ck-cloth with a standing shirt-collar after the English
fashion. The man of Herculean frame seemed to do all he could to
reduce, lessen, and soften the effect of it; but the finest garments
could do this only in a small degree. He wore a broad-brimmed straw
hat, so that at a short distance but little could be seen of his shaded
face. The young man who had superintended the arrangements a short time
before, bearing a large portfolio, followed the strong man. The man in
the straw hat had sat down in the rocking-chair, which, together with
the portfolio, was made ready for him.

Removing the straw hat, which the valet Joseph at once took, he stroked
his smoothly-shaven, prominent chin with his large, fleshy hand, on
whose thumb, strange to say, was a ring like a single link of a chain,
a golden hoop with iron in the middle.

The man is Herr Sonnenkamp. His reddish face had deeply marked lines,
and over his broad brow a lock of gray hair was combed down. There was
a more than ordinary breadth between the bristling eyebrows, giving to
them the appearance of having been forcibly rent asunder. Whoever saw
this countenance once could never forget it.

The deeply-set, light-blue eyes had an expression of determination and
shrewdness; the shoulders were broad and somewhat round; the nose was
large, but not without a character of nobleness; the mouth was somewhat
curved with imperious disdain. The whole countenance was worn and
anxious, but a domineering energy was visible in all its traits.

The impression at the first was, that one would not like to have
this man for an enemy. "Hand here," he now said, taking out of his
vest-pocket a ring on which were suspended some very small keys.

Joseph held the portfolio in the most convenient position for
Sonnenkamp to unlock, and then took out the letters it contained.
Sonnenkamp speedily arranged them, placing together those with a
foreign stamp, and by the side of them a large pile having an inland
postage mark. Joseph now laid down the hat and the portfolio upon the
empty rocking-chair, and with his ready scissors cut every envelope.

Herr Sonnenkamp quickly ran over the opened letters, and put them
aside. He only looked at the seal and address of some of the inland
ones, and directed that they should be placed again in the portfolio;
he put two of the foreign in his pocket, and, placing the rest back
with his own hand, locked the portfolio.

The folding-doors of the terrace w