inquiries. He had reason to expect that a word
might here be found respecting the missing ones, and in fact he
discovered in another packet, hidden between papers, a memorandum which
exactly described those pieces, and contained the names of the masters,
as well as of the former proprietors. The writing evidently belonged to
the last days of his father, and beneath were the words, "These pieces
are now----" The hand had written no farther, and even these lines had
been erased again.

Edward now searched more actively, but not a trace appeared. The light
was burnt down to the socket; his blood was heated; he tossed the
papers hastily about the room, but nothing was to be discovered. On
opening a paper which age had turned yellow, he saw to his astonishment
a note drawn many years back, in which his father acknowledged himself
Walther's debtor for a sum therein named. There was no receipt upon it,
and yet it was not in the creditor's hands. How was this circumstance
to be explained?

He put it into his pocket, and calculated that, if the paper was
binding, he should scarcely have any thing left from the mortgage of
his house. He looked at a purse which he had put in a corner, and which
was designed to give, once for all, a considerable assistance to the
families which he had hitherto secretly maintained. For as he was
thoughtless in his prodigality, so was he in his charities; they too
might, in strictness, have been termed prodigalities.--"If I can only
avoid touching this sum, that the poor people may once more be made
happy, I may after that just as well begin entirely anew, and rely only
on my own powers." This was his last thought before he fell asleep.

* * * * *

Edward had been invited by the counsellor to dinner; it was the first
invitation he had received from him for a long time; and though the
youth did not comprehend the cause of this returning good-will in his
old friend, still he went in high spirits, chiefly in the pleasing
expectation of renewing his former acquaintance with Sophia. He took
with him the paper which he had discovered.

It annoyed him extremely to find there the elder and younger Von
Eisenschlicht; still, as he sat fronting Sophia at table, he addressed
himself chiefly to her, and took pains to appear calm, though his
feelings were violently excited; for it did not escape him, that old
Walther paid all possible attentions to young Eisenschlicht, and a