Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/156

 Struck with a sudden idea, which caused him the most cruel anguish, the justice V recollected the fact, of which he was rendered the involuntary witness the past night. He also recollected the mournful cry that he had heard. His heart a prey to the most fatal apprehensions, he ran to the knight's hall; the door which communicated with the keep was open! The justice pointed with his finger to the abyss of the tower, and said to the servants, chilled with fright,

"It is there that your unfortunate master has found death this night!"

And in fact, through a thick coating of snow, which had drifted during the night, on the ruins, was seen an arm stiffened by death, half extended from amongst the stones. Several hours were required, and at the risk of the greatest danger, to recover, by means of ladders fastened together, the body of baron Wolfgang. One of his hands starkly held the lamp which had served to light him; all his limbs were horribly dislocated in his fall, and torn by the angles of the rocks.

Hubert was amongst the first to make his appearance, offering on his face all the signs of a true despair. The body of Wolfgang was laid on a large table, in the same place, where a short time before they had placed that of the old baron Roderick. Hubert threw himself on the body weepingly.

"Brother," exclaimed he, "I did not ask this fatal vengeance of the demons who possessed me!"

The justice, who was present, did not understand what these mysterious words could signify, but a secret instinct which he could not repress, pointed Hubert out to him as the murderer, through jealousy of the title to the entail. A few hours after this painful scene, Hubert came to seek him in the council chamber. He seated himself, pale and unnerved, in an oak arm chair, and spoke in a voice, made tremulous by emotion.

"I was," said he, "the enemy of my brother, on account of that absurd law which enriches the eldest of a family to the disadvantage of the other children. A frightful