Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/157

 has ended his days. I wish that this may not be a chastisement from heaven for the hardness of his heart. I am now the inheritor of the entail; God knows how much this change of fortune afflicts my heart; all happiness in this world has fled from me. As for yourself, sir, I confirm you fully in the charges and powers that were confided to you during the lifetime of my father and my brother; rule this domain according to your views, for my best interest. As for myself, I am about to leave this castle; I cannot live a single day longer amongst the scenes where such frightful events have taken place."

With these words, Hubert arose and left the apartment. Two hours afterwards he was galloping his horse towards K.

Meanwhile they were busy making inquiries concerning the cause of the death of the unfortunate baron. The common opinion was that he had arisen during the night, to seek for some book in the library. Deceived by his half slumbering condition, he mistook the door, and had opened the middle one, which opened on the abyss. This explanation was not wholly satisfactory; the door leading to the turret must have been usually bolted with great care, and time and strength were necessary to open it. How then imagine that the young baron could have been the victim of such an error? The justice lost himself in reflections, when Franz, the favorite servant of Wolfgang, who listened to him as he was talking to himself, interrupted him to say,

"Ah! it was not thus, that his misfortune happened!"

But all the questions with which he was urged, could not draw from him the least explanation in presence of witnesses. He declared that he would only speak to the justice, and under promise of secrecy. He afterwards related, in a mysterious conversation, that the departed often spoke of treasures that he supposed were buried up under the ruins of the turret; that he had taken the key of the door from Daniel, and that often, in the middle of the night, he went and crouched over