FERDINAND paid his visit. On this occasion Albertine's mother was alone. The conversation turned on Hermann's death, and the discovery of the body, of which she now learned the details for the first time.

"Your brother, then," said she, "is buried where he met with his melancholy end?"

"He is. He rests in the church. yard of the village of Hoffstede, not far from Hilgenberg!"

"Hilgenberg! If Albertine had suspected this! How near she wasat that very time-to the scene of this atrocity!"

"How was your daughter then in Hilgenberg?"

"She was on a visit to the family of Baron Kettler, at their estate of Blumenrode; from whence she often visited Hilgenberg."

"Blumenrode!" repeated Preussach thoughtfully. A thought began to arise in his mind, to which he felt reluctant to give admission. "Albertine-a third A!-and this time perhaps the right one." He saw that his absence of mind attracted the lady's attention, and took his leave as soon as he could find an opportunity.

He returned to his lodgings; he read over Senkenberg's letter again; a new light seemed to flash upon him. The billet of 21st July, the glove, were Albertine's. She was the wounded lady at the bath-house; her appearance corresponded sufficiently with the well-remembered description given by the witness. Madame Sussfeld-a young widow ;-this also admitted of explanation. The separated wife might prefer appearing among strangers in the character of a widow; the name might be mistaken, as has already been the case with that of the leading sufferer in this tragedy.— Siegfeld was the real name. The colonel, in the first vehemence of his indignation against the family of Preussach, had insisted, as he knew, on his daughter's resumption of her family name; and though, from both the married parties being Catholic, he could not effect a dissolution of the marriage, Albertine in private circles, even in the capital, bore the name of Madame Siegfeld. The extraordinary reception he had met with was now accounted for. It was the fear of discovery, the feeling of conscious guilt,

which had overpowered her presence of mind.

The suspicion, once fairly admitted into his mind, he pondered day and night how to put the proofs into such a shape as to induce the authorities to proceed against his sister-in-law as an accomplice in the assassination of her husband.

Agatha Roger, the waiting-woman, he had known before; but she had left the Siegfeld family, and he was afraid of exciting the suspicions of Albertine by venturing on any enquiry after her present residence.

At last he resolved on having a conversation with Albertine, in hopes that, during the interview, something might occur which would bring the matter more distinctly to a point. He found both the ladies at home; and introduced the subject of the investigation which was going on as to the circumstances and the author of Hermann's death. Albertine listened, with evident interest, but without embarrassment.

Al

Preussach turned suddenly to his sister-in-law. "You are acquainted, I believe, with the family of the Baron von Kettler of Blumenrode." bertine answered in the affirmative. "You are perhaps acquainted, then, with the daughter of the Protestant clergyman there."

"The clergyman has several daugh

ters."

"I mean the second, named Adelaide."

"I know her well: what of her?"

Preussach hesitated; he was in some confusion. He secretly wished that he possessed that penetrating glance for which Senkenberg had gi ven him credit: he felt how difficult it was to steer his way, but he resolved to venture.

"I would willingly," he resumed, after a pause, " learn some particulars as to that girl. She is involved, in a very peculiar manner, in this investigation; the police have discovered”.

"For the love of Heaven what?" exclaimed Albertine-" The poor unfortunate girl! She is innocent, wholly innocent!" She trembled as she uttered these words; every drop of blood had vanished from her cheeks; her mother hurried to her side, thinking she was about to faint.

By a strong effort she regained her composure. "O mother!" she ex

claimed, "is it possible? I must hence. I must-I can save the unfortunate."

Her mother rang: a female attendant entered. Albertine was conducted to her room. At that moment the colonel entered. He stood in silence opposite to Ferdinand. "Another

scene!" he muttered to himself. Preussach clasped his hand. "You will blame me, colonel; but, by heavens".

"Nay, I blame you not; but you are not acquainted with the irritable nerves of females. One thing only I beg of you: avoid such scenes during the rest of your stay-we have had enough already."

"Enough indeed," said Preussach. "I take my leave, colonel. I regret the pain I have been the means of causing. I regret it more than you can believe."

He took his leave; but in the capital he could rest no longer." What need of further witnesses ?" he said to himself." Albertine undertakes to prove Adelaide's innocence; who can do that but one who knows the real perpetrator of the crime?"

