Part 42 (1/2)
”And the other paper, _Spener's Journal_?”
”Is sorry to join in the statement, and confirms it to-day.”
Gotzkowsky broke out into a mocking laugh, his countenance brightened with indignation, and his features expressed their former energy and decision. ”O world! O men!” he exclaimed, ”how pitiful, how mean you are! You know, Bertram, how much good I have done these men. I have protected them as a friend in the time of their need and affliction. I saved them from punishment and shame. In return they trumpet forth my misfortunes, and that which might have been altered by the considerate silence of my friends, they cry aloud to all the world, and thereby precipitate my fall.”
”It is, then, really true?” asked Bertram, turning pale. ”You are in danger?”
”To-day is the last term for the payment of the five hundred thousand dollars, which I have to pay our king, for the town of Leipsic. Our largest banking-houses have bought up these claims of the king against me.”
”But that is not your own debt. You only stood good for Leipsic.”
”That I did; and as Leipsic cannot pay, I must.”
”But Leipsic can a.s.sume a portion of the debt least.”
”Perhaps so,” said Gotzkowsky. ”I have sent a courier to Leipsic, and look for his return every hour. But it is not that alone which troubles me,” continued he, after a pause. ”It would be easy to collect the five hundred thousand dollars. The new and unexpected ordinance from the mint, which renders uncurrent the light money, deprives me of another half million. When I foresaw Leipsic's insolvency, I had negotiated alone with Hamburg for half a million of light money. But the spies of the Jews of the mint discovered this, and when my money was in the course of transmission from Hamburg they managed to obtain a decree from the king forbidding immediately the circulation of this coin. In this way my five hundred thousand dollars became good for nothing.”
”Horrible!” cried Bertram; ”have you, then, not endeavored to save a portion of this money?”
”Yes, indeed,” cried Gotzkowsky, with a bitter laugh, ”I have tried.
I wished to send fifty thousand dollars of my money to the army of the allies, to see if it would be current there; but Ephraim had foreseen this, too, and obtained a decree forbidding even the transit of this money through the Prussian dominions. This new and arbitrary law was only published after my money had left Hamburg, and I had grounds to hope that I would not be prevented from bringing it through the Prussian dominions, for it was concealed in the double bottom of a wagon. But avarice has sharp eyes, and the spies who were set upon all my actions succeeded in discovering this too. The wagon was stopped at the gates of Berlin, and the money was discovered where they knew it was beforehand, under this false bottom. But who do you think it was, Bertram, who denounced me in this affair? You would never guess it--the chief burgomaster, President von Kircheisen! He stood himself at the gate, watched for the wagon, and searched until he found the money.”
”Kircheisen! The same, father, whom you saved from death when the Russians were here?”
”The same, my son; you shake your head incredulously. Read for yourself.” He took from his writing-table a large paper provided with the official seal, and handed it to Bertram. ”Read for yourself, my son. It is an order from the minister Von Finkenstein.”
It was written thus: ”The half of the sum is awarded by the king to President von Kircheisen, as detective and informer.”
”A worthy t.i.tle, 'detective and informer,'” continued Gotzkowsky. ”By Heaven, I do not envy him it! But now you shall know all. It does me good to confide to you my sorrows--it lightens my poor heart. And now I have another fear. You have heard of my speculation in the Russian magazines?”
”Of the magazines which you, with De Neufville and the bankers Moses and Samuel, bought?” asked Bertram.
”Yes, that is it. But Russia would not enter into the bargain unless I made myself responsible for the whole sum.”
”And you did so?” asked Bertram, trembling.
”I did. The purchase-money has been due for four months. My fellow-contractors have not paid. If Russia insists upon the payment of this debt, I am ruined.”
”And why do not Samuel and Moses pay their part?”
Gotzkowsky did not answer immediately, but when he did, his features expressed scorn and contempt: ”Moses and Samuel are no longer obliged to pay, because yesterday they declared themselves insolvent.”
Bertram suppressed with effort a cry of anger, and covered his face with his hands. ”He is lost,” he muttered to himself, ”lost beyond redemption, for he founds his hopes on De Neufville, and he knows nothing of his unfortunate fate.”
CHAPTER VII.