as if an eternity of torture would
elapse while the great hour hand slowly, oh, so slowly, made its circuit
of sixty minutes."

"You are a queer creature!" cried Count Schwarzenberg, shrugging his
shoulders. "Romantic as a young girl, full of virtuous desires, and yet
not at all loath to commit certain delicate little crimes, and to pass off
copies for originals, and that not merely pictures on canvas, but pictures
in flesh and blood as well. For what else is your Rebecca but the copy of
a respectable, decent matron, whom you thought to smuggle in as an
original, while in reality she is nothing but a copy."

"In the eyes of the law and the Stadtholder perhaps, but not in the eyes
of God and of him who loves her more than his life and his eternal
salvation, for he is ready, in order to possess her, to renounce even his
honor and his peace of conscience. Oh, your excellency, be pitiful now and
let me see my Rebecca. You have given me your word, and you will not be so
cruel as to break your promise."

"I promised you nothing further than that I would intrust certain damaged
pictures to you for repairing, and that I would show you a picture which
might perhaps be familiar to you--that was all. I shall perform my
promise, and that immediately. But first, just tell me how you are
progressing with the painting I ordered of you. Perhaps you have already
with you some sketch of it? It would be peculiarly pleasant to me, for on
the day after to-morrow I give a _fete_ in my palace at Berlin, and it
would be quite opportune if I could then lay the sketch before the dear
Electoral Prince, who is to honor the _fete_ with his presence. He is a
connoisseur, and interests himself greatly in such things. Say, then, how
comes on your sketch, and can it be completed by that time?"

"It can, noble sir! But it is not possible for me to speak about that now,
for my thoughts are wandering and my heart beats as though 'twere like to
burst. If I am to become a reasonable man once more, let me--first of
all--"

"See the picture which I promised to show you?" interposed the count.
"Well, then, you shall see it, Master Gabriel Nietzel. Remember, though,
that I only show it to you on condition that you examine it in silence. So
soon as you shall venture to speak to it, it vanishes, and you see it
never more. One has to prescribe strict regulations to you, for you are
such an odd fellow, freely entertaining bad thoughts, but shrinking from
bad