Withoutwaitingforananswerfromtheclerk，theothercontinued：

"DidWinklerhavemoneysenthimfrequently？"

Bormannlookedinquiringlyatthecommissioner，whorepliedwithasmile："Youmayanswer。AnsweranythingthatMr。Mullerhastoaskofyou，asheisinchargeofthiscase。"

"AsfarasIcanremember，ithappenedthreetimes，"wasBormann’sanswer。

"Howclosetogether？"

"Why-aboutonceineverythreeorfourmonths，Ithink。"

"Thatlooksalmostlikearegularincome，"exclaimedRiedau。HiseyesmetMuller’s，whichwerelitupinsuddenfire。"Well，whatareyouthinkingof？"askedthecommissioner。

"Awoman，"answeredMuller;andcontinuedmoreasifthinkingaloudthanasifaddressingtheothers："Winklerwasagood-lookingman。Mighthenothavehadarichlovesomewhere？Mightnotthemoneyhavecomefromher，themoneythatwasfoundinhispocket？"

Muller’svoicetrailedoffintoindistinctnessatthelastwords，andthefirediedoutofhiseyes。Thenhelaughedaloud。

Thecommissionersmiledalso，agood-naturedsmile，suchasonewouldgivetoachildwhohasbeenover-eager。"Itdoesn’tmattertouswherethemoneycamefrom。Allthatmattershereiswherethebulletcamefrom-thebulletwhichpreventedhisenjoyingthismoney。Anditisofmoreinteresttoustofindoutwhorobbedhimofhislifeandhisproperty，ratherthanthesourcefromwhichthispropertycame。

Thecommissioner’stonewasfriendly，butMuller’sfaceflushedred，andhis，headdropped。RiedauturnedtoBormannandcontinued："Andbecauseitisofnointeresttouswherehismoneycamefrom-foritcanhavenothingwhatevertodowithhismurderandthesubsequentrobbery-thereforewhatyounoticedofhisbehaviourcannotbeofanyimportanceorbearinginthecaseinanyway。Unless，indeed，youshouldfindoutanythingmore。Butweappreciatethethoughtfulnessofyourselfandyouremployerandyourreadinesstohelpus。"

Bormannrosetoleave，butthecommissionerputoutahandtostophim。"Afewmomentsmore，please;youmayknowofsomethingelsethatwillbeofassistancetous。WehaveheardthatWinklerboastedofhisbelongings-didhetalkabouthisprivateaffairsinanyway？"

"No，sir，Idonotthinkhedid。"

"Yousaythathedestroyedthenoteatonce，evidentlyrealisingthatnoonemustseeit-thisnotemayhavebeenapromiseforthemoneywhichhadnotyetcome。Didhe，however，tellanyonelaterthatheexpectedacertainsum？Doyouthinkhewouldhavebeenlikelytotellanyone？"

"No，Idonotthinkthathewouldtellanyone。Henevermentionedtoanyofusthathehadreceivedmoney，oreventhatheexpectedtoreceiveit。Noneofusknewwhatoutsideresourceshemighthave，orwhencetheycame。Ifithadnotbeenthatthemoneywaspaidhimbythecarrierintheofficetwoorthreetimes-so，thatwecouldseeit-wewouldnoneofushaveknownofthisincome，exceptforthefactthathewasfreerinspendingafterthemoneycame。Hewoulddineatexpensiverestaurants，andthisfacthewouldmentiontous，whereasatothertimeshewouldgotothecheapcaf？"

"Doyouknowanythingaboutthepeoplehewasacquaintedwithoutsidetheoffice？"

"No，sir。Iseldommethimoutsideoftheoffice。OneeveningitdidhappenthatIsawhimatRonacher’s。Hewastherewithalady-thatis，aso-called’lady’-anditmusthavebeenoneofthetimesthathehadmoney，fortheywereenjoyinganexpensivesupper。Atothertimes，someoftheotherclerksmethimatvariousresorts，alwayswiththesamesortofwoman。Butnotalwayswiththesamewoman，fortheyweredifferentinappearance。"

"Hewasneverseenanywherewithothermen？"

"No，sir;atleastnotbyanyofus。"

"Hewasnotlikedintheoffice？"

"No。"Bormann’sanswerwassharp。

"Forwhatreason？"

"Idon’tknow;wejustdidn’tlikehim。Wehadverylittletodowithhimatfirstbecauseofthis，andsoonwenoticedthatheseemedjustasanxioustoavoidusasweweretoavoidhim。"

ThecommissionerroseandBormannfollowedhisexample。"Iamverysorry，sir，ifIhavetakenupyourtimetonopurpose，"saidthelattermodestly，ashetookuphishat。

"Iamnotsosurethatwhatyouhavesaidmaynotbeofgreatvaluetous，"saidavoicebehindthem。Mullerstoodthere，lookingatRiedauwithaglancealmostofdefiance。Hiseyeswereagainlitupwiththestrangefirethatshoneinthemwhenhewasonthetrail。

Thecommissionershruggedhisshoulders，bowedtothedepartingvisitor，andthenturnedwithoutananswertosomedocumentsonhisdesk。Therewassilenceintheroomforafewmoments。FinallyagentlevoicecamefromMuller’scorneragain："Dr。vonRiedau？"

Thecommissionerraisedhisheadandlookedaround。"Oh，areyoustillthere？"heaskedwithadrawl。

Mullerknewwhatthisdrawlmeant。Itwasthemanneradoptedbytheamiablecommissionerwhenhewasinamoodwhichwasnotamiable。

AndMullerknewalsothecauseofthemood。Itwashisownlastremark，thewordsheaddressedtoBormann。Mullerhimselfrecognisedthefactthatthisremarkwasoutofplace，thatitwasalmostanimpertinence，becauseitwasindirectcontradictiontoastatementmadeafewmomentsbeforebyhissuperiorofficer。Alsoherealisedthathisremarkhadbeenquiteunnecessary，becauseitwasamatterofindifferencetotheyoungman，whowasonlyobeyinghisemployer’sordersinreportingwhathehadseen，whetherhisreportwasofvalueornot。Mullerhadsimplyutteredaloudthethoughtthatcameintohismind，ahabitofhiswhichyearsofofficialtraininghadnotyetsucceededinbreaking。Itwasannoyingtohimselfsometimes，forthesehalf-formedthoughtsweremereinstinct-theyweretheworkingsofhisowngeniusthatmadehimcatchasuspicionofthetruthlongbeforehisconsciousmindcouldreasonitoutorappreciateitsvalue。Butthatsortofthingwasnotpopularinofficialpolicelife。

"Well，"askedthecommissioner，asMullerdidnotcontinue，"yourtongueisnotusuallysoslow-asyouhaveprovedjustafewmomentsback-whatwereyougoingtosaynow？"

"Iwasabouttoaskyourpardonformyinterruption。Itwasunnecessary，Ishouldnothavesaidit。"

"Well，Irealisethatyouknowbetteryourself，"saidRiedau，nowquitefriendlyagain，"andnowwhatelsehaveyoutosay？Doyoureallythinkthatwhattheyoungmanhasjusttoldusisofanyvalueatallforthiscase？"

"Itseemstomeasifitmightbeofvaluetous。"

