It happened that the Squire was sitting over his wine with some merry friends, and a joke had caused them all to break into uproarious laughter just as Kohlhaas approached him to make his complaint.  The Squire asked what he wanted; the young nobles, at sight of the stranger, became silent; but no sooner had the latter broached his request concerning the horses, than the whole group cried out, “Horses!  Where are they?” and hurried over to the window to look at them.  When they saw the glossy string, they all followed the suggestion of the Squire and flew down into the courtyard.  The rain had ceased; the castellan, the steward, and the servant gathered round them and all scanned the horses.  One praised a bright bay with a white star on its forehead, another preferred a chestnut, a third patted the dappled horse with tawny spots; and all were of the opinion that the horses were like deer, and that no finer were raised in the country.  Kohlhaas answered cheerily that the horses were no better than the knights who were to ride them, and invited the men to buy.  The Squire, who eagerly desired the big bay stallion, went so far as to ask its price, and the steward urged him to buy a pair of black horses, which he thought he could use on the farm, as they were short of horses.  But when the horse-dealer had named his price the young knights thought it too high, and the Squire said that Kohlhaas would have to ride in search of the Round Table and King Arthur if he put such a high value on his horses.  Kohlhaas noticed that the castellan and the steward were whispering together and casting significant glances at the black horses the while, and, moved by a vague presentiment, made every effort to sell them the horses.  He said to the Squire, “Sir, I bought those black horses six months ago for twenty-five gold gulden; give me thirty and you shall have them.”  Two of the young noblemen who were standing beside the Squire declared quite audibly that the horses were probably worth that much; but the Squire said that while he might be willing to pay out money for the bay stallion he really should hardly care to do so for the pair of blacks, and prepared to go in.  Whereupon Kohlhaas, saying that the next time he came that way with his horses they might perhaps strike a bargain, took leave of the Squire and, seizing the reins of his horse, started to ride away.

At this moment the castellan stepped forth from the crowd and reminded him that he would not be allowed to leave without a passport.  Kohlhaas turned around and inquired of the Squire whether this statement, which meant the ruin of his whole trade, were indeed correct.  The Squire, as he went off, answered with an embarrassed air, “Yes, Kohlhaas, you must get a passport.  Speak to the castellan about it, and go your way.”  Kohlhaas assured him that he had not the least intention of evading the ordinances which might be in force concerning the exportation of horses.  He promised that when he