was one of the fashionable women of the town, and several days
before the Professor was murdered, this woman had thrown herself
from the second-story window of her home, and her husband, whose
passionate eccentric nature was well known, had been a changed
man from that hour.

It was his deep grief at the loss of his beloved wife that had
turned his hair grey and had drawn lines of terrible sorrow in his
face - said gossip. But Muller, who did not know Kniepp personally
although he had been taking a great interest in his affairs for the
last few days, had his own ideas on the subject, and he decided to
make the acquaintance of the Forest Councillor as soon as possible
- that is, after he had found out all there was to be found out
about his affairs and his habits.

Just a week after the murder, on Saturday evening therefore, the
snow was whirling merrily about the gables and cupolas of the
Archducal hunting castle. The weather-vanes groaned and the old
trees in the park bent their tall tops under the mad wind which
swept across the earth and tore the protecting snow covering from
their branches. It was a stormy evening, not one to be out in if
a man had a warm corner in which to hide.

An old peddler was trying to find shelter from the rapidly
increasing storm under the lea of the castle wall. He crouched so
close to the stones that he could scarcely be seen at all, in
spite of the light from the snow. Finally he disappeared altogether
behind one of the heavy columns which sprang out at intervals from
the magnificent wall. Only his head peeped out occasionally as if
looking for something. His dark, thoughtful eyes glanced over the