the notch on the ax and on being found out-第33章

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the　students　were　poor　enough　to　feel　the　temptation　that　might　be
offered　by　any　LUCRATIVE　system　of　outrage。　　Jealous　and　painful
collusions　were；　in　the　meantime；　produced；　and；　during　the　latter
two　months　of　this　winter；　it　may　be　said　that　our　city　exhibited
the　very　anarchy　of　evil　passions。　　This　condition　of　things　lasted
until　the　dawning　of　another　spring。

It　will　be　supposed　that　communications　were　made　to　the　supreme
government　of　the　land　as　soon　as　the　murders　in　our　city　were
understood　to　be　no　casual　occurrences；　but　links　in　a　systematic
series。　　Perhaps　it　might　happen　from　some　other　business；　of　a
higher　kind；　just　then　engaging　the　attention　of　our　governors；
that　our　representations　did　not　make　the　impression　we　had
expected。　　We　could　not；　indeed；　complain　of　absolute　neglect　from
the　government。　　They　sent　down　one　or　two　of　their　most
accomplished　police　officers；　and　they　suggested　some　counsels；
especially　that　we　should　examine　more　strictly　into　the　quality　of
the　miscellaneous　population　who　occupied　our　large　suburb。　　But
they　more　than　hinted　that　no　necessity　was　seen　either　for
quartering　troops　upon　us；　or　for　arming　our　local　magistracy　with
ampler　powers。

This　correspondence　with　the　central　government　occupied　the　month
of　March；　and；　before　that　time；　the　bloody　system　had　ceased　as
abruptly　as　it　began。　　The　new　police　officer　flattered　himself
that　the　terror　of　his　name　had　wrought　this　effect；　but　judicious
people　thought　otherwise。　　All；　however；　was　quiet　until　the　depth
of　summer；　when；　by　way　of　hinting　to　us；　perhaps；　that　the
dreadful　power　which　clothed　itself　with　darkness　had　not　expired；
but　was　only　reposing　from　its　labors；　all　at　once　the　chief　jailer
of　the　city　was　missing。　　He　had　been　in　the　habit　of　taking　long
rides　in　the　forest；　his　present　situation　being　much　of　a
sinecure。　　It　was　on　the　first　of　July　that　he　was　missed。　　In
riding　through　the　city　gates　that　morning；　he　had　mentioned　the
direction　which　he　meant　to　pursue；　and　the　last　time　he　was　seen
alive　was　in　one　of　the　forest　avenues；　about　eight　miles　from　the
city；　leading　toward　the　point　he　had　indicated。　　This　jailer　was
not　a　man　to　be　regretted　on　his　own　account；　his　life　had　been　a
tissue　of　cruelty　and　brutal　abuse　of　his　powers；　in　which　he　had
been　too　much　supported　by　the　magistrates；　partly　on　the　plea　that
it　was　their　duty　to　back　their　own　officers　against　all
complainers；　partly　also　from　the　necessities　created　by　the
turbulent　times　for　a　more　summary　exercise　of　their　magisterial
authority。　　No　man；　therefore；　on　his　own　separate　account；　could
more　willingly　have　been　spared　than　this　brutal　jailer；　and　it　was
a　general　remark　that；　had　the　murderous　band　within　our　walls
swept　away　this　man　only；　they　would　have　merited　the　public
gratitude　as　purifiers　from　a　public　nuisance。　　But　was　it　certain
that　the　jailer　had　died　by　the　same　hands　as　had　so　deeply
afflicted　the　peace　of　our　city　during　the　winteror；　indeed；　that
he　had　been　murdered　at　all？　　The　forest　was　too　extensive　to　be
searched；　and　it　was　possible　that　he　might　have　met　with　some
fatal　accident。　　His　horse　had　returned　to　the　city　gates　in　the
night；　and　was　found　there　in　the　morning。　　Nobody；　however；　for
months　could　give　information　about　his　rider；　and　it　seemed
probable　that　he　would　not　be　discovered　until　the　autumn　and　the
winter　should　again　carry　the　sportsman　into　every　thicket　and
dingle　of　this　sylvan　tract。　　One　person　only　seemed　to　have　more
knowledge　on　this　subject　than　others；　and　that　was　poor　Ferdinand
von　Harrelstein。　　He　was　now　a　mere　ruin　of　what　he　had　once　been；
both　as　to　intellect　and　moral　feeling；　and　I　observed　him
frequently　smile　when　the　jailer　was　mentioned。　　〃Wait；〃　he　would
say；　〃till　the　leaves　begin　to　drop；　then　you　will　see　what　fine
fruit　our　forest　bears。〃　　I　did　not　repeat　these　expressions　to
anybody　except　one　friend；　who　agreed　with　me　that　the　jailer　had
probably　been　hanged　in　some　recess　of　the　forest；　which　summer
veiled　with　its　luxuriant　umbrage；　and　that　Ferdinand；　constantly
wandering　in　the　forest；　had　discovered　the　body；　but　we　both
acquitted　him　of　having　been　an　accomplice　in　the　murder。

