of wild appearance stood before
the master. His black hair stuck up like bristles through his ragged
soldier's cap, and in scores of places his tattered tunic was unable to
conceal his loathsome skin, browned with filth and exposure to rough
weather. The fellow wore soldier's shoes on his feet, and the blue
weals on his ankles showed the traces of the chains he had been
fettered with. "Ho, ho!" cried the fellow, "I bet you don't know me.
You don't know Sebastian Engelbrecht, whom you've cheated out of his
property--not you." With all the imposing dignity of his majestic form,
Master Wacht took a step towards the man, mechanically advancing the
cane he held in his hand. Then the wild fellow seemed to be almost
thunderstruck; he recoiled a few paces, and then raised his doubled
fists shouting, "Ho, ho! I know where my property is, and I'll go and
help myself to it, in spite of you, you old sinner." And he ran off
down the Kaulberg like an arrow from a bow, followed by the crowd.

Master Wacht stood in the passage like a statue for several seconds.
But when Nanni cried in alarm, "Good heavens! father, that was
Sebastian," he went into the room, more reeling than walking, and sank
down exhausted in an arm-chair; then, holding both hands before his
face, he cried in a heart-rending voice, "By the eternal mercy of God,
that is Sebastian Engelbrecht."

There arose a tumult in the street, the crowd poured down the Kaulberg,
and voices in the far distance could be heard shouting "Murder!
murder!" A prey to the most terrible apprehensions, the Master, ran
down to Jonathan's dwelling, situated immediately at the foot of the
Kaulberg. A dense mass of people were pushing and crowding together in
front of him; in their midst he perceived Sebastian struggling like a
wild animal against the watch, who had just thrown him upon the ground,
where they overpowered him and bound him hand and foot, and led him
away. "O God! O God! Sebastian has slain his brother," lamented the
people, who came crowding out of the house. Master Wacht forced his way
through and found poor Jonathan in the hands of the doctors, who were
exerting themselves to call him back to life. As he had received three
powerful blows upon the head, dealt with all the strength of a strong
man, the worst was to be feared.

As generally happens under such circumstances, Nanni learnt immediately
the whole history of the affair from her kind-hearted friends, and at
once rushed