"How will the officer cross the Prussian border?"

"He is supplied with an Austrian pa.s.sport, and under the pretence of inheriting a large property in Prussia, he has obtained leave of absence for a month."

"There remains now but one question: why does the officer wish to murder the king? What motive leads him to do so?"

"Revenge," said Baron von Waltz, solemnly--"an act of vengeance. This Austrian officer who is resolved to murder the king of Prussia, is Frederick von Trenck."

Weingarten was embarra.s.sed, and his countenance bore an uneasy and troubled expression. But as his eye fell upon the weighty paper that lay before him, he smiled, and looked resolved.

"Now I have but one thing more to ask. Why, if your story is authentic, and well calculated to startle even the brave king, have you thought it necessary to remove my doubts with this doc.u.ment?"

Baron Waltz was silent, and looked inquiringly at Zetto.

"Why did I hand you this doc.u.ment?" said the councillor, with a sweet smile. "Because gold remains gold, whether received from an Austrian councillor or from a Prussian prince."

"Sir, do you dare to insult me?" cried the secretary of legation, fiercely.

Zetto smiled. "No, I only wish to notify you that we are aware that it is through you that Baron von Trenck receives money from a certain aristocratic lady in Berlin. It is, therefore, most important that the king should be warned by you of his intended murder--otherwise you might be thought an accomplice."

Weingarten appeared not to be in the least disconcerted by this statement--he seemed not even to have heard it.

"Before I warn the king," he said, with calm composure, "I must be convinced of the truth of the story myself, and I acknowledge to you that I am not convinced, cannot understand your motives for seeking the destruction of Baron von Trenck."

"Ah! you search into our motives--you mistrust us," cried Zetto, hastily. "Well, we will prove to you that we trust you, by telling you our secret. You know the story of the inheritance of Trenck?"

"He is the only heir of the pandour chieftain, Franz von Trenck."

"Correct. And do you know the history of this pandour chieftain Trenck?"

"I have heard a confused and uncertain statement, but nothing definite or reliable."

"It is, however, a very interesting and instructive story, and shows how far a man with a determined will and great energy can reach, when his thoughts are directed to one end. Baron Trenck wished to be rich, immensely rich--that was the aim of his life. Seduced by his love of money, he became the captain of a band of robbers, then a murderer, a church-robber; from that a brave soldier, and, at last, a holy penitent.

Robbing and plundering every-where, he succeeded in collecting millions.

The pandour chieftain Trenck soon became so rich, that he excited the envy of the n.o.blest and wealthiest men in the kingdom, so rich that he was able to lend large sums of money to the powerful and influential Baron Lowenwalde. You see, baron, it only needs a determined will to become rich."

"Oh! the foolish man," said Weingarten, shrugging his shoulders.

"Lending money to a n.o.ble and powerful man, is making an irreconcilable enemy."

"You speak like a prophet. It happened, as you say. Lowenwalde became Trenck's enemy. He accused him of embezzling the imperial money, of treachery and faithlessness--and Trenck was imprisoned."

"His millions obtained his release, did they not?"

"No. His riches reduced him to greater misery. His lands were sequestered, and a body of commissioners were selected to attend to them. Baron Waltz and myself belonged to this commission."

"Ah! I begin to understand," murmured Weingarten.

Baron Zetto continued, with a smile. "The commissioners made the discovery that report had greatly exaggerated the riches of Trenck.

He had not many treasures, but many debts. In order to liquidate those debts, we desired his creditors to announce themselves every day, and promised them a daily ducat until the end of the process."

"I hope you two gentlemen were among his creditors," said Weingarten.

"Certainly, we were, and also Baron Marken."

"Therefore you have a threefold advantage from Trenck's imprisonment.

First, your salary as a member of the commission; secondly, as a creditor--"

"And thirdly--you spoke of a threefold advantage?"

"And thirdly," said Weingarten, laughing, "in searching for the missing treasures of Baron Trenck which had disappeared so unfortunately."

"Ah, sir, you speak like those who suspected us at court, and wished to make the empress believe that we had enriched ourselves as commissioners. Soon after this Trenck died, and Frederick von Trenck hastened from St. Petersburg to receive his inheritance. How great was his astonishment to find instead of the hoped-for millions a few mortgaged lands, an income of a hundred thousand guilders, and sixty-three creditors who claimed the property."

"He should have become one of the commissioners," remarked Weingarten, mockingly. "Perhaps it would have then been easier for him to obtain his possessions."

"He attempted it in another way, with the aid of money, bribery, and persuasion. He has already succeeded in obtaining fifty-four of his sixty-three processes, and will win the others in a few days."

"And then he will doubtless cause the commissioners to give in their accounts, and close their books."

"Exactly. He has already commenced to do so. He ordered an investigation to be made against the quartermaster, and the commander of the regiment to which Franz von Trenck belonged. This man had accused Trenck of having embezzled eight thousand of the imperial money, and Trenck succeeded so far, that it was declared that it was not he, but his accusers, who had committed the crime. The consequence was, that the quartermaster was deposed, and it would have fared as badly with the commander, had he not found powerful protection."

"And now the dangerous Frederick von Trenck will seize the property of the commissioners."

"He would do so if we did not know how to prevent him. We must employ every means to remove him, and, believe me, we are not the only men who wish for his disappearance. A large and powerful party have the same desire, and will joyfully pay ten thousand guilders to be freed from his investigations."

Weingarten's eyes sparkled for a moment, and his heart beat quickly, but he suppressed these joyful emotions, and retained his calm and indifferent expression.

"Gentlemen," he said, quietly, "as you are speaking of a real criminal, one who intends committing so great a crime, I am at your service, and no money or promises are necessary to buy my a.s.sistance."

"Is he really a man of honor, and have we received false information?"

thought Zetto, who was misled for a moment by the quiet and virtuous looks of the secretary of legation.

"In the mean while you will not prevent those for whom you are about to do a great service from showing their grat.i.tude," said Baron Waltz.

"Every one has a right to give or to receive a present."

"Gentlemen," said Baron Weingarten, smilingly, "No one has spoken of a present, but of a payment, a bribery, and you can readily understand that this is insulting to a man of honor."

"Ah, he leaves open a door of escape," thought Zetto. "He is won, he can be bought.--You are right, baron," he said aloud, "and we are wrong to offer you now that which hereafter will be a debt of grat.i.tude. We will speak no more of this, but of the danger that threatens the king. You alone can save him by warning him of his danger."

"You really believe, then, that Trenck has the intention of murdering the king?" said Weingarten.

"We will believe it," said Zetto, with an ambiguous smile.

"We must believe it!" cried Baron Waltz, emphatically. "We must either believe in his murderous intentions, or be ourselves regarded as traitors and robbers. You will think it natural that we prefer the first alternative, and as he resolved to ruin us, we will antic.i.p.ate him, and set the trap into which he must fall."

"Why could you not lay your snares in Austria, gentlemen? Why could you not accuse him of intending to murder the empress?"

Zetto shrugged his shoulders. "That would not be credible, because Trenck has no motive for murdering Maria Theresa, while he might very well thirst to revenge himself upon Frederick. You know that the king and Trenck are personal enemies. Trenck has boasted of this enmity often and loud enough to be understood by the whole world, and I do not believe that this animosity has diminished. Enemies naturally desire to destroy each other. Trenck would succeed if we did not warn the king, and enable him to antic.i.p.ate his enemy."

"How can this be done? Will the king really go to Konigsberg to be present at the Austrian festivities?"