the mysterious stranger-第6章

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We　two　said　yes；　and　Nikolaus　stuffed　the　money　back　into　the　shabby　old
wallet　and　made　the　owner　take　it。　　So　he　said　he　would　use　two　hundred
of　it；　for　his　house　was　good　enough　security　for　that；　and　would　put　the
rest　at　interest　till　the　rightful　owner　came　for　it；　and　on　our　side　we
must　sign　a　paper　showing　how　he　got　the　moneya　paper　to　show　to　the
villagers　as　proof　that　he　had　not　got　out　of　his　troubles　dishonestly。




Chapter　4

It　made　immense　talk　next　day；　when　Father　Peter　paid　Solomon　Isaacs　in
gold　and　left　the　rest　of　the　money　with　him　at　interest。　　Also；　there
was　a　pleasant　change；　many　people　called　at　the　house　to　congratulate
him；　and　a　number　of　cool　old　friends　became　kind　and　friendly　again；
and；　to　top　all；　Marget　was　invited　to　a　party。

And　there　was　no　mystery；　Father　Peter　told　the　whole　circumstance　just
as　it　happened；　and　said　he　could　not　account　for　it；　only　it　was　the
plain　hand　of　Providence；　so　far　as　he　could　see。

One　or　two　shook　their　heads　and　said　privately　it　looked　more　like　the
hand　of　Satan；　and　really　that　seemed　a　surprisingly　good　guess　for
ignorant　people　like　that。　　Some　came　slyly　buzzing　around　and　tried　to
coax　us　boys　to　come　out　and　〃tell　the　truth；〃　and　promised　they　wouldn't
ever　tell；　but　only　wanted　to　know　for　their　own　satisfaction；　because
the　whole　thing　was　so　curious。　　They　even　wanted　to　buy　the　secret；　and
pay　money　for　it；　and　if　we　could　have　invented　something　that　would
answerbut　we　couldn't；　we　hadn't　the　ingenuity；　so　we　had　to　let　the
chance　go　by；　and　it　was　a　pity。

We　carried　that　secret　around　without　any　trouble；　but　the　other　one；　the
big　one；　the　splendid　one；　burned　the　very　vitals　of　us；　it　was　so　hot　to
get　out　and　we　so　hot　to　let　it　out　and　astonish　people　with　it。　　But　we
had　to　keep　it　in；　in　fact；　it　kept　itself　in。　　Satan　said　it　would；　and
it　did。　　We　went　off　every　day　and　got　to　ourselves　in　the　woods　so　that
we　could　talk　about　Satan；　and　really　that　was　the　only　subject　we
thought　of　or　cared　anything　about；　and　day　and　night　we　watched　for　him
and　hoped　he　would　come；　and　we　got　more　and　more　impatient　all　the　time。
We　hadn't　any　interest　in　the　other　boys　any　more；　and　wouldn't　take　part
in　their　games　and　enterprises。　　They　seemed　so　tame；　after　Satan；　and
their　doings　so　trifling　and　commonplace　after　his　adventures　in
antiquity　and　the　constellations；　and　his　miracles　and　meltings　and
explosions；　and　all　that。

During　the　first　day　we　were　in　a　state　of　anxiety　on　account　of　one
thing；　and　we　kept　going　to　Father　Peter's　house　on　one　pretext　or
another　to　keep　track　of　it。　　That　was　the　gold　coin；　we　were　afraid　it
would　crumble　and　turn　to　dust；　like　fairy　money。　　If　it　didBut　it
didn't。　　At　the　end　of　the　day　no　complaint　had　been　made　about　it；　so
after　that　we　were　satisfied　that　it　was　real　gold；　and　dropped　the
anxiety　out　of　our　minds。

There　was　a　question　which　we　wanted　to　ask　Father　Peter；　and　finally　we
went　there　the　second　evening；　a　little　diffidently；　after　drawing
straws；　and　I　asked　it　as　casually　as　I　could；　though　it　did　not　sound　as
casual　as　I　wanted；　because　I　didn't　know　how：

〃What　is　the　Moral　Sense；　sir？〃

He　looked　down；　surprised；　over　his　great　spectacles；　and　said；　〃Why；　it
is　the　faculty　which　enables　us　to　distinguish　good　from　evil。〃

It　threw　some　light；　but　not　a　glare；　and　I　was　a　little　disappointed；
also　to　some　degree　embarrassed。　　He　was　waiting　for　me　to　go　on；　so；　in
default　of　anything　else　to　say；　I　asked；　〃Is　it　valuable？〃

〃Valuable？　　Heavens！　lad；　it　is　the　one　thing　that　lifts　man　above　the
beasts　that　perish　and　makes　him　heir　to　immortality！〃

This　did　not　remind　me　of　anything　further　to　say；　so　I　got　out；　with　the
other　boys；　and　we　went　away　with　that　indefinite　sense　you　have　often
had　of　being　filled　but　not　fatted。　　They　wanted　me　to　explain；　but　I　was
tired。

