classic mystery and detective stories-第67章

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with　indifference；　it　was　because　she　loved　him；　and　he　has

murdered　the　poor　thing。〃



〃How　you　run　on；　wife！〃　remonstrated　Fischer；　while　the　priest

shook　a　dubious　head。



〃I　tell　you　it　is　so。　　I'm　positive。〃



〃If　she　loved　him。〃



〃She　did；　I　tell　you。　　Trust　a　woman　for　seeing　through　such

things。〃



〃Well；　say　she　did；〃　continued　Fischer；　〃and　I　won't　deny　that　it

may　be　so；　but　then　that　makes　against　the　idea　of　his　having　done

her　any　harm。〃



〃Don't　tell　me；〃　retorted　the　convinced　woman。　　〃She　loved　him。

She　went　out　to　meet　him　in　secret；　and　he　murdered　herthe

villain　did。　　I'm　as　sure　of　it　as　if　these　eyes　had　seen　him　do

it。〃



The　husband　winked　at　us；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃You　hear　these

women！〃　and　the　priest　and　I　endeavored　to　reason　her　out　of　her

illogical　position。　　But　she　was　immovable。　　Kerkel　had　murdered

her；　she　knew　it；　she　couldn't　tell　why；　but　she　knew　it。　　Perhaps

he　was　jealous；　who　knows？　　At　any　rate；　he　ought　to　be　arrested。



And　by　twelve　o'clock；　as　I　said；　a　new　rumor　ran　through　the

crowd；　which　seemed　to　confirm　the　little　woman　in　her　rash　logic。

Kerkel　had　been　arrested；　and　a　waistcoat　stained　with　blood　had

been　found　in　his　room！　　By　half…past　twelve　the　rumor　ran　that　he

had　confessed　the　crime。　　This；　however；　proved　on　inquiry　to　be

the　hasty　anticipation　of　public　indignation。　　He　had　been

arrested；　the　waistcoat　had　been　found：　so　much　was　authentic；　and

the　suspicions　gathered　ominously　over　him。



When　first　Frau　Fischer　had　started　the　suggestion　it　flew　like

wildfire。　　Then　people　suddenly　noticed；　as　very　surprising；　that

Kerkel　had　not　that　day　made　his　appearance　at　the　shop。　　His

absence　had　not　been　noticed　in　the　tumult　of　grief　and　inquiry；

but　it　became　suddenly　invested　with　a　dreadful　significance；　now

that　it　was　rumored　that　he　had　been　Lieschen's　lover。　　Of　all　men

he　would　be　the　most　affected　by　the　tragic　news；　of　all　men　he

would　have　been　the　first　to　tender　sympathy　and　aid　to　the

afflicted　parents；　and　the　most　clamorous　in　the　search　for　the

undiscovered　culprit。　　Yet；　while　all　Nuremberg　was　crowding　round

the　house　of　sorrow；　which　was　also　his　house　of　business；　he　alone

remained　away。　　This　naturally　pointed　suspicion　at　him。　　When　the

messengers　had　gone　to　seek　him；　his　mother　refused　them　admission；

declaring　in　incoherent　phrases；　betraying　great　agitation；　that

her　son　was　gone　distracted　with　grief　and　could　see　no　one。　　On

this　it　was　determined　to　order　his　arrest。　　The　police　went；　the

house　was　searched；　and　the　waistcoat　found。



The　testimony　of　the　girl　who　lived　as　servant　in　Kerkel's　house

was　also　criminatory。　　She　deposed　that　on　the　night　in　question

she　awoke　about　half…past　eleven　with　a　violent　toothache；　she　was

certain　as　to　the　hour；　because　she　heard　the　clock　afterwards

strike　twelve。　　She　felt　some　alarm　at　hearing　voices　in　the　rooms

at　an　hour　when　her　mistress　and　young　master　must　long　ago　have

gone　to　bed；　but　as　the　voices　were　seemingly　in　quiet

conversation；　her　alarm　subsided；　and　she　concluded　that　instead　of

having　gone　to　bed　her　mistress　was　still　up。　　In　her　pain　she

heard　the　door　gently　open；　and　then　she　heard　footsteps　in　the

garden。　　This　surprised　her　very　much。　　She　couldn't　think　what　the

young　master　could　want　going　out　at　that　hour。　　She　became

terrified　without　knowing　exactly　at　what。　　Fear　quite　drove　away

the　toothache；　which　had　not　since　returned。　　After　lying　there

quaking　for　some　time；　again　she　heard　footsteps　in　the　garden；　the

door　opened　and　closed　gently；　voices　were　heard；　and　she　at　last

distinctly　heard　her　mistress　say；　〃Be　a　man；　Franz。　　Good…night

sleep　well；〃　upon　which　Franz　replied　in　a　tone　of　great　agony；

〃There's　no　chance　of　sleep　for　me。〃　　Then　all　was　silent。　　Next

morning　her　mistress　seemed　〃very　queer。〃　　Her　young　master　went

