He used it as a
hunting box. He could not afford to keep a huntsman of his own to look
after it and knowing that if he locked it up, thieves would most
probably break into it and steal everything, he left the doors wide open
and everyone instantly avoided it as uncanny. The reason Henrietta never
met him was that this old gentleman was a government official, who had
to live most of his time in the town of Klausenburg, but whenever he was
not hunting here he was out in the forests all night till dawn when he
turned into the little house for a nap and was off again before the
afternoon; and so Henrietta who regularly visited the hut in the
afternoon, naturally never encountered him.
Leonard even named the old gentleman's name and then Henrietta
remembered meeting him at the _soirees_ at Klausenburg. Leonard,
however, warned his wife never to mention the matter in the presence of
the old gentleman in question, if she should ever meet him, for he had
sundry relations with poachers and other people of that sort. The fact
was, his own strip of forest was not very large and therefore he very
frequently trespassed on Leonard's property in pursuit of game. The old
gentleman was, therefore, very desirous to keep his passion for the
chase a secret, especially as his relations with Leonard were none of
the best.
After that Henrietta had visited the little forest house no more.
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