in order not to sink. He reached the staircase of the
next house, felt in his pockets for the key--one swing round the corner,
and his foot would be on the lowest step. Just as he was about to turn
he started back, his raised foot fell into the water; he saw a dark
stooping figure on the staircase. There it sat motionless. He knew the
outline of the old hat; dark as it was, he could see the ugly features
of the well-known face. He wiped his eyes, he waved his hands to dispel
it; it was no illusion; the spectre sat there a few steps off. At length
the horrible thing stretched out a hand toward him. The murderer started
back, his foot slipped off the platform, he fell up to his neck in
water. There he stood in the stream, the wind howling over him, the
water rushing ever louder and louder. He raised his hands, his eyes
still fixed upon the vision. Slowly it rose from its seat--it moved
along the platform--it stretched out its hand. He sprang back
horror-stricken into the stream--a fall, a loud scream, the short
drowning struggle, and all was over. The stream rolled on, and carried
the corpse away.

There was a stir along the river's edge; torches flared, arms glistened,
loud shouts were heard, and from the foot of the steps a man waded into
the water and exclaimed, "He was gone before I could reach him.
To-morrow we shall find him at the wear."

CHAPTER XLIV.

The tavern of Loebel Pinkus was thoroughly searched, the secret stores in
the next house brought to light, and several stolen goods of new and old
date being therein found, the tavern-keeper himself was sent to prison.
Among the things thus discovered was the baron's empty casket, and, in
the secret door of a locked-up press, the missing notes of hand, and
both the deeds of mortgage. In Itzig's house a document was found, by
which Pinkus declared Veitel possessor of the first mortgage of twenty
thousand. Pinkus's obdurate nature being a good deal softened by the
search, he confessed what he had no longer any interest in denying, that
he, had been commissioned by Veitel to pay the money to the baron, and
that the sum only amounted to about ten thousand dollars; so the baron
recovered his claim to the half of the first mortgage. Pinkus was
sentenced to long imprisonment. The mysterious tavern was given up; and
Tinkeles, who had, immediately upon Veitel's death, demanded his second
hundred dollars from Anton, carried his bundle and his caftan to another
ret