Lenore who was coming to him.
The door opened softly; an ugly face peeped in, and glanced stealthily
around the room. Bernhard cried in dismay, "What do you want here?"

Itzig went up to the bed in haste, and breathing hard, said, in a voice
that sounded as choked as that of the invalid, "The baron has just gone
into the office. He has told me to come to you, and to persuade you to
support the proposal that he is about to make to your father."

"He has said that to you?" cried Bernhard. "How can the baron give a
message to a man like you?"

"Hold your peace," rejoined Veitel, rudely; "there is no time for your
speeches. Listen to what I have to say. The baron promised your father,
on his word of honor, security for twenty thousand dollars, and now he
can not give him that security, because he has sold the deed to another.
He has broken his word, and now demands that your father should renounce
his security. If you can advise your father to lose twenty thousand
dollars, why, do so."

Bernhard trembled all over. "You are a liar!" cried he. "Every word that
proceeds from your mouth is hypocrisy, double-dealing, and deceit."

"Hold your peace," replied Veitel, in feverish anxiety. "You are not to
persuade your father to his harm. There is no helping this baron; he is
a fly who has burned his wings in the candle; he can only crawl. And
even if Ehrenthal be fool enough to follow your evil counsel, he can not
maintain for the baron possession of his estate. If he does not eject
him, another will. I have no interest in saying this to you," continued
he, uneasily listening to a sound in front of the house; "I do so merely
out of attachment to your family."

Bernhard struggled for breath. "Get out of my sight!" said he, at
length; "there is nothing but deceit and falsehood on earth."

"I will bring up the baron and your father," said Veitel, and rushed out
of the room.

Meanwhile Ehrenthal's angry voice sounded loudly on the ground floor. "I
will go to the lawyer; I will expose you and your intrigues."

Veitel burst open the door. The baron sat on the stool, and hid his face
with his hands. Ehrenthal stood before him trembling with rage. On the
desk stood the baron's casket, containing the fatal notes of hand and
the mortgage. Veitel cried out, "Have done, Ehrenthal; your Bernhard is
very ill; he is all alone up stairs, and calls for you and for the
baron; he wants you both beside him."

"What means this?" screamed Eh