And during these evening hours Fellner's apartment was a convenient place for pleasant meetings; and nothing prevented the Professor from accompanying his beautiful friend home through the quiet Promenade, along the turnpike to the hunting castle.And Johann had once found a dog-whip in his master's room-and Councillor Leo Kniepp, head of the Forestry Department, was the possessor of a beautiful Ulmer hound which took an active interest in people who wore clothes belonging to Fellner.
Furthermore, in the little drawer of the bedside table in the murdered man's room, there had been found a tortoise-shell hairpin;and in the corner of the vestibule of his house, a little mother-of-pearl glove button, of the kind much in fashion that winter, because of a desire on the part of the ladies of the town to help the home industry of the neighbourhood.Mrs.Marie Kniepp was one of the fashionable women of the town, and several days before the Professor was murdered, this woman had thrown herself from the second-story window of her home, and her husband, whose passionate eccentric nature was well known, had been a changed man from that hour.
It was his deep grief at the loss of his beloved wife that had turned his hair grey and had drawn lines of terrible sorrow in his face - said gossip.But Muller, who did not know Kniepp personally although he had been taking a great interest in his affairs for the last few days, had his own ideas on the subject, and he decided to make the acquaintance of the Forest Councillor as soon as possible - that is, after he had found out all there was to be found out about his affairs and his habits.
Just a week after the murder, on Saturday evening therefore, the snow was whirling merrily about the gables and cupolas of the Archducal hunting castle.The weather-vanes groaned and the old trees in the park bent their tall tops under the mad wind which swept across the earth and tore the protecting snow covering from their branches.It was a stormy evening, not one to be out in if a man had a warm corner in which to hide.
An old peddler was trying to find shelter from the rapidly increasing storm under the lea of the castle wall.He crouched so close to the stones that he could scarcely be seen at all, in spite of the light from the snow.Finally he disappeared altogether behind one of the heavy columns which sprang out at intervals from the magnificent wall.Only his head peeped out occasionally as if looking for something.His dark, thoughtful eyes glanced over the little village spread out on one side of the castle, and over the railway station, its most imposing building.Then they would turn back again to the entrance gate in the wall near where he stood.
It was a heavy iron-barred gate, its handsome ornamentation outlined in snow, and behind it the body of a large dog could be occasionally seen.This dog was an enormous grey Ulmer hound.
The peddler stood for a long time motionless behind the pillar, then he looked at his watch."It's nearly time," he murmured, and looked over towards the station again, where lights and figures were gathering.
At the same time the noise of an opening door was heard, and steps creaked over the snow.A man, evidently a servant, opened the little door beside the great gate and held it for another man to pass out."You'll come back by the night train as usual, sir?"he asked respectfully.
"Yes," replied the other, pushing back the dog, which fawned upon him.
"Come back here, Tristan," called the servant, pulling the dog in by his collar, as lie closed the door and re-entered the house.
The Councillor took the path to the station.He walked slowly, with bowed head and uneven step.He did not look like a man who was in the mood 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 he has anything to be afraid of," murmured the peddler, looking after him sharply.Then his eyes suddenly dimmed and a light sigh was heard, with another murmur, "Poor man."The Councillor reached the station and disappeared within its door.
The train arrived and departed a few moments later.Kniepp must have really gone to the city, for although the man behind the pillar waited for some little time, the Councillor did not return - a contingency that the peddler had not deemed improbable.
About half an hour after the departure of the train the watcher came out of his hiding place and walked noisily past the gate.What he expected, happened.The dog rushed up to the bars, barking loudly, but when the peddler had taken a silk muffler from the pack on his back and held it out to the animal, the noise ceased and the dog's anger turned to friendliness.Tristan was quite gentle, put his huge head up to the bars to let the stranger pat it, and seemed not at all alarmed when the latter rang the bell.
The young man who had opened the door for the Councillor came out from a wing of the castle.The peddler looked so frozen and yet so venerable that the youth had not the heart to turn him away.
Possibly he was glad of 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 much chance for any business with my cigar holders and other trifles here so near the city.""Cigar holders? Why, I don't know; perhaps we can make a trade.
Come in with 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, except those whom he knows well.I'm astonished that he lets you come to the house at all."They had reached the door by this time.The peddler laid his hand on the servant's arm and halted a moment."Where was it that she threw herself out?""From the last window upstairs there."
