feet and strode towards the old man in a threatening attitude and
cried in a loud firm voice, so that the hall rang again, "Daniel,
Daniel, what are you doing here at this hour?" Then the old man uttered
that same unearthly howling whimper, like the death-cry of a wounded
animal, which he had uttered when Wolfgang had offered to reward his
fidelity with gold; and he fell down on the floor. V---- summoned the
servants; they raised the old man up; but all attempts to restore
animation proved fruitless. Then the Freiherr cried, almost beside
himself, "Good God! Good God! Now I remember to have heard that a
sleepwalker may die on the spot if anybody calls him by his name. Oh!
oh! unfortunate wretch that I am! I have killed the poor old man! I
shall never more have a peaceful moment so long as I live." When the
servants had carried the corpse away and the hall was again empty,
V---- took the Freiherr, who was still continuing his self-reproaches,
by the hand and led him in impressive silence to the walled-up postern,
and said, "The man who fell down dead at your feet, Freiherr Roderick,
was the atrocious murderer of your father." The Freiherr fixed his
staring eyes upon V---- as though he saw the foul fiends of hell. But
V---- went on, "The time has come now for me to reveal to you the
hideous secret which, weighing upon the conscience of this monster and
burthening him with curses, compelled him to roam abroad in his sleep.
The Eternal Power has seen fit to make the son take vengeance upon the
murderer of his father. The words which you thundered in the ears of
that fearful night-walker were the last words which your unhappy father
spoke." V---- sat down in front of the fire, and the Freiherr,
trembling and unable to utter a word, took his seat beside him.
V---- began to tell him the contents of the document which Hubert had
left behind him, and the seal of which he (V----) was not to break
until after the opening of the will Hubert lamented, in expressions
testifying to the deepest remorse, the implacable hatred against his
elder brother which took root in him from the moment that old Roderick
established the entail. He was deprived of all weapons; for, even if he
succeeded in maliciously setting the son at variance with the father,
it would serve no purpose, since even Roderick himself had not the
power to deprive his eldest son of his birth-right, nor would he on
principle have ever done so, no matter how his affections ha