In the old days it must
have been impregnable. Much of it was still standing in its ancient
strength. John saw that the walls were many feet thick, and that in the
older parts the windows were mere slits through which a human body could
not pass.
A much more modern addition to the right wing had been built, and John
surmised that Prince Karl and his suite lived there. Auersperg might
have medieval notions of caste, but he was certain to have modern ideas
of luxury.
He worked hard through all the rest of the day. What a lucky thing it
was that he had always liked horses, and had spent that year on the
western ranch of his uncle! Horses were the same everywhere, and as far
as he could see they responded as readily to kind treatment in Europe as
in America. The same friendly disposition that won him the favor of
people was now winning him the favor of animals, and Walther, who had
spent fifty years in the stables, complimented him on his soothing
touch. John saw that he had made a new friend, and he meant to use him
as a source of information.
He soon learned that Prince Karl would not stay long at Zillenstein. He
had come there, partly, to meet several great officers of Austria and
confer with them. His position as a Prussian general and a prince of
both empires made him the most suitable person for the duty, and
Zillenstein, in the heart of Austria, was the best place for the
meeting.
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