"You

He wrote to Senkenberg. praised my penetration, because from a woman's glove I inferred the presence of a woman's hand. You shall hear more. You found the second glove, I have found the hand that fits it. Stop all further proceedings against the clergyman's daughter; let there be no further disturbance made in Blumenrode. In eight days at the farthest I shall be with you."

On mature consideration, Preussach thought it desirable to ascertain to what resolution Albertine had come: he was therefore glad to receive a message that she would wish to see him before his departure.

She re

ceived him with composure; and pressed him earnestly to explain what had occurred to attach suspicion to Adelaide. Preussach dexterously evaded the desired explanation till he should discover how far she was acquainted with the state of the proceedings. Perceiving her entire ignorance, he spake in dark and doubtful language; told her his advocate wrote vaguely and indefinitely. on the subject ;thus much only was certain, that grievous suspicions rested on the girl.

Albertine instantly announced her resolution of repairing in person to Hainburg, in order to save the unfor

tunate Adelaide. Her testimony and that of the Kettler family would be sufficient, she thought, for that purpose. A written interposition, which her mother had at first proposed, appeared to her insufficient. Of this her mother was now convinced, and would accompany her on her long journey.

Preussach encouraged the ladies in their determination. Nothing could suit better with his plans. Once within the sphere of the tribunal of investigation, Albertine would be more easily reached than under the protection of her paternal mansion. In the provinces, too, the forms of the French law prevailed, while in the capital the old German forms were still in use. All his efforts were directed to this end. He advised Albertine to address her.

self at once to the Ober-Procurator, and to offer every explanation she might have to afford,-generally, and without specifying the person to whose justification these explanations were directed.

The colonel now communicated to him the final result of his negotiations at Court with regard to the suc cession. The question whether Hermann's death was to be held so far established as to open the succession to the estate to Ferdinand on his father's death, was to be referred to the Court of Appeal at Ksupreme tribunal of the province in which Hermann had last resided; with the decision of that court the reigning prince would not interfere.

as the

Such being the case, Ferdinand, with his usual prudence, deemed it advisable to be on the spot. He passed through Hainburg, where he had an interview with Senkenberg, who was not a little confounded at the nature of his verbal communications; and directing him to write to him as soon as any thing deserving of attention should occur, he made the best of his way to K

Shortly afterwards arrived a packet from Senkenberg.

"I have learned some particulars from a servant in Blumenrode, which seem to connect with those spoken by the Swiss boy, the bath-keeper, and his wife. They remember that the 24th of August was a Saturday. It was the day on which the families of the gentry in the neighbourhood used to hold their weekly assembly in Hilgenberg; on that day the family of Kettler was not there, but Madame

Siegfeld was. She had gone in company with the Countess of Koss and her daughters; my informant had ac. companied them. In Hilgenberg, Madame Siegfeld had been called away from her party early in the forenoon, and had only rejoined them towards evening. What took place during these hours of absence? The families of Blumenrode and Langsitz could say much; but will they?

But

"Should you think of pursuing your investigations personally in those quarters, let me hint to you that with the Kettlers you need not expect a favourable reception, Like others, they have no suspicion as yet that the murdered officer, as they thought him, was the husband of their guest. the name of Preussach is not unknown to them; and, from the representations of your sister-in-law, doubtless not fayourably known to them. This demands caution. In Langsitz your chance is better. The estate is for sale; many intending purchasers have already visited it; this is in itself a sufficient introduction. If you gain admittance, enquire into every particular of that eventful Saturday. If the story of the wound be true, it could not have escaped the notice of the ladies. At least you will learn whether Madame Siegfeld was dressed that day as the bath-keeper's wife describes; ladies have a good memory for such matters. Note carefully the minutest particulars."

So far the advocate. Let us now see how his client acted upon these hints.

In Blumenrode, as Senkenberg had foreseen, his reception was so discouraging as at once to convince him that this was no time to enter upon the desired investigation. In Langsitz it was very different. The countess was delighted with the admiration which Baron von Preussach expressed for the estate; the curate of the village, who acted as a sort of steward to the countess, won by his insinuating manners, invited him to remain a day or two at the parsonage, to enable him to examine its beauties at leisure: he was soon established as a daily visiter at the castle. The old countess was talkative; the three young ladies, Aurelia, Matilda, and Elizabeth, full of life, playfulness, and spirit.

