Part 17 (1/2)

”A lawsuit is no business,” remarked Timm.

”But it may become one,” said Felix.

”For instance, if one borrows money from the Jews, and sues them afterwards, when they want to be paid, for usury,” replied Timm.

This recollection from the early life of Felix was so little to the taste of the ex-lieutenant that he turned over impatiently in his chair, and said in an audibly irritated tone:

”I think we had better come to the point.”

”With pleasure,” said Mr. Timm, drawing up his chair close to the table, with an expression which by no means belied his words.

”You have been kind enough,” began Felix, while the baroness stared with furrowed brow and downcast eyes into her lap, ”to send us, at our request, copies of certain letters, and so forth, which you say you have found among the papers of your deceased father.”

”You mean, which you have found, baron!”

”Very well, then; which you have found. We can admit that without committing ourselves, for there is nothing in them all to show how this fabulous son of my uncle Harald can be helped by your aid--as you are good enough to state in your letter--to the inheritance he may claim.”

”That depends entirely upon the _point de vue_ from which you look at the matter,” replied Mr. Timm.

”And may I beg you will inform us of your own?”

”Why not? It gives me special pleasure to do so. According to my view the thing is this: I have here a number of doc.u.ments and papers, which not only shed a light on the relations once existing between Baron Harald and Mademoiselle Marie Montbert, but which would also, in the hands of an able, practical man (such as any good lawyer would represent), give a certain clue to the subsequent fate of the said Marie Montbert and of her child; that is to say, of the two persons who according to the last will of Baron Harald are alone ent.i.tled to the possession of the estates of Stantow and Baerwalde.”

”What do you call a certain clue, Mr. Timm?” inquired the baroness.

”A clue that can be established upon evidence, madame. It can be established that the person to whom I have referred, and in whom I believe I have discovered by a fortunate combination of very remarkable and almost miraculous circ.u.mstances the heir in question, bears, in the first place, the same name which Monsieur d'Estein (pray look at letter No. 25) says he intends to a.s.sume after the elopement with Marie Montbert. In the second place, it can be established that a man called Stein, and accompanied by a young woman who pa.s.sed for his wife, and by a child which pa.s.sed for his son, settled shortly after Baron Harald's death in the town of W----.”

”How do you know that?” asked Felix.

”I have been myself to W----, and have spoken with the old woman in whose house Mr. Stein lived from the first to the very last day of his residence in that town.”

”Go on!”

”In the third place, it is established that this Mr. Stein is the same person who eloped with Marie Montbert from Grenwitz, viz., Monsieur d'Estein, who alone had a right to help the young lady, and who alone was obliged to do so.”

”Why the same person?”

”Because the man who managed the elopement looked exactly like the man who a few months afterwards settled in W----.”

”That might not be so easy to prove,” cried Felix with a smile of incredulity.

”Easier than you think. I have (quite accidentally) discovered the man at whose house Monsieur d'Estein, then already under the name of Stein, stayed a fortnight in order to ascertain the opportunities at Grenwitz, and who afterwards drove in the night of the elopement the couple in his carriage from Grenwitz to that very ferry on which you crossed to-day. This man's name is Clas Wendorf; he lives in Fashwitz, and is well known to everybody (even to the Rev. Mr. Jager) as a perfectly trustworthy man. If this man were to be confronted with Mrs. Pahnke in W----, the ident.i.ty of the man who eloped with Marie Montbert, viz., Monsieur d'Estein, with the French teacher Stein in W----, would be established beyond all doubt.”

The baroness and Felix looked at each other, while Timm was making his statement, in a manner which betrayed but too clearly the consternation which the irresistible logic of their enemy produced in their minds.

”You have made good use of the last four weeks,” said Felix.

”Perhaps so,” said Timm, good-humoredly. ”The days are getting to be short now. Besides, I had to be exceedingly cautious in making my inquiries, since I had promised you not to let anybody into the secret until I should have communicated the matter more fully to you, and I meant to keep my promise. Hereafter, when I can go to work without any such precautionary measures, and when I can avail myself of all the a.s.sistance which the law affords in such cases, I shall probably be able to do more in four days than I have now done in as many weeks.”

And Mr. Timm rubbed his hands with delight.