“Cozy!” barked the old man. The boy jolted up and was on his feet in an instant. “What did I tell you about sitting in the English chair? And didn’t I tell you to finish your work?”
“But, sir”, the boy stammered. “I did everything as you told me to. I washed the dishes and dusted everything.”
“Follow me!” The old man put his hands behind his back and headed to the kitchen.
The kid was not lying. He really had washed the dishes and dried them before putting them on the dish rack. Albeit, the floor could have been swept more carefully. He had missed a few spots here and there. After pointing out the missed spots, Stolz walked to the door. In his mind, he went over tasks that could be safely entrusted to this guileless peasant seemingly stuck in the Middle Ages.