on.

"Let us then proceed to examine this frame with the black cloth cover,"
said the chief judge.

"My lord," whispered one of his brother judges, "in the name of the
Blessed Virgin! have naught more to do with this man. Let him go forth
to execution: he is a monster of atrocity, evidently a murderer,
doubtless leagued with the Evil One, as Faust, of whose acquaintance he
boasts, was before him----"

"For my part, I credit not such idle tales," interrupted the chief
judge, "and it is my determination to sift this matter to the very
foundation. I am rather inclined to believe that the prisoner is allied
with the banditti who infest the republic, than with any preterhuman
powers. His absence from home during the entire night, according to his
own admission, his immense wealth, without any ostensible resources, all
justify my suspicion. Let the case proceed," added the chief judge
aloud; for he had made the previous observations in a low tone. "Usher,
remove the black cloth from the picture!"

"No! no!" exclaimed Wagner, wildly: and he was about to rush from the
dock, but the sbirri held him back. The usher's hand was already on the
black cloth.

"I beseech your lordship to pause!" whispered the assistant judge who
had before spoken.

"Proceed!" exclaimed the presiding functionary in a loud authoritative
tone; for he was a bold and fearless man.

And scarcely were these word uttered, when the black cloth was stripped
from the frame; and the usher who had removed the covering recoiled with
a cry of horror, as his eyes obtained a glimpse of the picture which was
now revealed to view.

"What means this folly?" ejaculated the chief judge. "Bring the picture
hither."

The usher, awed by the manner of this great functionary, raised the
picture in such a way that the judges and the procurator fiscal might
obtain a full view of it.

"A Wehr-Wolf!" ejaculated the assistant judge, who had previously
remonstrated with his superior; and his countenance became pale as
death.

The dreadful words were echoed by other tongues in the court; and a
panic fear seized on all save the chief judge and Wagner himself. The
former smiled contemptuously, the latter had summoned all his courage to
aid him to pass through this terrible ordeal without confirming by his
conduct the dreadful suspicion which had been excited in respect to him.

For, oh! the subject of that picture was indeed awful to contemplate! It
had no inscription, b