Others would be before him in profiting
by whatever advantage was to be gained from Irma's death. He felt that
he had better hurry back to the palace, and that there were others
there, enough of them, too, who could work up such a case far better
than he.

He endeavored to sound the hostess, who, he still thought, knew
something of the affair. But he was unsuccessful, for she had not
forgotten his comrade, the gend'arme, nor did it help, in the least,
when he pointed to his buttons and informed her that he was the king's
lackey.

It suddenly occurred to him that Walpurga lived in the neighborhood. It
was scarcely a year since he had been here with Doctor Sixtus. Irma had
always been a friend of Walpurga's, and perhaps was now hiding with
her--such high-flown people were capable of anything.

The large boat still lay before the inn. Baum, taking his horse with
him, went on board and ordered them to put off at once. He permitted a
laborer who arrived with a great barrow-load of hay, which he had
gathered on the most dangerous crags, to cross in the same boat with
him. They put off. Baum lay down on the wild hay, feeling completely
worn out.

He asked the boatman whether they had seen anything of a drowned
person. They answered that, in the morning, a human head with long hair
had been seen rising to the surface, and that, in all likelihood, it
was a woman.

Baum suddenly drew himself up and, with a bewildered look, gazed over
the sparkling surface of the lake. "If the gentleman would like to
wait," said the elder boatman to Baum, "the lake will give up its dead
at the end of three days." Baum did not care to hear any more; he
merely felt in his pocket, to make sure that he still possessed the
letter and the blood-stained flower. Having satisfied himself on this
point, he stretched himself still more comfortably than before and fell
asleep. It was not until the boat struck against the shore that he
awoke.

There was no longer any need of hunting up Walpurga; but he did so,
nevertheless, in order to show that he had left nothing undone. He went
up to the cottage by the lake and knocked at the door. There was no
answer. He looked in at the window. Two large cat's eyes were staring
at him. The cat was sitting on the ledge. She was the only one who had
remained behind. The room was completely dismantled; not a table or
even a chair was to be seen. As if in a dream, or under the influence
of a magic spell, he walked b