ecie."

When half way up the steps of the platform where the president and
the judges sat, Sonnenkamp stopped, for the defendant's counsel now
cried:--

"We have an open court, entirely open, and there is nothing which the
Herr President is to know, and we to be ignorant of."

"Well then," said Sonnenkamp, turning round, "it shall be told openly:
Twelve millions of paper payable to the bearer, three millions to my
order, and only two hundred thousand in gold coin. Is that
satisfactory?"

A bravo was uttered by the spectators, and the President was obliged to
threaten them with clearing the hall, if it were repeated.

Sonnenkamp descended; he had desired to leave the court-room at once,
but now he seemed otherwise determined, for he took a seat again on the
witnesses' bench. Roland cast down his eyes, and tremblingly seized
hold of Eric's hand, which he held firmly. There was a low talking
among the crowd, a movement this way and that, so that the President
was obliged to command quiet by violently ringing his bell; and
Sonnenkamp left the hall.

The head-gardener gave his testimony, which was scarcely listened to.
When Eric was summoned, there was again silent attention.

Eric narrated the whole story, and the huntsman's uniform expressions
of bitterness at the difference between the rich and the poor, but
protested that he regarded the man as incapable of committing any crime
against society.

A strange whispering pervaded the whole assembly when Eric narrated the
inquiry of Claus: What would you do, if you were the possessor of
millions? The question had now, in a manner, gone forth to the whole
world.

Knopf was summoned. He offered first a written testimony of the old
Herr Weidmann, with whom the huntsman had lived several years as a
servant, who testified to his uprightness, his incapability of any
deceit, much less any positive crime. Then Knopf added from his own
knowledge, how the huntsman was always racking his brains over many
matters which he could not master.

Roland was summoned, and advanced with an erect attitude to the
witness-stand; Claus nodded to him.

Roland could not be sworn, as he was a minor; but it made a good
impression when he said in an unembarrassed voice, that he considered
his word as good as an oath.

He identified the articles that had been stolen from him; he asserted
that his father's rooms had been locked, but he should not be willing
to swear to that, as he had not