urdity sorted well with his strange dreamy character; for he was
perpetually poring over books of magic and alchemical treatises, had a
laboratory in his room, and would often boast in pretty intelligible
hints that he had found the philosopher's stone. When Edward bethought
himself of his singular conversation with his old master, and of the
sentiments he had given vent to during that confidential hour, he no
longer regarded it as improbable that Balthasar should have been led
by his wild moody whims to design his blooming foster-daughter for the
wife of the gloomy Eleazar. A shudder came over him to think with what
dark and perplext spirits he was so closely linkt; his head went round
with the giddiness of all about him, and he seemed almost to lose his
hold on himself. This made him still more regret the loss of young
William: at the same time his annoyances were increast by the
robberies of the warehouse, which instead of ceasing were carried on
with more audacity than ever. He himself had entertained a slight
suspicion of William, and was quite unable to make out how the crime
was perpetrated.

In this mood it was with no very friendly welcome that he met Eleazar
on his return from his wild-goose chace. Eleazar too grew highly
indignant, when he heard that the robberies had been continued during
his absence with the greatest impudence; and as he could not justly
charge Edward with any negligence or supineness, this first
conversation between them, little as they had ever been disposed to
agree, took a tone of still more bitterness than usual. As soon as his
hateful companion was gone, Edward determined to do what he now could
not help regarding as his indispensable duty, by speaking more
seriously than ever to Herr Balthasar on this subject.

These depredations, which were prosecuted with so much security,
excited the wonder of the whole neighbourhood; and at the public-house
in the town there was often much talk about them. Old Conrad was
sitting in the wooden arm-chair beside the stove, and was just telling
the fat thriving landlord the details of the last robbery, when a
stranger came in, who immediately gave himself out to be a travelling
miner. The stranger was much younger than Conrad, and therefore at
first modestly said but little, and merely asked a few questions,
insinuating however that there might probably be means of soon
bringing the matter to light, if his advice were but to be followed.
By these h