The baron, however, made no remark, but selected a portion from some of
the dishes, and those dishes that he did select from, were of the
simplest kind, and not such as the landlord expected him to take, so
that he really paid about one hundred times the amount he ought to have
done for what actually passed his lips. And then what a fidget the landlord was in about his wines, for he
doubted not but such a guest would be extremely critical and hard to
please; but, to his great relief, the baron declined taking any wine,
merely washing down his repast with a tumbler of cool water; and then,
although the hour was very early, he retired at once to rest. The landlord was not disposed to disregard the injunction which the
baron had given him to attend carefully on his servants and horses, and
after giving orders that nothing should be stinted as regarded the
latter, he himself looked to the creature-comforts of the former, and he
did this with a double motive, for not only was he anxious to make the
most he could out of the baron in the way of charges, but he was
positively panting with curiosity to know more about so singular a
personage, and he thought that surely the servants must be able to
furnish him with some particulars regarding their eccentric master. In this, however, he was mistaken, for although they told him all they
knew, that amounted to so little as really not to be worth the learning. They informed him that they had been engaged all in the last week, and
that they knew nothing of the baron whatever, or where he came from, or
what he was, excepting that he paid them most liberal wages, and was not
very exacting in the service he required of them. This was very unsatisfactory, and when the landlord started on a
mission, which he considered himself bound to perform, to a Mr. Leek, in
the town, who had the letting of Anderbury-on-the-Mount, he was quite
vexed to think what a small amount of information he was able to carry
to him. "I can tell him," he said to himself as he went quickly towards the
agent's residence; "I can tell him the baron's name, and that in the
morning he wants to look at Anderbury-on-the-Mount; but that's all I
know of him, except that he is a most extraordinary man--indeed, the
most extraordinary that I ever came near." Mr. Leek, the house agent, notwithstanding the deficiency of the facts
contained in the landlord's statement, was well enough satisfied to hear
that any one of apparent wealth was inquiring after the large premises
to let, for, as he said truly to the landlord,--

"The commission on letting and receiving the rentals of such a property
is no joke to me." "Precisely," said the landlord. "I thought it was better to come and
tell you at once, for there can be no doubt that he is enormously rich." "If that be satisfactorily proved, it's of no consequence what he is, or
who he is, and you may depend I shall be round to the inn early in the
morning to attend upon him; and in that case, perhaps, if you have any
conversation with him, you will be so good as to mention that I will
show him over the premises at his own hour, and you shall not be
forgotten, you may depend, if any arrangement is actually come to. It
will be just as well for you to tell him what a nice property it is, and
that it is to be let for eight hundred a year, or sold outright for
eight thousand pounds." "I will, you may depend, Mr. Leek. A most extraordinary man you will
find him; not the handsomest in the world, I can tell you, but handsome
is as handsome does, say I; and, if he takes Anderbury-on-the-Mount, I
have no doubt but he will spend a lot of money in the neighbourhood, and
we shall all be the better of that, of course, as you well know, sir." This then was thoroughly agreed upon between these high contracting
powers, and the landlord returned home very well satisfied, indeed, with
the position in which he had put the affair, and resolved upon urging on
the baron, as far as it lay within his power so to do, to establish
himself in the neighbourhood, and to allow him to be purveyor-in-general
to his household, which, if the baron continued in his liberal humour,
would be unquestionably a very pleasant post to occupy. CHAPTER XCIV. THE VISITOR, AND THE DEATH IN THE SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGE. [Illustration]

About an hour and a half after the baron had retired to rest, and while
the landlord was still creeping about enjoining silence on the part of
the establishment, so that the slumbers of a wealthy and, no doubt,
illustrious personage should not be disturbed, there arrived a horseman
at the Anderbury Arms. He was rather a singular-looking man, with a shifting, uneasy-looking
glance, as if he were afraid of being suddenly pounced upon and
surprised by some one; and although his apparel was plain, yet it was
good in quality, and his whole appearance was such as to induce
respectful attention. The only singular circumstance was, that such a traveller, so well
mounted, should be alone; but that might have been his own fancy, so
that the absence of an attendant went for nothing. Doubtless, if the
whole inn had not been in such a commotion about the illustrious and
wealthy baron, this stranger would have received more consideration and
attention than he did. Upon alighting, he walked at once into what is called the coffee-room of
the hotel, and after ordering some refreshments, of which he partook but
sparingly, he said, in a mild but solemn sort of tone, to the waiter who
attended upon him,--

"Tell the Baron Stolmuyer, of Saltzburgh, that there is one here who
wants to see him." "I beg your pardon, sir," said the waiter, "but the baron is gone to
bed." "It matters not to me. If you nor no one else in this establishment will
deliver the message I charge you with, I must do so myself." "I'll speak to my master, sir; but the baron is a very great gentleman
indeed, and I don't think my master would like to have him disturbed." The stranger hesitated for a time, and then he said,--

"Show me the baron's apartment. Perhaps I ought not to ask any one
person connected with this establishment to disturb him, when I am quite
willing to do so myself. Show me the way." "Well, but, sir, the baron may get in a rage, and say, very naturally,
that we had no business to let anybody walk up to his room and disturb
him, because we wouldn't do so ourselves. So that you see, sir, when you
come to consider, it hardly seems the right sort of thing." "Since," said the stranger, rising, "I cannot procure even the common
courtesy of being shown to the apartment of the person whom I seek, I
must find him myself." As he spoke he walked out of the room, and began ascending the
staircase, despite the remonstrances of the waiter, who called after him
repeatedly, but could not induce him to stop; and when he found that
such was the case, he made his way to the landlord, to give the alarm
that, for all he knew to the contrary, some one had gone up stairs to
murder the baron.