CHAPTER XIV. THE THREE MARKS. With woeful measures, wan Despair- A solemn, strange, and mingled air, 'Twas sad by fits, by starts 't was wild.-COLLINS. A STRANGER was introduced to their evening circle. Soon he appeared to be perfectly at his ease, and, with the usual urbanity of a HIGH GERMAN, entered freely into conversation. Judith, after a short time, attracted his attention by the looks of love that ever and anon she cast towards Hartford: and he saw how matters stood in that quarter. The slight repast being ended, every one drew closer to the fire; when the old doctor said, "Herr Gotenburgh, vill you oblige mine little daughter mit a German tale?"-" Certainly, herr doctor; but on one condition: that miss Judith sit by my side."—"Agreed," said she, smiling, and having placed herself by his side, he thus began: "The time of my tale belongs to the period of the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibbelines.-There lived in the town of Heidelburgh, in the province of Baden, in one of the by-streets, a shoe-maker, named Herman, who worked for several years almost night and day, to earn a scanty living for himself, his wife, and several children. They had a lodger, who regularly paid them his rent every month; and at the epoch of my story, had begun to take a more lively interest in the family than they had before observed. The shoe-maker naturally imputed this alteration in his conduct to the beauty of his eldest daughter; and the lodger seemed to encourage the idea. One day, calling the lodger aside, Herman thus spoke to him: You have lived in my family for some time. You see, I am but a poor hard-working man, and get my living so as to keep my children comfortably. From the attentions you pay my Adel, you seem desirous of making a part of it. Now, Myneer Gezler, let me beg you will tell me your intentions on this point; and also how you obtain your living; for, excuse me, though without any work, you always appear flush of money, and have hitherto met every demand.' Gezler smiled, and, after a thoughtful pause, said, 'If you will swear never to divulge my secret, I will make you a rich man; and all your family happy.' The prospect of wealth almost overpowered poor Herman; and, after taking a solemn oath of secrecy, Gezler carefully opened his mode of life to him.' Come hither to-night at twelve o'clock, and a mine of gold shall be at our command.' Punctual to this arrangement, Herman, at the given hour, met his lodger; who, after making him repeat his oath, silently led him towards a lonely building, which, he informed him, was the mint. Then, carefully removing several stones, he thrust in his arm, and withdrew it with his hand full of gold! After repeating this several times, he replaced the stones, and, taking up the bag, which he had filled with the gold, returned with his host towards their home, promising, as they went along, to share all with Herman; and, after a time, to let him try his luck also. "This midnight robbery could not long continue without detection. Every person belonging to the establishment underwent a strict examination; and at length it was discovered where and how the thieves had succeeded. Traps were placed round the wall; and, as it generally happens, where two rogues are in a secret, one tries to cheat the other; so, in this case, Herman thought of obtaining some gold unknown to Gezler; although he warned him not to trust himself alone in the taking of the money. He, however, went alone, on the very night when the traps were placed against the wall. You may imagine the result: his arm was no sooner thrust into the cavity than it was seized by the iron teeth of the trap; and there he was, in the most excruciating agony, without the possibility of escape, when who should arrive, with a similar intent, but Gezler! He was not more surprised than shocked at the state in which he found Herman. What to do, he did not know; at length, he said, 'There is but one way to save both of us; for, if I cut off your arm, a reward will be offered; and you, being thus maimed, will be sure of being detected: then, all your family, including myself, will be most likely put to the rack, to extort the truth; therefore to save us all, you must let me cut off your head, strip you naked, and leave you here! Then it will be impossible to tell who you are.' saying, that force puts no choice. been all the same with Gezler, whether his friend consented to his proposition or not; as he could not help himself. After a while, Herman said he might do what he thought best. It is a vulgar It would have ..." Then, Gezler, taking his clothes, with his head, passed the gate, and having succeeded in casting them into the Rhine, returned safely home, pondering on the best mode to pacify the wife of the unfortunate Herman and family. At THE HEADLESS ROBBER. 143 length, he came to the determination of telling them the whole truth; and, after solemnly pledging himself ever to stand in the lost Herman's place, he implored them not to make the least stir about it, or else the whole family would suffer. He then extorted a solemn oath from them to call him Herman, and never let it be known otherwise. Having so far succeeded, he assumed the regular habits of the deceased, and no one, from his appearance, would have suspected a death had occurred there. "We will now return to the Mint. When morning came, the guard had to pass the spot where lay the naked and headless body of the shoe-maker. No one could tell who he was; and, after offering fruitless rewards, they came to the determination to have the body placed on a barrow, and left at every door in the town for five minutes; expecting that those to whom it had belonged would naturally make some exclamation. This was done; and when they arrived before Herman's door, the sight so overcame the daughter, that she gave a bitter scream, and fell senseless to the ground. Gezler, with much presence of mind, instantly took up a large shoemaker's knife, and cut off two of her fingers. The guards having heard the scream, rushed into the house, and were about to seize the fainting |