and went to the house of Rebecca's father; but she
was not there. I wanted to go in search of her, but they held me fast,
they imprisoned me in a dark dungeon. And there I sat a whole century, and
yet was patient, ever waiting for the moment when I might escape from them
and go to look for my Rebecca. And at last the moment came. The jailer
entered to bring me my food; we were quite alone, and they had taken off
my chains, for I had been harmless and gentle for some months past. I
seized him, choked him, so that he could not scream, took his keys, and
fled. God helped me; he always pities the poor and unfortunate--he knew
that I wanted to search for Rebecca. I came to Germany; I enlisted as a
soldier, for I durst not die of hunger, else I could not reach Berlin and
find my Rebecca. But now I am here, and ask you in the name of God and in
view of the judgment day, where is Rebecca?"

"I do not know," murmured Count Schwarzenberg, whom Gabriel Nietzel still
held closely pinioned in his grasp.

"You do not know?" shrieked Gabriel Nietzel. "I read it in your face, you
have murdered her. Yes, yes, I see it, I feel it--you have murdered her!
Confess it, wretch! fall down upon your knees and confess that you have
murdered Rebecca!"

Schwarzenberg would have denied it, but he could not; conscience paralyzed
his tongue, so that it could not utter the falsehood. He wanted to make
resistance against those dreadful hands which held him fast, but he had no
more power. Everything swam before him, there was a roaring in his ears,
his knees tottered and shook, and the perspiration stood in great drops
upon his brow.

"Mercy," he murmured, with quivering lips--"mercy! I will make good again,
I--"

"Can you give me Rebecca again?" asked Gabriel, who now suddenly passed
from the extreme of wrath to a cold tranquillity. "Can you undo and make
null your evil deeds? Can you take from me the guilt you brought upon me?
_No_, you can not, and therefore you must die, for crime must be expiated!
You murdered my Rebecca, and therefore I shall murder you. Adam
Schwarzenberg, pray your last prayer, for I am here to kill you!"

"No, you will not!" cried Schwarzenberg. "No; you will be reasonable--you
will accept my offers! I promise you wealth and consideration, I--"

"Silence and pray, for you must die! Death is here, Adam Schwarzenberg,
for Gabriel Nietzel is here!"

He saw it, he knew that Gabriel spoke the truth. He knew that this man,