Of course there was a post-office; where can one go in Germany where there is not a post and telegraph office?
"The telegraph officials must be sadly overworked here," I said to myself. But as far as mine host was concerned, I satisfied myself with obtaining the locality of the post-office, and with something like a ray of hope I turned to look for the children. They had been amusing themselves with the piano in the now empty room, but as I called to them, Reggie ran out with a very red face.
"I wish I were a man, mamma. Fancy! a peasant--one of those men who were drinking beer--came and put his arm around Nora as she was playing. '_Du spielst schön_,' he said, and I _do_ believe he meant to kiss her, if I hadn't shaken my fist at him."
"Yes, indeed, mamma," said Nora, equally but more calmly indignant. "I certainly think the sooner we get away the better."
I had to tell them of my discomfiture, but ended with my new idea.
"If there is a post-office," I said, "the mail must stop there, and the mail takes passengers."
But, arrived at the neat little post-house--to reach which without a most tremendous round we had to climb up a really precipitous path, so called, over the stones and rocks in front of the inn--new dismay awaited us. The postmaster was a very old man, but of a very different type from our host. He was sorry to disappoint us, but the mail only stopped here for _letters_--all _passengers_ must begin their journey at--I forget where--leagues off on the other side from Silberbach. We wanted to get away? He was not surprised. _What had we come for?_ No one ever came here. Were we Americans! Staying at the "Katze"! Good heavens! "A rough place." "I should rather think so."
And this last piece of information fairly overcame him. He evidently felt he must come to the rescue of these poor Babes in the wood.
"Come up when the mail passes from Seeberg this evening at seven, and I will see what I can do with the conductor. If he _happens_ to have no passengers to-morrow, he _may_ stretch a point and take you in. No one will be the wiser."
"Oh, thanks, thanks," I cried. "Of course I will pay anything he likes to ask."
"No need for that. He is a _braver Mann_, and will not cheat you."