Ferdinand, a man of tact, and well acquainted with society, soon contrived to turn the conversation on their neighbours of Blumenrode

their guest Madame Siegfeld, and her visit to Hilgenberg.

"It was in the forenoon," the ladies said, "that Madame Siegfeld was called out of the room at Hilgenberg, and received from a girl in a peasant's dress a letter, which she put into the hands of the countess for her perusal. It was an invitation from some old acquaintance, a Pole or Russian,-the name they remembered distinctly, Madame Seehausen,-urgently pressing her to pay her a visit, as she was then in Hilgenberg. The countess ad vised her to go; Albertine, begging them not to delay dinner for her, consented; she took her hat and cloak in haste."

"And her parasol, no doubt?" said Preussach.smiling.

"Of course," "} was the answer. "The distance was considerable; for Madame Seehausen's note was dated somewhere in the upper part of the town. The girl accompanied her.

"It was almost dark, and the can. dles were already lighted in the apart ment when she returned. She appeared heated and agitated; her eyes showed traces of weeping; and, in answer to the sympathizing enquiries of her friends, she gave them a pathetic account of the distresses of her friend, and of the suffering to herself which the recital had caused."

Preussach saw that the ladies had formed the idea that the extreme curiosity which he manifested as to every particular relative to Madame Siegfeld, was owing to a tender interest on his part in the lady; for they smiled at the minuteness of his questions, as if they penetrated the motive by which they were dictated. He thought, therefore, that he might venture to play the part of the inquisitor still more boldly.

"Her dress-did they recollect the colour?"

They hesitated; they were not certain; but it was silk.

"Perhaps, if he might hazard a conjecture, it was green silk?”

The ladies smiled. The countess remembered a green silk petticoat which Madame Siegfeld occasionally wore, but could not recollect whether she wore it that day.

"O no!" said Aurelia, "not that day. I know she had a dress with short sleeves, for she wore long gloves."

Preussach listened with fixed attention.

The countess interfered. "Come, tell the story at once. Baron Preussach must not look for wonders here."

Aurelia with mock earnestness began. "It was a fine summer morning, when mamma with two of her daughters-Elizabeth was not of the party-called at Blumenrode to convey Albertine to Hilgenberg. The Kettlers were otherwise engaged, and could not attend the reunion. We were rather late, and so did not dismount, but waited for our protege in the carriage. She came at last, accompanied by her waiting-maid, and stepped into the carriage, while the maid mounted the box. Compliments had been exchanged; the horses were just put in motion, when Albertine unluckily dropped from the carriage window one of her fine long white gloves. Alas! it fell into the mud, and was totally destroyed.

A substitute must be found. The waiting-woman hurried into the house, and returned with another pair: but of Danish leather.

"Madame Siegfeld was annoyed, for she had set her heart on white gloves. For the present, however, there was no help; and the Danish gloves, which were new and elegant, were accepted. In the evening, when she returned from her northern friend, my first glance accidentally fell on her gloves. She again wore white. My mother and I made no remark. The touching story of her friend's misfortunes had made us melancholy. Matilda, however, who had been out of the room when she returned, came up to her and looked at her with a smile. Why do you look at me so?' said Albertine, somewhat confused. I am admiring your consistency; as you began the day with white gloves, you -are resolved so to end it.' Ah!" ex

claimed Madame Siegfeld, 'consistency has nothing to do with the matter; in the agitation of taking leave of my friend, I made an involuntary exchange, -the gloves belong to a young lady, her companion, and I only discovered my mistake when too late.''

"I could not help thinking," added Matilda, "her distraction of mind must have been considerable; for the third edition of the gloves was any thing but an improved one; they were of very ordinary materials, large, and ill made."

That

Preussach hinted at the story of the wound in the hand; but here he met with a decided negative, accompanied by an expression of surprise. Madame Siegfeld had met with a wound none of them suspected or believed. "It must have been," said Matilda, slyly," an invisible one-in the heart."

Preussach stopped: he had learned enough; more than he could have hoped for. As he took his leave of Langsitz, the countess expressed a hope that they might renew their acquaintance at a future period:-the hope was fulfilled sooner than they expected or wished for.

