dimmed and a light sigh was heard, with another murmur, "Poor man."
The Councillor reached the station and disappeared within its door.
The train arrived and departed a few moments later. Kniepp must
have really gone to the city, for although the man behind the
pillar waited for some little time, the Councillor did not return
- a contingency that the peddler had not deemed improbable.

About half an hour after the departure of the train the watcher came
out of his hiding place and walked noisily past the gate. What he
expected, happened. The dog rushed up to the bars, barking loudly,
but when the peddler had taken a silk muffler from the pack on his
back and held it out to the animal, the noise ceased and the dog's
anger turned to friendliness. Tristan was quite gentle, put his
huge head up to the bars to let the stranger pat it, and seemed not
at all alarmed when the latter rang the bell.

The young man who had opened the door for the Councillor came out
from a wing of the castle. The peddler looked so frozen and yet so
venerable that the youth had not the heart to turn him away.
Possibly he was glad of a little diversion for his own sake.

"Who do you want to see?" he asked.

"I want to speak to the maid, the one who attended your dead
mistress."

"Oh, then you know -?"

"I know of the misfortune that has happened here."