"Oh，itseemstoyou，eh？Yourimaginationisworkingovertimeagain，Muller，"saidthecommissionerwithalaugh。ButthelaughturnedtoseriousnessasherealisedhowmanytimesMuller’simaginationhadhelpedtheclumsyofficialmindtoitsproudesttriumphs。Thecommissionerwasanintelligentman，asfarashislightswent，andhewasagood-heartedman。Herosefromhischairandwalkedovertowherethedetectivestood。"Youneedn’tlooksoembarrassed，Muller，"hesaid。"Thereisnocauseforyoutofeelbadaboutit。And-Iamquitewillingtoadmitthatmyremarkjustnowwasunnecessary。Youmaygiveyourimaginationfullrein，wecantrusttoyourintelligenceandyourdevotiontodutytokeepitfromunnecessaryflights。Socurbed，Iknowitwillbeofasmuchassistancetousthistimeasitalwayshasbeen。"

Muller’squietfacelitup，andhiseyesshoneinahappinessthatmadehimappeartenyearsyounger。ThatwasoneofthestrangethingsaboutJosephMuller。Thisgeniusinhisprofessionwasinallotherwaysamanofsuchsimplicityofheartandbearing，thattheslightestwordofapprovalfromoneoftheofficialsforwhomheworkedcouldmakehimashappyaspraisefromtheteacherwillmakeaschoolboy。Themomentswhenhewasincommandofanydifficultcase，whenthesesamesuperiorswouldwaitforawordfromhim，whenhighofficialswouldtakehisordersorwouldbeobligedtoacknowledgethatwithouthimtheywerehelpless，thesemomentswereforgottenassoonastheproblemwassolvedandMullerbecameagainthesimplesubordinateandtheobscurememberoftheImperialpoliceforce。

WhenMullerleftthecommissioner’sroomandwalkedthroughtheouteroffice，oneoftheclerkslookedafterhimandwhisperedtohiscompanion："Doyouthinkhe’sfoundtheHietzingmurdereryet？"

Theotheranswered："Idon’tthinkso，buthelooksasifhehadfoundaclue。He’llfindhimsoonerorlater。Healwaysdoes。"

Mullerdidnothearthesewords，althoughtheyalsowouldhavepleasedhim。Hewalkedslowlydownthestairsmurmuringtohimself：

"IthinkIwasrightjustthesame。Wearefollowingafalsetrail。"

CHAPTERV

BYATHREAD

ItwasonMonday，the27thofSeptember，thatLeopoldWinklerwasmurderedandrobbed，andearlyonTuesday，the28th，hisbodywasfound。Thatdaytheeveningpapersprintedthereportofthemurderandthedescriptionofthedeadman，andonWednesday，the29th，Mrs。KlingmayerreadthenewsandwenttoseeWinkler’semployer。

Bynoonofthatdaythebodywasidentifiedandadescriptionofthestolenpurseandwatchtelegraphedtopoliceheadquartersinvariouscities。Afewhourslater，thesepolicestationshadsentoutnoticesbymessengertoallpawnshopsanddealersinsecond-handclothing，andnowthemachineryofthelawsatwaitingforsomenewsofanattemptonthepartoftherobber-and-murderertogetridofhisplunder。

OnthissameWednesday，aboutthetwilighthour，DavidGoldstamm，dealerinsecond-handclothing，stoodbeforethedoorofhisshopinasidestreetoftheoldHungariancityofPressburgandwatchedhisassistanttakedowntheclotheswhichwerehangingoutsideandcarrythemintothestore。Theoldman’seyesglancedcarelesslyupanddownthestreetandcaughtsightofamanwhoturnedthecornerandcamehurryingtowardshim。Thismanwasaveryseedy-lookingindividual。Anoldfadedovercoathungabouthisthinfigure，andatornanddustyhatfelloverhislefteye。Heseemedalsotobemuchtheworseforliquorandverywobblyonhisfeet。Andyetheseemedanxioustohurryonwardinspiteoftheunevennessofhiswalk。

Thenheslowedupsuddenly，glancedacrossthestreettoGoldstamm’sstore，andcrossedover。

"Haveyouanybootsforme？"heasked，stickingouthisrightfootthatthedealermightseewhetherhehadanythingtherequisitesize。

"Ithinkthere’ssomethingthere，"answeredtheoldmaninhisusualbusinessliketone，leadingthewayintothestore。

Thestrangerfollowed。Goldstammlittheonelightinthelittleplaceandgropedaboutinanuntidyheapofshoesofallkindsandsizesuntilhefoundseveralpairsthathethoughtmightfit。Thesehebroughtoutandputtheminfrontofhiscustomer。Butinspiteofhisblearyeyes，themancaughtsightofsomepatchesontheuppersofonepair，andpushedthemawayfromhim。

"Givemesomethingbetterthanthat。Icanpayforit。Idon’thavetowearpatchedshoes，"hegrunted。

Goldstammdidn’tlikethelooksoftheman，buthefeltthathehadbetterbecarefulandnotmakehimangry。"Havepatience，sir，I’llfindyousomethingbetter，"hesaidgently，tossingtheheapaboutagain，butnowkeepinghisfaceturnedtowardshiscustomer。

"Iwantacoatalsoandawarmpairoftrousers，"saidthestrangerinaroughvoice。Hebentdowntoloosentheshabbybootfromhisrightfoot，andashedidsosomethingfelloutofthepocketofhiscoat。AnunconsciousmotionofhisownraisedfootstruckthissmallobjectandtosseditintothemiddleoftheheapofshoesclosebyGoldstamm’shand。Theoldmanreachedoutafteritandcaughtit。Itwasjustanordinarybrownleatherpocketbook，ofmediumsize，oldandshabby，likeathousandothers。Buttheeyesofthelittleoldmanwidenedasifinterror，hisfaceturnedpaleandhishandstrembled。Forhehadseen，hangingfromonesideofthiswornbrownleatherpocketbook，theendofayellowthread，theloosenedendofthethreadwithwhichonesideofthepursewasmended。ThethreadtoldDavidGoldstammwhoitwasthathadcomeintohisshop。

Heregainedhiscontrolwithadesperateeffortofthewill。Ittookhimbutafewsecondstodoso，and，thankstohispartialintoxication，thecustomerhadnotnoticedtheshopkeeper’sstartofalarm。Butheappearedanxiousandimpatienttoregainpossessionofhispurse。

"Haven’tyoufoundityet？"heexclaimed。

Goldstammhastenedtogiveitback。Thetrampputthepurseinhispocketwithasighofrelief。Goldstammhadregainedhiscalmandhismindwasworkingeagerly。Heputseveralpairsofshoesbeforehiscustomer，withtheremark："Youmusttrythemon。We’llfindsomethingtosuityou。AndmeanwhileIwillbringinseveralpairsoftrousersfromthoseoutside。Ihavesomefinecoatstoshowyoutoo。"

Goldstammwentouttothedoor，almostcollidingtherewithhisassistantwhowascominginwithhisarmfullofgarments。Theoldmanmotionedtotheboy，whoretreateduntiltheywerebothhiddenfromtheviewofthemanwithinthestore。

"Givemethosebluetrousersthere，"saidGoldstamminaloudvoice。

Theninawhisperhesaidtotheboy："Runtothepolicestation。

Themanwiththewatchandthepurseisinthere。"

