burgher! and let our skirmish end in something that may be useful to both.  Thou hast that which would be acceptable to me, and I have that which no owner of cheeses would refuse, did he know the means by which it might be come at honestly.”

Nicklaus growled a few words of distrust and indifference, but it was plain that the ambiguous language of the juggler, as usual, had succeeded in awakening interest.  With the affectation of a mind secretly conscious of its own infirmity, he pretended to be indifferent to what the other professed a readiness to reveal, while with the rapacity of a grasping spirit he betrayed a longing to know more.

“First I will tell thee,” said Pippo, with a parade of good-nature, “that thou deservest to remain in ignorance, as a punishment of thy pride and want of faith; but it is the failing of your prophet to let that be known which he ought to conceal.  Thou flatterest thyself this is the fattest cargo of cheeses that will cross the Swiss waters this season, on their way to an Italian market?  Shake not thy head.—­’Tis useless to deny it to a man of my learning!”

“Nay, I know there are others as heavy, and, it may be, as good; but this has the advantage of being the first, a circumstance that is certain to command a price.”

“Such is the blindness of one that nature sent on earth to deal in cheeses!”—­The Herr Von Willading and his friends smiled among themselves at the cool impudence of the mountebank—­“Thou fanciest it is so; and at this moment, a heavily laden bark is driving before a favorable gale, near the upper end of the lake of the four cantons, while a long line of mules is waiting at Flueellen, to bear its freight by the paths of the St. Gothard, to Milano and other rich markets of the south.  In virtue of my secret power, I see that, in despite of all thy cravings, it will arrive before thine.”

Nicklaus fidgeted, for the graphic particularity of Pippo almost led him to believe the augury might be true.

“Had this bark sailed according to our covenant,” he said, with a simplicity that betrayed his uneasiness, “the beasts bespoken by me would now be loading at Villeneuve; and, if there be justice in Vaud, I shall hold Baptiste responsible for any disadvantage that may come of the neglect.”

“Luckily, the generous Baptiste is asleep,” returned Pippo, “or we might hear objections to this scheme.  But, Signiori, I see you are satisfied with this insight into the character of the warm peasant of Berne, who, to say truth, has not much to conceal from us, and I will turn my searching looks into the soul of this pious pilgrim, the reverend Conrado, whose unction may well go near to be a leaven sufficient to lighten all in the bark of their burthens of backslidings.  Thou earnest the penitence and prayers of many sinners, besides some merchandise of this nature of thine own.”

“I am bound to Loretto, with the mental offerings of certain Christians, who are too much occupied with their daily concerns to make the journey in person,” answered the pilgrim, who never absolutely threw aside his professional character, though he cared in general so little about his hypocrisy being known.  “I am poor, and humble of appearance, but I have seen miracles in my day!”