out　very　early；　but　soon　came　back　again；　and　there　were　dreadful

scenes　going　on　in　his　room；　as　she　heard；　but　she　didn't　know　what

it　was　all　about。　　She　heard　of　the　murder　from　a　neighbor；　but

never　thought　of　its　having　any　particular　interest　for　Mr。　Franz；

though；　of　course；　he　would　be　very　sorry　for　the　Lehfeldts。



The　facts　testified　to　by　the　servant；　especially　the　going　out　at

that　late　hour；　and　the　〃dreadful　scenes〃　of　the　morning；　seemed　to

bear　but　one　interpretation。　　Moreover；　she　identified　the

waistcoat　as　the　one　worn　by　Franz　on　the　day　preceding　the　fatal

night。





III



THE　ACCUSED





Now　at　last　the　pent…up　wrath　found　a　vent。　　From　the　distracting

condition　of　wandering　uncertain　suspicion；　it　had　been　recalled

into　the　glad　security　of　individual　hate。　　Although　up　to　this

time　Kerkel　had　borne　an　exemplary　reputation；　it　was　now

remembered　that　he　had　always　been　of　a　morose　and　violent　temper；

a　hypocrite　in　religion；　a　selfish　sensualist。　　Several　sagacious

critics　had　long　〃seen　through　him〃；　others　had　〃never　liked　him〃；

others　had　wondered　how　it　was　he　kept　his　place　so　long　in

Lehfeldt's　shop。　　Poor　fellow！　his　life　and　actions；　like　those　of

every　one　else　when　illuminated　by　a　light　thrown　back　upon　them；

seemed　so　conspicuously　despicable；　although　when　illuminated　in


their　own　light　they　had　seemed　innocent　enough。　　His　mother's

frantic　protestations　of　her　son's　innocenceher　assertions　that

Franz　loved　Lieschen　more　than　his　own　soulonly　served　to　envelop

her　in　the　silent　accusation　of　being　an　accomplice；　or　at　least　of

being　an　accessory　after　the　fact。



I　cannot　say　why　it　was；　but　I　did　not　share　the　universal　belief。

The　logic　seemed　to　me　forced；　the　evidence　trivial。　　On　first

hearing　of　Kerkel's　arrest；　I　eagerly　questioned　my　informant

respecting　his　personal　appearance；　and　on　hearing　that　he　was

fair；　with　blue　eyes　and　flaxen　hair；　my　conviction　of　his

innocence　was　fixed。　　Looking　back　on　these　days；　I　am　often　amused

at　this　characteristic　of　my　constructive　imagination。　　While

rejecting　the　disjointed　logic　of　the　mob；　which　interpreted　his

guilt；　I　was　myself　deluded　by　a　logic　infinitely　less　rational。

Had　Kerkel　been　dark；　with　dark　eyes　and　beard；　I　should　probably

have　sworn　to　his　guilt；　simply　because　the　idea　of　that　stranger

had　firmly　fixed　itself　in　my　mind。



All　that　afternoon；　and　all　the　next　day；　the　busy　hum　of　voices

was　raised　by　the　one　topic　of　commanding　interest。　　Kerkel　had

been　examined。　　He　at　once　admitted　that　a　secret　betrothal　had　for

some　time　existed　between　him　and　Lieschen。　　They　had　been　led　to

take　this　improper　step　by　fear　of　her　parents；　who；　had　the

attachment　been　discovered；　would；　it　was　thought；　have　separated

them　for　ever。　　Herr　Lehfeldt's　sternness；　no　less　than　his

superior　position；　seemed　an　invincible　obstacle；　and　the　good

mother；　although　doting　upon　her　only　daughter；　was　led　by　the　very

intensity　of　her　affection　to　form　ambitious　hopes　of　her

daughter's　future。　　It　was　barely　possible　that　some　turn　in　events

might　one　day　yield　an　opening　for　their　consent；　but　meanwhile

prudence　dictated　secrecy；　in　order　to　avert　the　most　pressing

danger；　that　of　separation。



And　so　the　pretty　Lieschen；　with　feminine　instinct　of　ruse；　had

affected　to　treat　her　lover　with　indifference；　and　to　compensate

him　and　herself　for　this　restraint；　she　had　been　in　the　habit　of

escaping　from　home　once　or　twice　a　week；　and　spending　a　delicious

hour　or　two　at　night　in　the　company　of　her　lover　and　his　mother。

Kerkel　and　his　mother　lived　in　a　cottage　a　little　way　outside　the

town。　　Lehfeldt's　shop　stood　not　many　yards　from　the　archway。　　Now；

as　in　Nuremberg　no　one　was　abroad　after　ten　o'clock；　except　a　few

loungers　at　the　cafes　and　beer…houses；　and　these　were　only　to　be

met　inside　the　town；　not　outside　it；　Lieschen　ran　extremely　little

risk　of　being　observed　in　her　rapid　transit　from　her　father's　to

her　lover's　house。　　Nor；　indeed；　had　she