We　passed　out　through　the　parlor；　and　there　was　Marget　at　the　spinnet
teaching　Marie　Lueger。　　So　one　of　the　deserting　pupils　was　back；　and　an
influential　one；　too；　the　others　would　follow。　　Marget　jumped　up　and　ran
and　thanked　us　again；　with　tears　in　her　eyesthis　was　the　third　time
for　saving　her　and　her　uncle　from　being　turned　into　the　street；　and　we
told　her　again　we　hadn't　done　it；　but　that　was　her　way；　she　never　could
be　grateful　enough　for　anything　a　person　did　for　her；　so　we　let　her　have
her　say。　　And　as　we　passed　through　the　garden；　there　was　Wilhelm　Meidling
sitting　there　waiting；　for　it　was　getting　toward　the　edge　of　the　evening；
and　he　would　be　asking　Marget　to　take　a　walk　along　the　river　with　him
when　she　was　done　with　the　lesson。　　He　was　a　young　lawyer；　and　succeeding
fairly　well　and　working　his　way　along；　little　by　little。　　He　was　very
fond　of　Marget；　and　she　of　him。　　He　had　not　deserted　along　with　the
others；　but　had　stood　his　ground　all　through。　　His　faithfulness　was　not
lost　on　Marget　and　her　uncle。　　He　hadn't　so　very　much　talent；　but　he　was
handsome　and　good；　and　these　are　a　kind　of　talents　themselves　and　help
along。　　He　asked　us　how　the　lesson　was　getting　along；　and　we　told　him　it
was　about　done。　　And　maybe　it　was　so；　we　didn't　know　anything　about　it；
but　we　judged　it　would　please　him；　and　it　did；　and　didn't　cost　us
anything。




Chapter　5

On　the　fourth　day　comes　the　astrologer　from　his　crumbling　old　tower　up
the　valley；　where　he　had　heard　the　news；　I　reckon。　　He　had　a　private　talk
with　us；　and　we　told　him　what　we　could；　for　we　were　mightily　in　dread　of
him。　　He　sat　there　studying　and　studying　awhile　to　himself；　then　he
asked：

〃How　many　ducats　did　you　say？〃

〃Eleven　hundred　and　seven；　sir。〃

Then　he　said；　as　if　he　were　talking　to　himself：　〃It　is　ver…y　singular。
Yes。。。　　very　strange。　　A　curious　coincidence。〃　　Then　he　began　to　ask
questions；　and　went　over　the　whole　ground　from　the　beginning；　we
answering。　　By　and　by　he　said：　〃Eleven　hundred　and　six　ducats。　　It　is　a
large　sum。〃

〃Seven；〃　said　Seppi；　correcting　him。

〃Oh；　seven；　was　it？　　Of　course　a　ducat　more　or　less　isn't　of　consequence；
but　you　said　eleven　hundred　and　six　before。〃

It　would　not　have　been　safe　for　us　to　say　he　was　mistaken；　but　we　knew　he
was。　　Nikolaus　said；　〃We　ask　pardon　for　the　mistake；　but　we　meant　to　say
seven。〃

〃Oh；　it　is　no　matter；　lad；　it　was　merely　that　I　noticed　the　discrepancy。
It　is　several　days；　and　you　cannot　be　expected　to　remember　precisely。
One　is　apt　to　be　inexact　when　there　is　no　particular　circumstance　to
impress　the　count　upon　the　memory。〃

〃But　there　was　one；　sir；〃　said　Seppi；　eagerly。

〃What　was　it；　my　son？〃　asked　the　astrologer；　indifferently。

〃First；　we　all　counted　the　piles　of　coin；　each　in　turn；　and　all　made　it
the　sameeleven　hundred　and　six。　　But　I　had　slipped　one　out；　for　fun；
when　the　count　began；　and　now　I　slipped　it　back　and　said；　'I　think　there
is　a　mistakethere　are　eleven　hundred　and　seven；　let　us　count　again。'
We　did；　and　of　course　I　was　right。　　They　were　astonished；　then　I　told　how
it　came　about。〃

The　astrologer　asked　us　if　this　was　so；　and　we　said　it　was。

〃That　settles　it；〃　he　said。　　〃I　know　the　thief　now。　　Lads；　the　money　was
stolen。〃

Then　he　went　away；　leaving　us　very　much　troubled；　and　wondering　what　he
could　mean。　　In　about　an　hour　we　found　out；　for　by　that　time　it　was　all
over　the　village　that　Father　Peter　had　been　arrested　for　stealing　a　great
sum　of　money　from　the　astrologer。　　Everybody's　tongue　was　loose　and
going。　　Many　said　it　was　not　in　Father　Peter's　character　and　must　be　a
mistake；　but　the　others　shook　their　heads　and　said　misery　and　want　could
drive　a　suffering　man　to　almost　anything。　　About　one　detail　there　were　no
differences；　all　agreed　that　Father　Peter's　account　of　how　the　money　came
into　his　hands　was　just　about　unbelievableit　had　such　an　impossible
look。　　They　said　it　might　have　come　into　the　astrologer's　hands　in　some
such　way；　but　into　Father　Peter's；　never！　　Our　characters　began　to　suffer
now。　　We　were　Father　Peter's　only　witnesses；　how　much　did　he　probably　pay
us　to　back　up　his　fantastic　tale？　　People　talked　that　kind　of　talk　to　us
pretty　freely　and　frankly；　and　were　full　of　scoffings　when　we　begged　them