Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/166

 will, would have become for him a cause of mortal grief and malediction. Wolfgang, suddenly taken with a violent passion for a young girl of noble lineage, but entirely without fortune, had flattered himself with leading, by force of time and care, his old father to approve the marriage that he had contracted secretly with the woman whom he adored.

Meanwhile the old baron, having found in the constellations the prediction of his approaching death, had written to Geneva to order Wolfgang to come to him immediately. But when he arrived, his father was dead, as we have seen at the commencement of this story. A little later, when Hubert came to R—sitten, to settle with his brother the affairs of the succession, Wolfgang frankly told him the mystery of his marriage, expressing his joy at having been blessed with a son, and with being able soon to discover to his beloved wife, that the merchant DeBorn, to whom she had united her fate, was the rich and powerful heir of the barons of R—sitten. He confided to him, at the same time, his project of returning to Geneva, to bring back the baroness Seraphine of R. But death surprised him at the moment he was about to set out. Hubert profited by his death, to assure his direct succession to the inheritance, since nothing established the rights of the son of Wolfgang. Nevertheless, as he had in him a fund of loyalty, remorse was not long in taking possession of his mind. An accident which he looked upon as providential, awoke in him the fear of heavenly punishment. He had two children already eleven or twelve years of age, who gave continual proofs of misunderstanding. One day, the eldest of these two children said to the other,

"Thou art nothing but a miserable fellow; I shall be some day the lord of R—sitten, and then it will be necessary, my dear youngster, to come humbly to ask me for enough to buy a new doublet."

The younger, irritated by this pleasantry, struck his brother a blow with his knife, the consequences of which were fatal. Hubert, frightened by this misfortune, sent his remaining son