Theboyunderstoodandsetoffatonceatafastpace，whiletheoldmanreturnedtohisstorewithaheavyheart。Hewonderedwhetherhewouldbeabletokeepthemurdererthereuntilthepolicecouldcome。Andhealsowonderedwhatitmightcosthim，anoldandfeebleman，whowouldbeasaweakreedinthehandsofthestrongtrampinthere。Butheknewitwashisdutytodowhateverhecouldtohelpinthearrestofonewhohadjusttakenthelifeofafellowcreature。Therealisationofthisgavetheoldmanstrengthandcalmness。

"Anicesortofaneyeforsizeyouhave，"criedthetrampastheoldmancameuptohim。"Isupposeyou’vebroughtmeinaboy’ssuit？Whatdoyoutakemefor？Anygirlcouldgotoaballintheshoesyoubroughtmetotryonhere。"

"Aretheysomuchtoosmall？"askedthedealerinaninnocenttone。

"Well，there’splentymorethere。AndperhapsyouhadbetterbetryingonthissuitbehindthecurtainherewhileI’mhuntinguptheshoes。"

Thissuggestionseemedtopleasethestranger，ashewasevidentlyinahurry。Hepassedinbehindthecurtainandbegantoundress。

Goldstamm’skeeneyeswatchedhimthroughacrack。Therewasnotmuchtobeseenexceptthatthetrampseemedanxioustokeephisovercoatwithinreachofhishand。Hehadcarefullyputthepurseinoneofitspockets。

We’llgetthethingsalltogetherprettysoon，"saidthedealer。

"I’vefoundapairofbootshere，finebootsofgoodquality，andsuretofit。"

"Stopyourtalk，"growledtheother，"andcomehereandhelpmesothatIcangetaway。"

Goldstammcameforward，andthoughhisheartwasveryheavywithinhim，heaidedthisman，thismanaboutwhomsomanyhundredswerenowthinkinginterror，ascalmlyashehadaidedhisotherpoorbuthonestcustomers。

Withhandsthatdidnottremble，thedealerbusiedhimselfabouthiscustomer，listeningallthewhiletosoundsinthestreetinthehopethathistete-e-tetewiththemurdererwouldsoonbeover。

Butinspiteofallhisnaturalanxiety，theoldman’ssharpeyestookcognizanceofvariousthings，oneofwhichwasthatthemanwhomhewashelpingtodressinhisnewclothesdidnothavethewatchwhichwasdescribedinthepolicenotice。Thisfact，however，didnotmaketheoldman’sheartanylighter，forthepursemendedwithyellowthreadwastooclearlytheonestolenfromthemurderedmanfoundinthequietstreetinHietzing。

"What’sthematterwithyou，you’resoslow？Icangetalongbettermyself，"growledthetramp，pushingtheoldmanawayfromhim。Goldstammhadreallybeguntotremblenowinspiteofhiscontrol，inthefearthatthemanwouldgetawayfromhimbeforethepolicecame。

Thetrampwasalreadydressedinthenewsuit，intoapocketofwhichheputtheoldpurse。

"There，nowthebootsandthenwe’refinished，"saidthedealerwithanattemptatasmile。Inhisheartheprayedthatthepairhenowheldinhishandmightnotfit，thathemightgainafewminutesmore。Buttheshoesdidfit。Alittlepushingandstampingandthemanwasreadytoleavethestore。Hewasevidentlyinahurry，forhepaidwhatwasaskedwithoutanyattempttobargain。

HadGoldstammnotknownwhomhehadbeforehimnow，hewouldhavebeenverymuchastonishedatthis，andmightperhapshavebeensorrythathehadnotnamedahighersum。Butunderthecircumstancesheunderstoodonlytoowelltheman’sdesiretogetaway，andwouldmuchratherhavehadsometalkastothepayment，anythingthatwouldkeephiscustomeralittlelongerinhisstore。

"There，nowwe’reready。I’llpackupyouroldthingsforyou。Orperhapswecanmakeadealforthem。Ipaythehighestpricesinthecity，"saidGoldstamm，withanapparenteagernesswhichhehopedwoulddeceivethecustomer。

Butthemanhadalreadyturnedtowardsthedoor，andcalledhackoverhisshoulder："Youcankeeptheoldthings，Idon’twantthem。"

Ashespokeheopenedthedoorofthestoreandstoodfacetofacewithapolicemanholdingarevolver。Heturned，withacurse，backintotheroom，butthedealerwasnowheretobeseen。DavidGoldstammhaddonehisdutytothepublic，inspiteofhisfear。

Now，seeingthatthepolicehadarrived，hecouldthinkofhisdutytohisfamily。Thisdutywasplainlytosavehisownlife，andwhenthetrampturnedagaintolookforhim，hehaddisappearedoutofthebackdoor。

"NotamoveorIwillshoot，"criedthepoliceman，andnowtwoothersappearedbehindhim，andcameintothestore。Butthetrampmadenoattempttoescape。Hestoodpaleandtremblingwhiletheyputthehandcuffsonhim，andletthemtakehimawaywithoutanyresistance。HewasputontheeveningexpressforVienna，andtakentoPoliceHeadquartersinthatcity。Hemadenoprotestnoranyattempttoescape，butherefusedtoutterawordontheentirejourney。

CHAPTERVI

ALMOSTCONVICTED

TheeveningwasalreadyfargonewhenMullerenteredRiedau’soffice。

"You’reintime，themanisn’thereyet。Thetrainisevidentlylate，"saidthecommissioner。"We’reworkingthiscaseoffquickly。Wewillhavethemurdererhereinhalfanhouratthelatest。Hedidnothavemuchtimetoenjoythestolenproperty。HewashereinViennathismorning，andwasarrestedinPressburgthisafternoon。Hereisthetelegram，readit。"

Dr。vonRiedauhandedMullerthemessage。Thecommissionerwasevidentlypleasedandexcited。Thetelegramreadasfollows："Manarrestedhereinpossessionofdescribedpursecontainingfourtenguldennotesandfourguldensinsilver。Arrestedinstoreofsecond-handclothesdealerGoldstamm。WillarrivethiseveninginViennaunderguard。"

ThemessagewassignedbytheChiefofthePressburgpolice。

Mullerlaidthepaperonthedeskwithoutaword。Therewasawatchonthisdeskalready;itwasaheavygoldwatch，unusuallythick，withtheinitialsL。W。onthecover。JustasMullerlaiddownthetelegram，adooroutsidewasopenedandthecommissionercoveredthewatchhastily。TherewasaloudknockathisowndoorandanattendantenteredtoannouncethatthepartyfromPressburghadarrivedHewasfollowedbyoneofthePressburgpoliceforce，whobroughttheofficialreport。

"Didyouhaveanydifficultywithhim？"askedthecommissioner。

"Oh，no，sir;itwasaveryeasyjob。Hemadenoresistanceatall，andheseemstobequitesobernow。Buthehasn’tsaidawordsincewearrestedhim。"

Thenfollowedthedetailedreportofthearrest，andthedeliveryofthedescribedpocketbooktothecommissioner。

"Isthatall？"askedDr。vonRiedau。

"Yes，sir。"

"Thenyoumaygohomenow，wewilltakechargeoftheman。"

Thepolicemanbowedandlefttheroom。Afewmomentslaterthetrampwasbroughtin，guardedbytwoarmedroundsmen。Hisguardsremainedatthedoor，whiletheprisonerhimselfwalkedforwardtothemiddleoftheroom。CommissionervonRiedausatathisdesk，hisclerkbesidehimreadytotakedowntheevidence。Mullersatnearawindowwithapaperonhislap，lookingtheleastinterestedofanybodyintheproceedings。

