hours Fellner's apartment was a convenientplace for pleasant meetings; and nothing prevented the Professor fromaccompanying his beautiful friend home through the quiet Promenade,along the turnpike to the hunting castle. And Johann had once found adog-whip in his master's room-and Councillor Leo Kniepp, head of theForestry Department, was the possessor of a beautiful Ulmer hound whichtook an active interest in people who wore clothes belonging to Fellner.
Furthermore, in the little drawer of the bedside table in the murderedman's room, there had been found a tortoise-shell hairpin; and in thecorner of the vestibule of his house, a little mother-of-pearl glovebutton, of the kind much in fashion that winter, because of a desireon the part of the ladies of the town to help the home industry of theneighbourhood. Mrs. Marie Kniepp was one of the fashionable women of thetown, and several days before the Professor was murdered, this womanhad thrown herself from the second-story window of her home, and herhusband, whose passionate eccentric nature was well known, had been achanged man from that hour.
It was his deep grief at the loss of his beloved wife that had turnedhis hair grey and had drawn lines of terrible sorrow in his face--saidgossip. But Muller, who did not know Kniepp personally although he hadbeen taking a great interest in his affairs for the last few days, hadhis own ideas on the subject, and he decided to make the acquaintance ofthe Forest Councillor as soon as possible--that is, after he had foundout all there was to be found out about his affairs and his habits.
Just a week after the murder, on Saturday evening therefore, the snowwas whirling merrily about the gables and cupolas of the Archducalhunting castle. The weather-vanes groaned and the old trees in the parkbent their tall tops under the mad wind which swept across the earth andtore the protecting snow covering from their branches. It was a stormyevening, not one to be out in if a man had a warm corner in which tohide.
An old peddler was trying to find shelter from the rapidly increasingstorm under the lea of the castle wall. He crouched so close to thestones that he could scarcely be seen at all, in spite of the lightfrom the snow. Finally he disappeared altogether behind one of the heavycolumns which sprang out at intervals from the magnificent wall. Onlyhis head peeped out occasionally as if looking for something. His dark,thoughtful eyes glanced over the little village spread out on one sideof the castle, and over the railway station, its most imposing building.Then they would turn back again to the entrance gate in the wallnear where he stood. It was a heavy iron-barred gate, its handsomeornamentation outlined in snow, and behind it the body of a large dogcould be occasionally seen. This dog was an enormous grey Ulmer hound.
The peddler stood for a long time motionless behind the pillar, then helooked at his watch. "It's nearly time," he murmured, and looked overtowards the station again, where lights and figures were gathering.
At the same time the noise of an opening door was heard, and stepscreaked over the snow. A man, evidently a servant, opened the littledoor beside the great gate and held it for another man to passout. "You'll come back by the night train as usual, sir?" he askedrespectfully.
"Yes," replied the other, pushing back the dog, which fawned upon him.
"Come back here, Tristan," called the servant, pulling the dog in by hiscollar, as he closed the door and re-entered the house.
The Councillor took the path to the station. He walked slowly, withbowed head and uneven step. He did not look like a man who was in themood to join a merry crowd, and yet he was evidently going to his Club."He wants to show himself; he doesn't want to let people think that hehas anything to be afraid of," murmured the peddler, looking after himsharply. Then his eyes suddenly dimmed and a light sigh was heard,with another murmur, "Poor man." The Councillor reached the stationand disappeared within its door. The train arrived and departed a fewmoments later. Kniepp must have really gone to the city, for althoughthe man behind the pillar waited for some little time, the Councillordid not return--a contingency that the peddler had not deemedimprobable.
About half an hour after the departure of the train the watcher came outof his hiding place and walked noisily past the gate. What he expected,happened. The dog rushed up to the bars, barking loudly, but when thepeddler had taken a silk muffler from the pack on his back and heldit out to the animal, the noise ceased and the dog's anger turned tofriendliness. Tristan was quite gentle, put his huge head up to thebars to let the stranger pat it, and seemed not at all alarmed when thelatter rang the bell.
The young man who had opened the door for the Councillor came out froma wing of the castle. The peddler looked so frozen and yet so venerablethat the youth had not the heart to turn him away. Possibly he was gladof a little diversion for his own sake.
"Who do you want to see?" he asked.
"I want to speak to the maid, the one who attended your dead mistress."
"Oh, then you know--?"
"I know of the misfortune that has happened here."
"And you think that Nanette might have something to sell to you?"
"Yes, that's it; that's why I came. For I don't suppose there's muchchance for any business with my cigar holders and other trifles here sonear the city."
"Cigar holders? Why, I don't know; perhaps we can make a trade. Come inwith me. Why, just see how gentle the dog is with you!"
"Isn't he that way with everybody? I supposed he was no watchdog."
"Oh, indeed he is. He usually won't allow anybody to touch him, exceptthose whom he knows well. I'm astonished that he lets you come to thehouse at all."
They had reached the door by this time. The peddler laid his hand on theservant's arm and halted a moment. "Where was it that she threw herselfout?"
"From the last window upstairs there."
"And did it kill her at once?"
"Yes. Anyway she was unconscious when we came down."
"Was the master at home?"
"Why, yes, it happened in the middle of the night."
"She had a fever, didn't she? Had she been ill long?"
"No. She was in bed that day, but we thought it was nothing ofimportance."
"These fevers come on quickly sometimes," remarked the old man wisely,and added: "This case interests the entire neighbourhood and I will showyou that I can be grateful for anything you may tell me--of course, onlywhat a faithful servant could tell. It will interest my customers verymuch."
"You know all there is to know," said the valet, evidently disappointedthat he had nothing to tell which could win the peddler's gratitude."There are no secrets about it. Everybody knows that they were a veryhappy couple, and even if there was a little talk between them on thatday, why it was pure accident and had nothing to do with the mistress'excitement."
"Then there was a quarrel between them?"
"Are people talking about it?"
"I've heard some things said. They even say that this quarrel was thereason for--her death."
"It's stupid nonsense!" exclaimed the servant. The old peddler seemed tolike the young man's honest indignation.
While they were talking, they had passed through a long corridor and theyoung man laid his hand on one of the doors as the peddler asked, "Can Isee Miss Nanette alone?"
"Alone? Oho, she's engaged to me!"
"I know that," said the stranger, who seemed to be initiated into allthe doings of this household. "And I am an old man--all I meant was thatI would rather not have any of the other servants about."
"I'll keep the cook out of the way if you want me to."
"That would be a good idea. It isn't easy to talk business beforeothers," remarked the old man as they entered the room. It was acomfortably furnished and cozily warm apartment. Only two people werethere, an old woman and a pretty young girl, who both looked up inastonishment as the men came in.
"Who's this you're bringing in, George?" asked Nanette.
"He's a peddler and he's got some trifles here you might like to lookat."
"Why, yes, you wanted a thimble, didn't you, Lena?" asked Nanette, andthe cook beckoned to the peddler. "Let
's see what you've got there," shesaid in a friendly tone. The old man pulled out his wares from his pack;thimbles and scissors, coloured ribbons, silks, brushes and combs, andmany other trifles. When the women had made their several selectionsthey noticed that the old man was shivering with the cold, as he leanedagainst the stove. Their sympathies were aroused in a moment. "Why don'tyou sit down?" asked Nanette, pushing a chair towards him, and Lena roseto get him something warm from the kitchen.
The peddler threw a look at George, who nodded in answer. "He said he'dlike to see the things they gave you after Mrs. Kniepp's