ter he had got what
he wanted, he sent away the man who was going to sit with him, and
locked himself in his room as usual.

V---- had indeed really resolved to make the attempt he spoke of to
Daniel, although at the same time he could not forget two facts. In the
first place, Daniel, having now been made aware of his propensity to
walk in his sleep, would probably adopt every measure of precaution to
avoid him; and on the other hand, confessions made whilst in this
condition would not be exactly fitted to serve as a basis for further
proceedings. In spite of this, however, he repaired to the hall on the
approach of midnight, hoping that Daniel, as frequently happens to
those afflicted in this way, would be constrained to act involuntarily.
About midnight there arose a great noise in the courtyard. V----
plainly heard a window broken in; then he went downstairs, and as he
traversed the passages he was met by rolling clouds of suffocating
smoke, which, he soon perceived were pouring out of the open door of
the house-steward's room. The steward himself was just being carried
out, to all appearance dead, in order to be taken and put to bed in
another room. The servants related that about midnight one of the
under-grooms had been awakened by a strange hollow knocking; he thought
something had befallen the old man, and was preparing to get up and go
and see if he could help him, when the night watchman in the court
shouted, "Fire! Fire! The Herr House-Steward's room is all of a bright
blaze!" At this outcry several servants at once appeared on the scene;
but all their efforts to burst open the room door were unavailing.
Whereupon they hurried out into the court, but the resolute watchman
had already broken in the window, for the room was low and on the
basement story, had torn down the burning curtains, and by pouring a
few buckets of water on them had at once extinguished the fire. The
house-steward they found lying on the floor in the middle of the room
in a swoon. In his hand he still held the candlestick tightly clenched,
the burning candles of which had caught the curtains, and so occasioned
the fire. Some of the blazing rags had fallen upon the old man, burning
his eyebrows and a large portion of the hair of his head. If the
watchman had not seen the fire the old man must have been helplessly
burned to death. The servants, moreover, to their no little
astonishment found the room door secured on the inside by two quite