Foramomenttherewascompletesilenceintheroom，whichwasbrokeninaratherunusualmanner。Adeepvoice，morelikeagrowl，althoughithadaqueerstrainofcomicgood-natureinit，begantheproceedingswiththeremark："Wellnow，say，whatdoyouwantofme，anyway？"

Thecommissionerlookedatthemaninastonishment，thenturnedasidethattheprisonermightnotnoticehissmile。Buthemighthavesparedhimselfthetrouble，forMuller，theclerk，andthetwopolicemenatthedoorwereallonabroadgrin。

Thenthecommissionerpulledhimselftogetheragain，andbeganwithhisusualofficialgravity："ItisIwhoaskquestionshere。Isitpossiblethatyoudonotknowthis？Youlooktomeasifyouhadhadexperienceinpolicecourtsbefore。"Thecommissionergazedattheprisonerwitheyesthatwerenotaltogetherfriendly。Thetrampseemedtofeelthis，andhisowneyesdropped，whilethegood-naturedimpertinenceinhisbearingdisappeared。Itwasevidentlythelastremainsofhisintoxication。Hewasnowquitesober。

"Whatisyourname？"askedthecommissioner。

"JohannKnoll。"

"Wherewereyouborn？"

"NearBrunn。"

"Yourage？"

"I’m-I’llbefortynextChristmas。"

"Yourreligion？"

"Well，youcanseeI’mnoJew，can’tyou？"

"Youwillpleaseanswermyquestionsinapropermanner。Thisimpertinencewillnotmakethingseasierforyou。"

"Allright，sir，"saidthetramphumbly。"IamaCatholic。"

"Youhavebeeninprisonbefore？"Thiswasscarcelyaquestion。

"No，sir，"saidKnollfirmly。

"Whatisyourbusiness？"

"Idon’tknowwhattosay，sir，"answeredKnoll，shrugginghisshoulders。"I’vedonealotofthingsinmylife。I’macattledroverandalumberman，andI-"

"Didyoulearnanytrade？"

"No，sir，Ineverlearnedanything。"

"Doyoumeantotellmethatwithouthavinglearnedanytradeyou’vegottenthroughlifethusfarhonestly？"

"Oh，I’veworkedhardenough-I’veworkedgoodandhardsometimes。"

"Thelastfewdaysparticularly，eh？"

"Why，no，sir，nottheselastdays-Iwasdroveronatransportofpigs;webrought’emdownfromHungary，200of’em，totheslaughterhousehere。"

"Whenwasthat？"

"Thatwas-thatwasMonday。"

"ThislastMonday？"

"Yes，sir。

"AndthenyouwenttoHietzing？"

"Yes，sir，that’sright。"

"WhydidyougotoHietzing？"

"Why，seehere，sir，ifIhadgonetoOttakring，thenIsupposeyouwouldhaveaskedwhydidIgotoOttakring。IjustwenttoHietzing。

Afellowhastogosomewhere。Youdon’tstayinthesamespotallthetime，doyou？"

Againthecommissionerturnedhisheadandanothersmilewentthroughtheroom。ThisHietzingmurdererhadasenseofhumour。

"Well，then，we’llgotoHietzingagain，inourmindsatleast，"

saidthecommissioner，turningbacktoKnollwhenhehadcontrolledhismerriment。"YouwentthereonMonday，then-andthedaywascomingtoanend。WhatdidyoudowhenyoureachedHietzing？"

"Ilookedaboutforaplacetosleep。"

"Wheredidyoulookforaplacetosleep？"

"Why，inHietzing。"

"Thatisnotdefiniteenough。"

"Well，inagarden。"

"Youweretrespassing，youmean？"

"Why，yes，sir。Therewasn’tanybodythatseemedtowanttoinvitemetodinnerortogivemeaplacetosleep。Ijusthadtolookoutformyself。"

"Youevidentlyknowhowtolookoutforyourselfatthecostofothers，aheavycost。"Thecommissioner’seasytonehadchangedtosternness。Knollfeltthis，andasharpgleamshotoutfromhisdulllittleeyes，whilethetoneofhisvoicewasgruffandimpertinentagainasheasked："Whatdoyoumeanbythat？"

"Youknowwellenough。Youhadbetternotwasteanymoretime，buttellusatoncehowyoucameintopossessionofthispurse。"

"It’smypurse，"Knollansweredwithcalmimpertinence。"Igotitthewaymostpeoplegetit。Iboughtit。"

"Thispurse？"thecommissioneremphasisedbothwordsdistinctly。

"Thispurse-yes，"answeredthetrampwithaperfectimitationofRiedau’svoice。"Whyshouldn’tIhaveboughtthispursejustlikeanyother？"

"Becauseyoustolethispursefromthemanwhomyou-murdered，"

wasthecommissioner’sreply。

Therewasanothermomentofdeadsilenceintheroom。ThecommissionerandMullerwatchedintentlyforanychangeofexpressioninthefaceofthemanwhohadjusthadsuchanaccusationhurledathim。Eventheclerkandthetwopolicemenatthedoorwereinterestedtoseewhatwouldhappen。

Knoll’scalmimpertinencevanished，adeadlypallorspreadoverhisface，andheseemedfrozentostone。Heattemptedtospeak，butwasnotabletocontrolhisvoice。Hishandswereclenchedandtremorsshookhisgauntbutstrong-muscledframe。

"WhendidImurderanybody？"hegaspedfinallyinahoarsecroak。

"You’llhavetoproveittomethatIamamurderer。"

"Thatiseasilyproved。Hereisoneoftheproofs，"saidRiedancoldly，pointingtothepurse。"Thepurseandthewatchofthemurderedmanarefatalwitnessesagainstyou。"

"Thewatch？Ihaven’tanywatch。WhereshouldIgetawatch？"

"Youdidn’thaveoneuntilMonday，possibly;Icanbelievethat。

ButyouwereinpossessionofawatchbetweentheeveningofMonday，the27th，andthemorningofWednesday，the29th。"

Knoll’seyesdroppedagainandhedidnottrusthimselftospeak。

"Well，youdonotdenythisstatement？"

"No，Ican’t，"saidKnoll，stilltryingtocontrolhisvoice。

"Youmusthavethewatchyourselfnow，orelseyouwouldn’tbesocertainaboutit。"

"Ah，yousee，Ithoughtyou’dhadexperiencewithpolicecourtsbefore，"saidthecommissioneramiably。"OfcourseIhavethewatchalready。Themanwhomyousoldittothismorningknewbythreeo’clockthisafternoonwherethiswatchcamefrom。Hebroughtithereatonceandgaveusyourdescription。Averyexactdescription。Themanwillbebroughtheretoidentifyyouto-morrow。

Wemustsendforhimanyway，toreturnhismoneytohim。Hepaidyoufifty-twoguldenforthewatch。Andhowmuchmoneywasinthepursethatyoutookfromthemurderedman？"

"Threeguldeneighty-five。"

"Thatwasaverysmallsumforwhichtocommitamurder。"

Knollgroanedandbithislipsuntiltheybled。

CommissionervonRiedauraisedthepaperthatcoveredthewatchandcontinued："Youpresumablyrecognisedthatthechainonwhichthiswatchhungwasvalueless，alsothatitcouldeasilyberecognised。

Didyouthrowitaway，orhaveyouitstill？"

