ern that had formerly led to the tower. He came to a halt
immediately in front of it, and uttered a wailing sound that seemed to
come from the bottom of his heart, and was so awful and so loud that
the whole apartment rang again, making V---- tremble with dread. Then,
setting the candlestick down on the floor and hanging the keys on his
belt, Daniel began to scratch at the wall with both hands, so that the
blood soon burst out from beneath his finger-nails, and all the while
he was moaning and groaning as if tortured by nameless agony. After
placing his ear against the wall in a listening attitude, he waved his
hand as if hushing some one, stooped down and picked up the
candlestick, and finally stole back to the door with soft measured
footsteps. V---- took his own candle in his hand and cautiously
followed him. They both went downstairs; the old man unlocked the great
main door of the castle, V---- slipped cleverly through. Then they went
to the stable, where old Daniel, to V----'s perfect astonishment,
placed his candlestick so skilfully that the entire interior of the
building was sufficiently lighted without the least danger. Having
fetched a saddle and bridle, he put them on one of the horses which he
had loosed from the manger, carefully tightening the girth and taking
up the stirrup-straps. Pulling the tuft of hair on the horse's forehead
outside the front strap, he took him by the bridle and led him out of
the stable, clicking with his tongue and patting his neck with one
hand. On getting outside in the courtyard he stood several seconds in
the attitude of one receiving commands, which he promised by sundry
nods to carry out. Then he led the horse back into the stable,
unsaddled him, and tied him to the manger. This done, he took his
candlestick, locked the stable, and returned to the castle, finally
disappearing in his own room, the door of which he carefully bolted.
V---- was deeply agitated by this scene; the presentiment of some
fearful deed rose up before him like a black and fiendish spectre, and
refused to leave him. Being so keenly alive as he was to the precarious
position of his _protege_, he felt that it would at least be his duty
to turn what he had seen to his account.

Next day, just as it was beginning to be dusk, Daniel came into the
Justitiarius's room to receive some instructions relating to his
department of the household. V---- took him by the arms, and forcing
him into a chair, in a confiden