“May I ask to whom I have the pleasure of speaking?”
“I am a Bachelor of Divinity,” said the man. This answer satisfied the counsellor. The title agreed with the dress.
“This is surely,” thought he, “an old village schoolmaster, a perfect original, such as one meets with sometimes even in Jutland.”
“This is not certainly a locus docendi,” began the man; “still I must beg you to continue the conversation. You must be well read in ancient lore.”
“Oh yes,” replied the counsellor; “I am very fond of reading useful old books, and modern ones as well, with the exception of every-day stories, of which we really have more than enough.”
“Every-day stories?” asked the bachelor.
“Yes, I mean the new novels that we have at the present day.”
“Oh,” replied the man, with a smile; “and yet they are very witty, and are much read at Court. The king likes especially the romance of Messeurs Iffven and Gaudian, which describes King Arthur and his knights of the round table. He has joked about it with the gentlemen of his Court.”
“Well, I have certainly not read that,” replied the counsellor. “I suppose it is quite new, and published by Heiberg.”
“No,” answered the man, “it is not by Heiberg; Godfred von Gehman brought it out.”
“Oh, is he the publisher? That is a very old name,” said the counsellor; “was it not the name of the first publisher in Denmark?”
“Yes; and he is our first printer and publisher now,” replied the scholar.