"Ithrewitintheriver。"

"Thatwillnotmakeanydifference。Wedonotneedthechain，wehavequiteenoughevidencewithoutit。Thepurse，forinstance：youthought，Isuppose，thatitwasjustapurselikeathousandothers，butitisnot。Thispurseisabsolutelyindividualandeasilyrecognised，becauseitismendedinonespotwithyellowthread。

Thethreadhasbecomeloosenedandhangsdowninaverynoticeablemanner。Itwasthisyellowthreadonthepurse，whichhehappenedtoseebychance，thatshowedthedealerGoldstammwhoitwasthathadenteredhisstore。"

Knollstoodquitesilent，staringatthefloor。Dropsofperspirationstoodoutonhisforehead，someofthemrollingliketearsdownhischeek。

Thecommissionerrosefromhisseatandwalkedslowlytowheretheprisonerstood。Helaidonehandontheman’sshoulderandsaidinavoicethatwasquitegentleandkindagain："JohannKnoll，donotwasteyourtime，orours，inthinkingupuselesslies。Youarealmostconvictedofthiscrimenow。Youhavealreadyacknowledgedsomuch，thatthereisbutlittlemoreforyoutosay。Ifyoumakeanopenconfession，itwillbegreatlytoyouradvantage。"

Againtheroomwasquietwhiletheotherswaitedforwhatwouldhappen。Foramomentthetrampstoodsilent，withthecommissioner’srighthandrestingonhisshoulder。Thentherewasasuddenmovement，astruggleandashout，andthetwopolicemenhadoverpoweredtheprisonerandheldhimfirmly。Mullerrosequicklyandsprangtohischief’sside。Riedauhadnotevenchangedcolour，andhesaidcalmly："Oh，nevermind，Muller;sitdownagain。Themanhadhandcuffsonandheisquitequietnow。Ithinkhehassenseenoughtoseethatheisonlyharminghimselfbyhisviolence。

ThecommissionerreturnedtohisdeskandMullerwentbacktohischairbythewindow。Theprisonerwasquietagain，althoughhisfaceworeadarkflushandtheveinsonthroatandforeheadwereswollenthick。Hetremblednoticeablyandtheheavydropsbesprinkledhisbrow。

"I-Ihavesomethingtosay，sir，"hebegan，"butfirstIwanttobegyourpardon-"

"Oh，nevermindthat。Iamnotangrywhenamanisfightingforhislife，evenifhedoesn’tchoosequitetherightway，"answeredthecommissionercalmly，playingwithaleadpencil。

Knoll’sexpressionwasdefiantnow。Helaughedharshlyandbeganagain："WhatI’mtellin’younowisthetruthwhetheryoubelieveitornot。Ididn’tkilltheman。Itookthewatchandpursefromhim。Ithoughthewasdrunk。Ifhewaskilled，Ididn’tdoit。"

"Hewaskilledbyashot。"

"Ashot？Why，yes，Iheardashot，butIdidn’tthinkanymoreaboutit，Ididn’tthinktherewasanythin’doing，Ithoughtsomebodywasshootin’acat，orelse-"

"Oh，don’tbothertoinventthings。Itwasamanwhowasshotat，themanwhomyourobbed。Butgoon，goon。Iamanxioustohearwhatyouwilltellme。"

Knoll’shands，clenchedtofistsandhiseyesglowedinhateanddefiance。Thenhedroppedthemtotheflooragainandbegantotalkslowlyinamonotonoustonethatsoundedasifhewererepeatingalesson。Hismannerwasratherunfortunateanddidnottendtoinducebeliefinthetruthofhisstory。Thegistofwhathesaidwasasfollows：

HehadreachedHietzingonMondayeveningabout8o’clock。Hewasthirsty，asusual，andhadabouttwoguldeninhispossession，hiswagesforthelastday’swork。HeturnedintoataverninHietzingandateanddrankuntilhismoneywasallgone，andhehadnotevenenoughlefttopayforanight’slodging。ButKnollwasnotworriedaboutthat。Hewasaccustomedtosleepingoutofdoors，andasthiswasaparticularlyfineevening，therewasnothingintheprospecttoalarmhim。Hesetaboutfindingasuitableplacewherehewouldnotbedisturbedbytheguardiansofthelaw。Hissearchledhimbychanceintoanewlyopenedstreet。Thissuitedhimexactly。

Thefenceswereeasytoclimb，andtherewereseverallittlesummerhousesinsightwhichmademuchmoreagreeablelodgingsthanthegroundunderabush。Andaboveall，thestreetwassoquietanddesertedthatheknewitwasjusttheplaceforhim。Hehadneverbeeninthestreetbefore，anddidnotknowitsname。Hepassedthefourhousesattheendofthestreet-hewasontheleftsidewalk-andthenhecametotwofenced-inbuildinglots。Theseinterestedhim。Hewasveryagile，raisedhimselfuponthefenceseasilyandtookstockofthesituation。Oneofthelotsdidnotappealtohimparticularly，butthesecondonedid。Itborderedonalargegarden，inthemiddleofwhichhecouldseealittlehouseofsomekind。Itwasaftersunsetbuthecouldseethingsquiteplainlyyetfortheairwasclearandthemoonwasjustrising。Hesawalsothatinthevacantlotadjoiningthegarden，alotwhichappearedtohavebeenagardenitselfonce，therewasasortofshed。Itlookedverymuchdamagedbutappearedtooffersheltersufficientforafinenight。

Theshedstoodonalittleraiseofthegroundnearthehighironfencethatprotectedthelargegarden。Knolldecidedthattheshedwouldmakeagoodplacetospendthenight。Heclimbedthefenceeasilyandwalkedacrossthelot。Whenhewasjustsettlinghimselfforhisnap，heheardtheclockonanear-bychurchstrikenine。Thevariousdrinkshehadhadforsupperputhiminamoodthatwouldnotallowhimtogettosleepatonce。Thebenchintheoldshedwasdecidedlyricketyandveryuncomfortable，andashewastossingabouttofindagoodposition，athoughtcameintohismindwhichheacknowledgedwasnotacommendableone。Itoccurredtohimthatifhepursuedhisinvestigationsintheneighbourhoodalittlefurther，hemightbeabletopickupsomethingthatwouldbeofadvantagetohimonhiswanderings。

Hiseyesandhisthoughtsweredirectedtowardsthehandsomehousewhichhecouldseebeyondthetreesoftheoldgarden。

Themoonwasnowwellupintheskyanditshonebrightlyonthemansardroofofthefineoldmansion。Thewindowsofthelongwingwhichstretchedouttowardsthegardenglistenedinthemoonbeams，andthelightcolouredwallofthehousemadeabrightbackgroundforthedarkmaskoftreeswavinggentlyinthenightbreeze。Knoll’slittleshedwassufficientlyraisedonitshillockforhimtohaveagoodviewofthegarden。Therewasnodoortotheshedandhecouldseetheneighbouringpropertyclearlyfromwherehelayonhisbench。Whilehelaytherewatching，hesawawomanwalkingthroughthegarden。Hecouldseeheronlywhenshepassedbackoforbetweenthelowershrubsandbushes。Asfarashecouldsee，shecamefromthemainbuildingandwaswalkingtowardsaprettylittlehousewhichlayinthecentreofthegarden。

