"Be off!" said Schwartz.

"Pray, gentlemen."

"Off, and be hanged!" cried Hans, seizing him by the collar. But
he had no sooner touched the old gentleman's collar than away he
went after the rolling-pin, spinning round and round till he fell
into the corner on the top of it. Then Schwartz was very angry
and ran at the old gentleman to turn him out; but he also had
hardly touched him when away he went after Hans and the rolling-
pin, and hit his head against the wall as he tumbled into the
corner. And so there they lay, all three.

Then the old gentleman spun himself round with velocity in the
opposite direction, continued to spin until his long cloak was
all wound neatly about him, clapped his cap on his head, very
much on one side (for it could not stand upright without going
through the ceiling), gave an additional twist to his corkscrew
mustaches, and replied with perfect coolness: "Gentlemen, I wish
you a very good morning. At twelve o'clock tonight I'll call
again; after such a refusal of hospitality as I have just
experienced, you will not be surprised if that visit is the last
I ever pay you."

"If ever I catch you here again," muttered Schwartz, coming, half
frightened, out of the corner--but before he could finish his
sentence the old gentleman had shut the house door behind him
with a great bang, and there drove past the window at the same
instant a wreath of ragged cloud that whirled and rolled away