"Well, then, my friend," said Gustav, drawing out his words at a most
provoking length, "if I _must_ tell you, and you are quite sure that you
have sufficient patience to listen to me, learn that I am going to pay a
visit at the house of the Scharfrichter, to have a quiet little gossip. You know I am fond of a nice little gossip. Well, I am just going to
have a little chat with that poor young man Leo Wenzel. What do you
think? He doesn't know yet that his father is the real murderer, for he
lives so far off and no one ever goes near the house to tell him the
news, and he is still under the delusion that his father has been
murdered and that the assassin has not yet been caught. Poor young man,
I shall have to break the news very gently to him, for he will feel it
deeply. He must know the truth sooner or later, so I have taken upon
myself to be the first to communicate the unwelcome news. "According to the law he will be obliged to take the life of his own
father. It will be a dreadful blow to him, poor boy, and I am sure I
don't know how he will be induced to act executioner in the present
instance. I know not if the law in this case will make an exception and
choose someone else in his place; it will be very hard upon him if the
law really should insist on being carried out to the very letter. Let us
hope that mercy will be shown to the son, but in any case it is a very
dreadful affair, so I thought I would just go to comfort him a little,
to see how he takes the matter, and give him courage, in case----"

"I thought as much!" muttered Göbel to himself; then aloud to his
friend, "So that is where you are going is it? Ah, then I will save you
the trouble. Being a matter of no importance, you need not be in a
hurry. Listen to me; my master has lost certain valuables, and has given
orders for the gates of the town to be closed until he has discovered
the thief, and has strictly commanded me to arrest any person I might
find leaving the town, until his valuables shall have been recovered. I
should be sorry to suspect you, but as the law respects the person of no
man, it is my painful duty to take you back to the town. Let us have no
more cackling or resistance, but come at once." "But, my dear friend Göbel!" pleaded the veteran, "you surely can't
suspect--you will not for one moment imagine--nay, if you have any doubt
of my honesty search me. I can assure it will be useless, I am
innocent." "If you are innocent, you will be proved so in due time, meanwhile I
have orders----"

"But, friend Göbel, I assure you again and again upon my oath that I
have taken nothing. There--look--search me all over, if you will, and
let me go in peace. Is not my character enough? Am I not well known in
----dorf? Have I ever been known to touch my neighbour's goods? Pray
satisfy yourself that I have taken nothing, and let me go. Why trouble
yourself to bring back a man to the town to be searched whom you know to
be innocent. Besides, it will upset my plan. I wouldn't miss my little
gossip with young Leo for all the world just at this moment. Just
consider, my friend----"

"Cease your cackling and come along with me!" shouted Göbel, seizing him
by the collar and dragging him forcibly back towards the town. "But--but----" stammered the astonished and terrified old man. "But me no buts, but do my bidding instantly, Sir Driveller, or it will
be the worse for you." So saying, he dragged his old friend home again at a hurried pace,
regardless of his tottering limbs and of his prayers and entreaties. It was just mid day, and the sun shone hot, when Göbel returned to the
township, perspiring at every pore, and deposited his charge, more dead
than alive, within the walls of ----dorf. He then retraced his steps
under the broiling sun, cursing and swearing as he went at his plan
having been so nearly frustrated by the cackling gossip of an old
dotard. "_Potz--Himmel, Donnerwetter, Schock, Schwerer, Noth, noch mal!_" he
muttered to himself. "A pretty obstacle in my path! _Tausend Teufel!_ I
had a mind to dash his brains out on the spot, the old idiot, for his
drivelling." With these and such like elaborately strung together oaths the servant
of the burgomaster beguiled the time, until at length he arrived at the
door of the Scharfrichter's house, where he discovered young Leo at work
in his garden. The young executioner looked up at the sound of stranger
footsteps, and though he would rather the visitor had been anyone else
than his rival, yet upon the whole he was not displeased to see a human
face after so long. His manner even warmed towards his visitor when he
saw him advance with a smile on his face and an extended hand. "Leo," began Heinrich Göbel with feigned friendship, "we have long been
enemies, but everything has an end. I have now come to offer you my hand
in friendship, for henceforth we are no longer rivals, but friends. Lieschen, think of her no more. Her father positively refuses to give
her to either of us, so she has at length plighted her troth to another
man." "What! Lieschen? Impossible!" cried Leo, mopping his forehead. "Ay, my friend, it is too true; nay, pray calm yourself. I, too, loved
her as you did, but since the matter has turned out thus, I have made
up my mind to console myself by paying my addresses to another as soon
as possible." "You never _could_ have loved her as I loved her," gasped out Leo, as he
staggered for support against the garden wall. "Well, well, my friend, I knew you would feel the blow, but calm
yourself and dismiss these gloomy thoughts. I have better news than that
in store for you." "What care I for news now that _she_ has deserted me?" groaned Leo
distractedly. "Come, come now, let me comfort you a little," said Göbel. "What do you
think? _The murderer of your father has been discovered!_"

"What do I hear? Caught? Safe?" "Ay, the murder has been proved, and the murderer condemned to die by
the sword. The execution has been fixed for the day after to-morrow. It
will take place at daybreak as usual, and you will have the satisfaction
of taking vengeance on your father's murderer with your own hands. You
will wield your father's sword for the first time in your life before an
admiring crowd. Think of that." "Vengeance at last!" cried the young headsman, with flushed face and
distorted features. "Vengeance at last! Thank God! thank God!" "Bravo, old friend!" cried Göbel, slapping his heartily detested rival
on the shoulder in the friendliest manner possible. "I knew you would
take heart at this piece of news. Come, let us sit down together and
console ourselves." Leo, then entering the house, took from a cupboard a large bottle of
schnaps and two glasses. The two companions, seating themselves, began
to drink deeply and to chat incessantly, the subject of the discourse
being the particulars of the murder according to the version of Göbel. We need hardly say that the whole was a fabrication of Heinrich's own
brain.