Meantime　the　marriage　between　Margaret　Liebenheim　and　Maximilian
was　understood　to　be　drawing　near。　　Yet　one　thing　struck　everybody
with　astonishment。　　As　far　as　the　young　people　were　concerned；
nobody　could　doubt　that　all　was　arranged；　for　never　was　happiness
more　perfect　than　that　which　seemed　to　unite　them。　　Margaret　was
the　impersonation　of　May…time　and　youthful　rapture；　even　Maximilian
in　her　presence　seemed　to　forget　his　gloom；　and　the　worm　which
gnawed　at　his　heart　was　charmed　asleep　by　the　music　of　her　voice；
and　the　paradise　of　her　smiles。　　But；　until　the　autumn　came；
Margaret's　grandfather　had　never　ceased　to　frown　upon　this
connection；　and　to　support　the　pretensions　of　Ferdinand。　　The
dislike；　indeed；　seemed　reciprocal　between　him　and　Maximilian。
Each　avoided　the　other's　company　and　as　to　the　old　man；　he　went　so
far　as　to　speak　sneeringly　of　Maximilian。　　Maximilian　despised　him
too　heartily　to　speak　of　him　at　all。　　When　he　could　not　avoid
meeting　him；　he　treated　him　with　a　stern　courtesy；　which　distressed
Margaret　as　often　as　she　witnessed　it。　　She　felt　that　her
grandfather　had　been　the　aggressor；　and　she　felt　also　that　he　did
injustice　to　the　merits　of　her　lover。　　But　she　had　a　filial
tenderness　for　the　old　man；　as　the　father　of　her　sainted　mother；
and　on　his　own　account；　continually　making　more　claims　on　her　pity；
as　the　decay　of　his　memory；　and　a　childish　fretfulness　growing　upon
him　from　day　to　day；　marked　his　increasing　imbecility。

Equally　mysterious　it　seemed；　that　about　this　time　Miss　Liebenheim
began　to　receive　anonymous　letters；　written　in　the　darkest　and　most
menacing　terms。　　Some　of　them　she　showed　to　me。　　I　could　not　guess
at　their　drift。　　Evidently　they　glanced　at　Maximilian；　and　bade　her
beware　of　connection　with　him；　and　dreadful　things　were　insinuated
about　him。　　Could　these　letters　be　written　by　Ferdinand？　　Written
they　were　not；　but　could　they　be　dictated　by　him？　　Much　I　feared
that　they　were；　and　the　more　so　for　one　reason。

All　at　once；　and　most　inexplicably；　Margaret's　grandfather　showed　a
total　change　of　opinion　in　his　views　as　to　her　marriage。　　Instead
of　favoring　Harrelstein's　pretensions；　as　he　had　hitherto　done；　he
now　threw　the　feeble　weight　of　his　encouragement　into　Maximilian's
scale；　though；　from　the　situation　of　all　the　parties；　nobody
attached　any　PRACTICAL　importance　to　the　change　in　Mr。　Liebenheim's
way　of　thinking。　　Nobody？　　Is　that　true？　　No；　one　person　DID　attach
the　greatest　weight　to　the　changepoor；　ruined　Ferdinand。　　He；　so
long　as　there　was　one　person　to　take　his　part；　so　long　as　the
grandfather　of　Margaret　showed　countenance　to　himself；　had　still
felt　his　situation　not　utterly　desperate。

Thus　were　things　situated；　when　in　November；　all　the　leaves　daily
blowing　off　from　the　woods；　and　leaving　bare　the　most　secret　haunts
of　the　thickets；　the　body　of　the　jailer　was　left　exposed　in　the
forest；　but　not；　as　I　and　my　friend　had　conjectured；　hanged。　　No；
he　had　died　apparently　by　a　more　horrid　deathby　that　of
crucifixion。　　The　tree；　a　remarkable　one；　bore　upon　a　part　of　its
trunk　this　brief　but　savage　inscription：〃T。　H。；　jailer　at　…；
Crucified　July　1；　1816。〃

A　great　deal　of　talk　went　on　throughout　the　city　upon　this
discovery；　nobody　uttered　one　word　of　regret　on　account　of　the
wretched　jailer；　on　the　contrary；　the　voice　of　vengeance；　rising　up
in　many　a　cottage；　reached　my　ears　in　every　direction　as　I　walked
abroad。　　The　hatred　in　itself　seemed　horrid　and　unchristian；　and
still　more　so　after　the　man's　death；　but；　though　horrid　and
fiendish　for　itself；　it　was　much　more　impressive；　considered　as　the
measure　and　exponent　of　the　damnable　oppression　which　must　have
existed　to　produce　it。

At　first；　when　the　absence　of　the　jailer　was　a　recent　occurrence；
and　the　presence　of　the　murderers　among　us　was；　in　consequence；
revived　to　our　anxious　thoughts；　it　was　an　event　which　few　alluded
to　without