Knollhadimaginedthishousetobethegardener’sdwellingandasitlayquitedarkhesupposedtheinmateswereeitherasleeporoutfortheevening。Ithadbeenthishousewhichhewasintendingtohonourbyavisit。Butseeingthewomanwalkingtowardsit，hedecideditwouldnotbesafetocarryouthisplanjustyetawhile。

Afewmomentslaterhewascertainthatthislastdecisionhadbeenawiseone，forhesawamancomefromthemainbuildingandwalkalongthepaththewomanhadtaken。"No，nothingdoingthere，"

thoughtKnoll，andconcludedhehadbettergotosleep。Hecouldnotrememberjusthowlonghemayhavedozedbutitseemedtohimthatduringthattimehehadheardashot。Itdidnotinteresthimmuch。Hesupposedsomeonewasshootingatathievingcatoratsomesmallnightanimal。Hedidnotevenrememberwhetherhehadbeenreallysoundasleep，beforehewasarousedbythebreakingdownofthebenchonwhichhelay。Thenoiseofitmorethantheshockoftheshortfall，awokehimandhesprangtipinalarmandlistenedintentlytohearwhetheranyonehadbeenattractedbyit。

Hisfirstglancewastowardsthebuildingbehindthegarden。Therewasnosoundnornolightinthegardenhousebuttherewasalightinthemainbuilding。Whilethetrampwaswonderingwhathouritmightbe，thechurchclockansweredhimbytenloudstrokes。

Hisheadwasalreadyachingfromthewineandhedidnotfeelcomfortableinthedraftyoldbuilding。Hecameoutfromit，creptalongtothespotwherehehadclimbedthefencebefore，andafterlisteningcarefullyandhearingnothingoneitherside，heclimbedbacktotheroad。TheStreetlaysilentandempty，whichwasjustwhathewashopingfor。Heheldcarefullytotheshadowthrownbythehighboardfenceoverwhichhehadclimbeduntilhecametoitsend。Thenherememberedthathehadn’tdoneanythingwrongandsteppedoutboldlyintothemoonlight。Themoonwaswellupnowandthestreetwasalmostaslightasday。Knollwasattractedbythequeershadowsthrownbyabigeldertree，wavingitslongbranchesinthewind。Ashecamenearerhesawthatpartoftheshadowwasnoshadowatallbutwasthebodyofamanlyinginthestreetnearthebush。"Ithoughtsurehewasdrunk"wasthewayKnolldescribedit。"I’vebeenlikethatmyselfoftenuntilsomebodycamealongandfoundme。"

Whenhecametothisspotinhisstory，hehaltedanddrewalongbreath。CommissionervonRiedauhadbeguntomakesomefiguresonthepaperinfrontofhim，thenchangedthelinesuntiltheheadofaprettywomaninafurhattookshapeunderhisfingers。

"Well，goon，"hesaid，lookingwithinterestathisdrawingandimprovingitwithseveralquickstrokes。

JohannKnollcontinued：

"ThenthedevilcameovermeandIthoughtIbettertakethisgoodopportunity-well-Idid。ThemanwaslyingonhisbackandI

sawawatchchainonhisdarkvest。Ibentoverhimandtookhiswatchandchain。ThenIfeltaroundinhispocketandfoundhispurse。Andthen-wellthenIfeltsorryforhimlyingoutintheopenroadlikethat，andIthoughtI’dlifthimupandputhimsomewherewherehecouldsleepitoffmoreconvenient。ButIdidn’tseetherewasalittleditchthereandIstumbledoveritanddroppedhim。’It’sagoodthinghe’ssodrunkthateventhisdon’twakehimup，’Ithought，andranoff。ThenIthoughtIheardsomethingmovingandIwasscaredstiff，buttherewasnothinginthestreetatall。IthoughtIhadbettertaketothefieldsthoughandIcrossedthroughsomecornandthenoutontoanotherstreet。

FinallyIwalkedintothecity，stayedtheretillthismorning，soldthewatch，thenwenttoPressburg。"

"Sothatwasthewayitwas，"saidthecommissioner，pushinghisdrawingawayfromhimandmotioningtothepolicemenatthedoor。

"Youmaytakethismanawaynow，"headdedinavoiceofcoolindifference，withoutlookingattheprisoner。

Knoll’sheaddroopedandhewalkedoutquietlybetweenhistwoguards。Theclockontheofficewallstruckeleven。

"Dearme！whatalotoftimethemanwasted，"saidthecommissioner，puttingthereportoftheproceedings，thewatchandthepurseinadrawerofhisdesk。"Whenanybodyhasbeenalmostconvictedofacrime，it’sreallyquiteunnecessarytoinventsuchalongstory。

Afewminuteslater，theroomwasemptyandMuller，asthelastofthegroup，walkedslowlydownthestairs。Hewasinsuchabrownstudythathescarcelyheardthecommissioner’sfriendly"goodnight，"

nordidhenoticethathewaswalkingdownthequietstreetunderastar-gildedsky。"Almostconvicted-almost。Almost？"Muller’slipsmurmuredwhilehisheadwasfullofachaoticrushofthought，dimpicturesthatcameandwent，somethingthatseemedtobeonthepointofbringinglightintothedarkness，thenvanishingagain。

"Almost-butnotquite。ThereissomethinghereImustfindoutfirst。Whatisit？Imustknow-"

CHAPTERVII

THEFACEATTHEGATE

Thesecondexaminationoftheprisonerbroughtnothingnew。JohannKnollrefusedtospeakatall，orelsesimplyrepeatedwhathehadsaidbefore。Thissecondexaminationtookplaceearlythenextmorning，butMullerwasnotpresent。HewastakingawalkinHietzing。

WhentheytookJohannKnollinthepolicewagontotheCityPrison，Mullerwasjustsaunteringslowlythroughthestreetwherethemurderhadbeencommitted。Andasthedoorofthecellshutclanginglybehindthemanwhosefacewasdistortedinimpotentrageanddespair，JosephMullerwasstandingindeepthoughtbeforethebrokenwillowtwig，whichnowhungbrownanddryacrosstheplanksofthefence。Helookedatitforalongtime。Thatis，heseemedtobelookingatit，butinrealityhiseyeswerelookingoutandbeyondthewillowtwig，outintotheunknown，wheretheunknownmurdererwasstillatlarge。LeopoldWinkler’sbodyhadalreadybeencommittedtotheearth。Howlongwillitbebeforehisdeathisavenged？Orperhapshowlongmayitevenbebeforeitisdiscoveredfromwhatmotivethismurderwascommitted。Wasitamurderforrobbery，oramurderforpersonalrevengeperhaps？Werethetwocrimescommittedherebyoneandthesameperson，orweretheretwopeopleconcerned？Andiftwo，didtheyworkasaccomplices？OrisitpossiblethatKnoll’sstorywastrue？Didhereallyonlyrobthebody，notrealisingthatitwasadeadmanandnotmerelyanintoxicatedsleeperashehadsupposed？TheseandmanymorethoughtsrushedtumultuouslythroughMuller’sbrainuntilhesigheddespairinglyunderthepressure。Thenhesmiledinamusementatthewishthathadcrossedhisbrain，thewishthatthiscasemightseemassimpletohimasitapparentlydidtothecommissioner。Itwouldcertainlyhavesavedhimalotofworkandtroubleifhecouldbelievetheobviousasmostpeopledid。Whatwasthisdevilthatrodehimandspurredhimontodelveintothehiddenfactsconcerningmattersthatseemedsosimpleonthesurface？Thedevilthatspurredhimontounderstandthattherealwayswassomehiddensidetoeverycase？Thenthesighandthesmilepassed，andMullerraisedhisheadinoneoftheraremomentsofprideinhisowngiftsthatthisshyunassuminglittlemaneverallowedhimself。ThiswastheworkthathewasintendedbyProvidencetodoorhewouldn’thavebeenfittedforit，anditwasworkforthecommongood，forthepublicsafety。Thinkingbackoverthetroublesofhisearlyyouth，Muller’sheartrejoicedandhewasgladinhisowngenius。Thenthemomentofunwontedelationpassedandhebenthismindagaintotheproblembeforehim。

