e with
his lips, uttering no sound. He meant to tell her to be undisturbed, as
in a couple of hours they would go home together.

Sonnenkamp, Eric, and Roland were in the witnesses' seat.

Roland sat between his father and Eric, to whom he clung as if he were
afraid. Knopf sat next to Eric, and nodded to Roland.

"Before the law the testimony of all men is equal," said Roland in a
low voice to Eric, who knew what was passing in Roland's mind.

His pride was a little touched that the testimony of the porter would
be of as much account as that of his father, but he had quickly
overcome the feeling.

The indictments were read. It had been found, on further investigation,
that one compartment of the closet built into the wall, separate from
the great safe, had been opened with a key and then closed again; a
considerable sum of money had been taken from it, the greater part of
which was found in the groom's possession.

At his own request, Sonnenkamp was summoned first, to identify the
stolen property.

Roland straightened himself up, when he heard his father give his
testimony in so plain and gentle a manner.

Sonnenkamp expressed regret that people should meet with misfortune,
but justice must have its course.

He was dismissed. He had already made his bow, and was about to leave
the courtroom, when the counsel of the accused groom asked the
President whether he intended to let Herr Sonnenkamp off from
testifying as to the amount of gold and valuable papers in the closet;
if Herr Sonnenkamp did not know this, he could not tell exactly how
much had been stolen from him in the part that had been broken into.

The whole assembly was breathless. Now it would be seen what was the
amount of Sonnenkamp's wealth, reputed so immeasurable. A perfect
silence prevailed for a time; it was broken by Sonnenkamp's asking
whether the court could oblige him to testify on his conscience as to
the sum, or whether he could reply, or not, as he saw fit. The
President said, that he must express the opinion, that the amount of
what was stolen was certainly of great importance in reference to the
sentence to be imposed upon the accused.

Again there was a pause. Sonnenkamp unbuttoned his coat, unbuttoned his
waistcoat, and taking out a little memorandum-book, he approached the
judge's seat, and offered it to him, saying:--

"Here is an exact inventory of the notes payable to bearer, of those
payable to my order, and of the sum in sp