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 had happened, passed his word for all of us to the inspector, who had, some time before, been quartered for many months on his estate. This sufficed to set us free for the present, though that freedom was uncertain, for the officer took our names and address; we were, besides, obliged to give him our word of honour, that, on quitting the Spa, we would return to our former place of abode, and not leave it before a full month had expired.

It was to be expected that the aunt would now be heartily tired of the Spa, and Eloisa and myself had never agreed with her so cordially in any thing before. Wagen, indeed, seemed to be fettered by some secret attraction to the ball-room, but he burst his chains like a hero. We hurried back to our lodgings, changed our clothes, and before the dawn were on our return home. By the middle of the day we were in Rudendorf.

The robber-history, if it did no other good, at least effected something in making the aunt more tolerable than usual; indeed she was deeper in the business than I had at first ima-