a thick mass of snow-flakes into
the hall; a raven was disturbed and flew in croaking and screaming and
dashed with its black wings against the window, but regaining the open
postern it disappeared downwards into the chasm. The Freiherr stepped
out into the corridor; but one single glance downwards, and he started
back trembling. "A fearful sight!--I'm giddy!" he stammered as he sank
almost fainting into the Justitiarius' arms. But quickly recovering
himself by an effort, he fixed a sharp look upon the old man and asked,
"Down there, you say?" Meanwhile the old man had been locking the
postern, and was now leaning against it with all his bodily strength,
and was gasping and grunting to get the great key out of the rusty
lock. This at last accomplished, he turned round to the Baron,
and, changing the huge key about backwards and forwards in his
hands, replied with a peculiar smile, "Yes, there are thousands
and thousands down there--all my dear dead master's beautiful
instruments--telescopes, quadrants, globes, dark mirrors, they all lie
smashed to atoms underneath the ruins between the stones and the big
balk." "But money--coined money," interrupted the Baron, "you spoke of
gold pieces, old man?" "I only meant things which had cost several
thousand gold pieces," he replied; and not another word could be got
out of him.

The Baron appeared highly delighted to have all at once come into
possession of all the means requisite for carrying out his favourite
plan, namely, that of building a new and magnificent castle. The
Justitiarius indeed stated it as his opinion that, according to the
will of the deceased, the money could only be applied to the repair and
complete finishing of the interior of the old castle, and further, any
new erection would hardly succeed in equalling the commanding size and
the severe and simple character of the old ancestral castle. The
Freiherr, however, persisted in his intention, and maintained that in
the disposal of property respecting which nothing was stated in the
deeds of the entail the irregular will of the deceased could have no
validity. He at the same time led V---- to understand that he should
conceive it to be his duty to embellish R--sitten as far as the
climate, soil, and environs would permit, for it was his intention to
bring home shortly as his dearly loved wife a lady who was in every
respect worthy of the greatest sacrifices.

The air of mystery with which the Freiherr spoke o