Hesaunteredslowlythroughthequietstreetinthedirectionofthefourhouses。ToreachthemhepassedthefencethatenclosedthisendoftheThorneproperty。Mullerhadalreadyknown，forthelasttwenty-fourhoursatleast，thattheownerofthefineoldestatewasanartistbythenameofHerbertThorne。Hisownlandladyhadinformedhimofthis。Hehimselfwasnewtotheneighbourhood，havingmovedoutthererecently，andhehadverifiedherstatementsbythecitydirectory。AshewasnowpassingtheThorneproperty，inhisslow，saunteringwalk，hehadjustcomewithinadozenpacesofthelittlewoodengateinthefencewhenthisgateopened。Muller’snaturallysofttreadwasmadestillmorenoiselessbythefactthatheworewidesoftshoes。Yearsbeforehehadacquiredabadcaseofchilblains，infacthadbeeninimminentdangerofhavinghisfeetfrozenbystandingforfivehoursinthesnowinfrontofahouse，tointerceptseveralaristocraticgentlemenwhosoonerorlaterwouldbeobligedtoleavethathouse。Thepolicehadlongsuspectedtheexistenceofthishigh-classgamblingden;butitwasnotuntiltheyhadputMullerinchargeofthecase，thattherewereanyresultsattained。

Thearrestsweremadeattheriskofpermanentinjurytothecelebrateddetective。Sincethen，Muller’sstepwasmorenoiselessthanusual，andnowthewomanwhoopenedthegateandpeeredoutcautiouslydidnothearhisapproachnordidsheseehimstandingintheshadowofthefence。Shelookedtowardstheotherendofthestreet，thenturnedandspoketosomebodybehindher。"There’snobodycomingfromthatdirection，"hesaid。ThensheturnedherheadtheotherwayandsawMuller。Shelookedathimforamomentandslammedthegateshut，disappearingbehindit。Mullerheardthelockclickandheardthebeatofrunningfeethasteningrapidlyoverthegravelpaththroughthegarden。

Thedetectivestoodimmediatelyinfrontofthegate，shakinghishead。"Whatwasthematterwiththewoman？Whatwasitthatshewantedtoseeordointhestreet？Whyshouldsherunawaywhenshesawme？"Thesewerehisthoughts。Buthedidn’twastetimeinmerelythinking。Mullerneverdid。Actionfollowedthoughtwithhimveryquickly。Hesawaknot-holeinthefencejustbesidethegateandheappliedhiseyestothisknot-hole。Andthroughtheknot-holehesawsomethingthatinterestedandsurprisedhim。

Thewomanwhosefacehadappearedsosuddenlyatthegate，anddisappearedstillmoresuddenly，wasthesamewomanwhomhehadseenbiddingfarewelltoMr。ThorneandhiswifeontheTuesdaymorningprevious，thewomanwhomhetooktobethehousekeeper。

Theoldbutlerstoodbesideher。Itwasundoubtedlythesameman，althoughhehadwornaliverythenandwasnowdressedinacomfortableoldhousecoat。Hestoodbesidethewoman，shakinghisheadandaskingherjustthequestionsthatMullerwasaskinghimselfatthemoment。

"Why，whatisthematterwithyou，Mrs。Bernaner？You’resonervoussinceyesterday。Areyouill？Everythingseemstofrightenyou？Whydidyourunawayfromthatgatesosuddenly？I

thoughtyouwantedmetoshowyoutheplace？"

Mrs。BernauerraisedherheadandMullersawthatherfacelookedpaleandhaggardandthathereyesshonewithanuneasyfeverishlight。Shedidnotanswertheoldman’squestions，butmadeagestureoffarewellandthenturnedandwalkedslowlytowardsthehouse。Sherealised，apparently，andfeared，perhaps，thatthemanwhowaspassingthegatemighthave，noticedhersuddenchangeofdemeanourandthathewaslisteningtowhatshemightsay。Shedidnotthinkoftheknot-holeintheboardfence，orshemighthavebeenmorecarefulinhidingherdistraughtfacefrompossibleobservers。

Mullerstoodwatchingthroughthisknot-holeforsomelittletime。

Hetookacarefulobservationofthegarden，andfromhispointofvantagehecouldeasilyseethelittlehousewhichwasapparentlythedwellingofthegardener，aswellasthemansardroofofthemainbuilding。Therewasconsiderabledistancebetweenthetwohouses。Thedetectivedecidedthatitmightinteresthimtoknowsomethingmoreaboutthisgarden，thishouseandthepeoplewholivedthere。AndwhenMullermadesuchadecisionitwasusuallynotverylongbeforehecarrieditout。

Theotherstreet，uponwhichthemainfrontofthemansardhouseopened，containedafewisolateddwellingssurroundedbygardensandanumberofnewlybuiltapartmenthouses。OnthegroundflooroftheselatterhouseswereanumberofstoresandimmediatelyoppositetheThornemansionwasalittlecaf？ThissuitedMullerexactly，forhehadbeentherebeforeandherememberedthatfromoneofthewindowstherewasanexcellentviewofthegateandthefrontentranceofthemansionopposite。Itwasaverymodestlittlecaf？buttherewasafairlygoodwinetobehadthereandthedetectivemadeitanexcusetositdownbythewindow，asifenjoyinghisbottlewhileadmiringthechangingcoloursofthefoliageinthegardensopposite。

Anotherrathergoodchance，hediscovered，wasthefactthatthelandlordbelongedtothetalkativesort，andbelievedthattherefreshmentshehadtosellwererendereddoublyagreeablewhenspicedbyconversation。Inthiscasethegoodmanwasnotmistaken。

Itwasscarcelyteno’clockintheforenoonandtherewereveryfewpeopleinthecaf？Thelandlordwasquiteatleisuretodevotehimselftothisstrangerinthewindowseat，whomhedidnotremembertohaveseenbefore，andwhowasthereforedoublyinterestingtohim。Severalsubjectsofconversationusualinsuchcases，suchaspoliticsandtheweather，seemedtoarousenoparticularenthusiasminhispatron’smanner。FinallytheportlylandlorddecidedthathewouldtouchuponthethemewhichwasstillabsorbingallHietzing。

"Oh，bytheway，sir，doyouknowthatyouareintheimmediatevicinityoftheplacewherethemurderofMondayeveningwascommitted？Peoplearestilltalkingaboutitaroundhere。AndI

seebythepapersthatthemurdererwasarrestedinPressburgyesterdayandbroughttoViennalastnight。"

"Indeed，isthatso？Ihaven’tseenapaperto-day，"repliedMuller，awakeningfromhisapparentindifference。

Thelandlordwasflatteredbythesuccessofthenewsubject，andstoodreadytounloosethefloodgatesofhiseloquence。Hiscustomersatupandaskedthequestionforwhichthelandlordwaswaiting。

