hat were carried on in such
an inexplicable manner, and urged the absolute necessity that, before
he left the country, effective measures should at length be taken to
get some trace of the thief. The old man wanted to break off the
discussion; but Edward reminded him of his promise. Above all was
Balthasar averse to a proposal made by his young friend, to set a
spring-gun secretly in the warehouse, whereby the audacious robber
might at length be caught and punisht. The old man regarded such a
measure as impious, unlawful, and nearly akin to wilful murder.

Edward tried to refute these notions, and at last said: "You owe it to
yourself and to me to adopt this plan, which I too am far from
approving unconditionally, but which in the present instance is the
only remedy. I need not again state the amount of the sums which have
been stolen from you time after time during the last three years and
more; they would make a large fortune, so large a one that many a
wealthy man would have been ruined by such losses. It is your
unaccountable indifference that has thus emboldened the thief, who, it
is clear, must be accurately acquainted with all our goings on.
Whenever a watch has been set, nothing has happened. But as soon as we
were off our guard again, no bolts, no bars however strong, no
precautions however well-judged, availed us. William, and many other
persons equally innocent, we have eyed with misdoubt. You cannot deny
it; your suspicion must needs have lighted on everybody about you in
turn. How can a heart so noble as yours hold fellowship with such a
hateful feeling as to imagine now and then, for moments, that those on
whom you bestow your friendship and esteem, may be capable of the most
scandalous baseness? You are guilty of the most glaring injustice to
hundreds of honest and honorable men, for the sake of screening a
single villain with an indulgence which I cannot but call weakness,
and a weakness under these circumstances quite unpardonable. In a few
days I shall leave you. It is possible that the thief may not find any
favorable opportunities hereafter, that another overseer may be more
successful, that he may induce you to take stronger measures, and so
to intimidate the offender: the robberies may cease: may not malicious
persons, may not the offender himself perhaps, to secure himself
against all chance of detection, and to frustrate every inquiry,
spread a rumour that I am the heinous thief? Nay, might not s