rom Coburg, and carried away,
in my own despite, to a group of his associates. My friend and his
friends had already been at the place a fortnight, and knew the very
tint and texture of its gossip. While I sipped my coffee, I listened
to them with one ear, and to Wagner's overture to "Lohengrin" with
the other; and I should soon have been wholly occupied with the fine
orchestra had I not been caught and startled by an unexpected name.

"Have you noticed," some one asked, "how much attention the Baron von
Herisau is paying her?"

I whirled round and exclaimed, in a breath, "The Baron von Herisau!"

"Yes," said my friend; "do you know him?"

I was glad that three crashing, tremendous chords came from the
orchestra just then, giving me time to collect myself before I replied:
"I am not sure whether it is the same person: I knew a Baron von Herisau
long ago: how old is the gentleman here?"

"About thirty-five, I should think," my friend answered.

"Ah, then it can't be the same person," said I: "still, if he should
happen to pass near us, will you point him out to me?"

It was an hour later, and we were all hotly discussing the question of
Lessing's obligations to English literature, when one of the gentlemen
at the table said: "There goes the Baron von Herisau: is it perhaps your
friend, sir?"

I turned and saw a tall man, with prominent nose, opaque black eyes, and
black mustache, walking beside a pretty, insipid girl. Behind the
pair went an elderly couple, overdressed and snobbish in appearance. A
carriage, with servants in livery, waited in the open space below the
terrace, and having received the two couples, whirled swiftly away
towards Altenstein.

Had I been more of a philosopher I should have wasted no second thought
on the Baron von Herisau. But the Nemesis of the knowledge which I had
throttled poor Otto Lindenschmidt's ghost to obtain had come upon me at
last, and there was no rest for me until I had discovered who and what
was the Baron. The list of guests which the landlord gave me whetted
my curiosity to a painful degree; for on it I found the entry: "Aug.
15.--Otto V. Herisau, Rentier, East Prussia."

It was quite dark when the carriage returned. I watched the company into
the supper-room, and then, whisking in behind them, secured a place at
the nearest table. I had an hour of quiet, stealthy observation before
my Coburg friend discovered me, and by that time I was glad of his
company and had n