In passing through Hilgenberg on his way to K- he caused the most careful enquiries to be made after Madame Seehausen ; but without success. The name was wholly unknown in Hilgenberg.

1

He laid the result of his investigations before Senkenberg, who now thought the time had arrived for proceeding criminally against the sus pected party. He prepared a detailed memorial, in which he recapitulated the combination of circumstances which seemed to implicate Madame von Preussach in a guilty participation, at least, in the murder of her husband; adverted to her arrival within the district, which might be shortly expected; and urged the authorities, as soon as she appeared, to proceed in the usual way to her examination as a party charged with a criminal offence. At the same time that Senkenberg laid his memorial before the Ober-Procurator, Ferdinand appeared in the formal character of private complainer. He hesitated not to ascribe the crime, of which he alleged his sister-in-law to be either the perpetrator or the aecomplice, to pecuniary embarrassment arising from extravagance in the capital, and the anxiety to anticipate the increased allowance which would fall to her from the entailed estates upon

the death of her husband; an allow ance, however, which she would now forfeit in favour of himself, if her participation in the murder could be brought home to her, and which formed the ground on which his appear. ance as private complainer was justified.

Whether the Ober- Procurator would have been inclined at once to proceed upon Senkenberg's requisition had it stood alone, we know not; but his hesitation was at once put an end to when he combined it with another circumstance which took place at the time, and which, though slight in itself, acquired importance from the way in which it was connected with others. Albertine had arrived in Hainburg, and, following Preussach's suggestion, had immediately addressed herself in writing to the Ober-Procurator, requesting an interview with the member of the court to whom the investigation into her husband's death had been delegated. She had been given to understand, she said, that suspicion had fallen on an individual whom she felt herself both able and bound to vindicate.

This last allusion was naturally unintelligible to the Ober-Procurator; since no proceedings had been taken against the clergyman's daughter. He delivered the letter to the judge who had the charge of the investigation; and directed him to interrogate the writer further as to the point in question. The judge looked at the letter; the handwriting struck him as familiar; he compared it with that of the letter of 21st July; to himself the resemblance appeared to be strong. He laid both before professional men, as well as the stripe of paper found in the poor's chest. As to the last they could pronounce no decided opinion; the characters were disguised; the other two, they thought, were the production of one hand.

In a day or two after, Albertine presented herself before the judge of instruction in K- -, accompanied by her mother.

The judge contrived to direct the conversation in such a way as to induce Albertine to enter on the particulars of her last summer's residence: he enquired, as if under the guise of mere legal formality, after the names of the persons with whom she had associated, and dwelt particularly, though apparently without any par

ticular purpose, on her visits to Hil genberg.

Albertine's answers were distinct, short, and cautious, indicating a resolution not to say more, in answer to the questions, than was absolutely ne cessary.

The audience had continued for some time, when Albertine's glance accidentally rested on the clerk of court, who, sitting at some distance, was anxiously watching every movement on her part, and committing to paper every word she uttered. She asked whether it was her statement which was thus taken down. The judge answered in the affirmative. "Then I have been misunderstood," said she. "It was not a judicial exa mination I asked for, but a private audience with the judge, on a matter too delicate to be committed to writing, or made the subject of formal and public discussion."

The judge answered politely, but decidedly:-"The deposition must be taken down, but its contents would be read over to her."

A pause ensued. "I suspect," she resumed, "that I have been deceived as to the necessity of my presence here. I know nothing of the course of your proceedings; but persons who represented themselves as cognizant of these, spoke of suspicion having fallen on an innocent and defenceless being, whom I felt it to be my duty to protect. I find that that is not the case; I presume, therefore, my presence may in future be dispensed with."

The judge was embarrassed. He felt the difficulty of continuing the enquiry without plainly betraying its object. As a detour in the mean time, he took up Albertine's last words, and asked, “ Who is the person of whom you speak?"

Albertine hesitated, and looked at her mother; that lady spoke. "We have no occasion for concealment," said she. "Baron Ferdinand von Preussach was our informant, and the person whom he represented as suspected is a Madlle. Rauch, the daugh ter of the reformed clergyman of Blumenrode. Of the grounds of the suspicion we know nothing."

"Is it so?" said the judge, turning to Albertine. "Your object was to clear this Demoiselle Rauch from suspicion?"

"It was," answered Albertine; "if