"Soitwasaroundherethatthemanwasshot？"

"Yes。HisnamewasLeopoldWinkler，thatwasinthepapersto-daytoo。Youseethatprettyhouseopposite？Well，rightbehindthishouseisthegardenthatbelongstoitandbackofthat，anoldgardenwhichhasbeenneglectedforsometime。Itwasattheendofthisgardenwhereittouchestheotherstreet，thattheyfoundthemanunderabigelder-tree，earlyTuesdaymorning，daybeforeyesterday。"

"Oh，indeed！"said。Muller，greatlyinterested，asifthiswasthefirsthehadheardofit。Thelandlordtookadeepbreathandwasabouttobeginagainwhenhiscustomer，whodecidedtokeepthetalkativemantoacertainphaseofthesubject，nowtookcommandoftheconversationhimself。

"Ishouldthinkthatthepeopleopposite，wholivesoneartheplacewherethemurderwascommitted，wouldn’tbeverymuchpleased，"

hesaid。"Ishouldn’tcaretolookoutonsuchaspoteverytimeIwenttomywindow。"

"Therearen’tanywindowsthere，"exclaimedthelandlord，"fortherearen’tanyhousesthere。There’sonlytheoldgarden，andthenthelargegardenandtheparkbelongingtoMr。Thorne’shouse，thatfineoldhouseyouseejustoppositehere。It’sagoodthingthatMr。Thorneandhiswifewentawaybeforethemurderbecameknown。Theladyhasn’tbeenwellforsomeweeks，she’sverynervousandfrail，anditprobablywouldhavefrightenedhertothinkthatsuchthingswerehappeningrightclosetoherhome。"

"Theladyissick？What’sthematterwithher？"

"Goodnessknows，nerves，hearttrouble，somethinglikethat。Thethingsthesefineladiesarealwayshaving。Butshewasn’talwaysthatway，notuntilaboutayearago。Shewasfreshandbloomingandveryprettytolookatbeforethat。"

"Sheisayoungladythen？"

"Yes，indeed，sir;she’sveryyoungstillandverypretty。Itmakesyoufeelsorrytoseehersomiserable，andyoufeelsorryforherhusband。Nowthere’sayoungcouplewitheverythingintheworldtomakethemhappyandsofondofeachother，andthepoorlittleladyhastobesosick。"

"Theyareveryhappy，yousay？"askedMullercarelessly。Hehadnoparticularsetpurposeinfollowingupthisinquiry，nonebuthisusualunderstandingofthefactthatamaninhisbusinesscanneveramasstoomuchknowledge，andthatitwillsometimeshappenthatachancebitofinformationcomesinveryhandy。

Thelandlordwaspleasedattheencouragementandcontinued："Indeedtheyareveryhappy。They’veonlybeenmarriedtwoyears。Theladycomesfromadistance，fromGraz。HerfatherisanarmyofficerI

believe，andIdon’tthinkshewasover-rich。Butshe’saverysweet-lookingladyandherrichhusbandisveryfondofher，anyonecanseethat。"

"Yousaidjustnowthattheyhadgoneaway，wherehavetheygoneto？"

"They’vegonetoItaly，sir。Mrs。ThornewasoneofthefewpeoplewhodonotknowVenice。Franz，that’sthebutler，sir，toldmeyesterdayeveningthathehadreceivedatelegramsayingthattheladyandgentlemanhadarrivedsafelyandwereverycomfortablyfixedintheHotelDanieli。YouknowDanieli’s？"

"Yes，Ido。IalsowasoneofthefewpeoplewhodidnotknowVenice，thatisIwasuntiltwoyearsago。Then，however，IhadthepleasureofridingovertheBridgeofMestre，"answeredMuller。

Hedidnotaddthathewasnotaloneatthetime，buthadriddenacrossthelongbridgeincompanywithapalehaggard-facedmanwhodidnotdaretolooktotherightortotheleftbecauseoftherevolverwhichheknewwasheldinthedetective’shandunderhislooseovercoat。Muller’svisittoVenice，likemostofhisjourneyings，hadbeenoneofbusiness。Thistimetocaptureandbringhomeanotoriousandlongsoughtembezzler。Hedidnotvolunteeranyofthisinformation，however，butmerelyaskedinapolitelyinterestedmannerwhetherthelandlordhimselfhadbeentoVenice。

"Yes，indeed，"repliedthelatterproudly。"IwasheadwaiteratBaner’sfortwoyears。"

"ThenyoumustmakemesomeItaliandishessoon，"saidMuller。

FurtherconversationwasinterruptedbytheentranceofFranz，theoldbutlerofthehouseopposite。

"Excuseme，sir;Imustgethimhisglassofwine，"saidthelandlord，hurryingawaytothebar。HereturnedinamomentwithasmallbottleandaglassandsetitdownonMuller’stable。

"Youdon’tmind，sir，ifhesitsdownhere？"heasked。"Heusuallysitshereatthistablebecausethenhecanseeifheisneededoveratthehouse。"

"Oh，pleaselethimcomehere。Hehaspriorrightstothistableundoubtedly，"saidthestrangerpolitely。Theoldbutlersatdownwithanembarrassedmurmur，asthevolublelandlordexplainedthatthestrangerhadnoobjection。Thenthebonifacehurriedofftoattendtosomenewlyenteredcustomersandthedetective，greatlypleasedattheprospect，foundhimselfalonewiththeoldservant。

"Youcomeherefrequently？"hebegan，toopentheconversation。

"Yes，sir，sincemymasterandmyselfhavesettleddownhere-wetravelledmostofthetimeuntilseveralyearsago-Ifindthisplaceveryconvenient。It’sacosylittleroom，thewineisgoodandnotexpensive，I’mnearhomeandyetIcanseesomenewfacesoccasionally。"

"Ihopethefacesthatyouseeaboutyouathomearenotsounpleasantthatyouaregladtogetawayfromthem？"askedMullerwithasmile。

Theoldmangaveastartofalarm。"Oh，dear，no，sir，"heexclaimedeagerly;"thatwasn’twhatImeant。IndeedI’mfondofeverybodyinthehousefromourdearladydowntothepoorlittledog。"

HereMullergainedanotherlittlebitofknowledge，thefactthattheladyofthehousewasthefavouriteofherservants，orthatsheseemedtothemevenmoreanobjectofadorationthanthemaster。

"Thenyouevidentlyhaveaverygoodplace，sinceyouseemsofondofeveryone。"

"IndeedIhaveagoodplace，sir。"

"You’vehadthisplacealongtime？"

"Morethantwentyyears。MymasterwasonlyelevenyearsoldwhenItookservicewiththefamily。"

"Ah，indeed！thenyoumustbeapersonofimportanceinthehouseifyouhavebeentheresolong？"

"WellmoreorlessImightsayIam，"theoldmansmiledandlookedflattered，thenadded："Butthehousekeeper，Mrs。Bernaner，isevenmoreimportantthanIam，totellyouthetruth。Shewasnursetoourpresentyoungmaster，andshe’sbeeninthehouseeversince。Whenhisparentsdied，it’ssomeyearsagonow，shetookentirechargeofthehousekeeping。Shewasafineactivewomanthen，andnowtheyoungmasterandmistresscouldn’tgetalongwithouther。Theytreatherasifshewasoneofthefamily。"

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读