Stories were told of his
genius for blundering which rivaled Handy Andy's; old stories of fatuous
ignorance were rearranged and fitted to "our Karl." It was "our Karl"
who, on receiving a tip of two marks from the hands of a young lady to
whom he had brought the bouquet of a gallant lieutenant, exhibited some
hesitation, and finally said, "Yes, but, gnadiges Fraulein, that COST us
nine marks!" It was "our Karl" who, interrupting the regrets of another
lady that she was unable to accept his master's invitation, said
politely, "Ah! what matter, Gnadigste? I have still a letter for
Fraulein Kopp [her rival], and I was told that I must not invite you
both." It was "our Karl" who astonished the hostess to whom he was sent
at the last moment with apologies from an officer, unexpectedly detained
at barrack duty, by suggesting that he should bring that unfortunate
officer his dinner from the just served table. Nor were these charming
infelicities confined to his social and domestic service. Although
ready, mechanical, and invariably docile in the manual and physical
duties of a soldier,--which endeared him to the German drill-master,--he
was still invincibly ignorant as to its purport, or even the meaning
and structure of the military instruments he handled or vacantly
looked upon.
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