Chapter 2

As if hunted by a thousand devils and furies, I ran away homewards
through the park--I shut myself up in my lodgings, and gnashing my teeth
with rage and despair, threw myself on the bed. Evening came, and then
the dark hours of night, and I still lay there obstinately cherishing my
grief. At last I heard the outer gate of the house open, and many voices
murmuring and whispering confusedly together. Then there was a noise of
heavy steps tottering and clattering up the staircase,--and with three
hollow knocks on my door, I was commanded to rise and open it in the
name of the magistracy. Without clearly comprehending the danger that
awaited me, I yet felt an instinctive conviction that I was now for ever
lost.

To save myself instantly by flight--This was my only thought, and I flew
to the window, tearing open the lattice. This, however, availed me
nothing,--for before the house door, I saw a troop of armed men, one of
whom directly observed me, and at the same moment, the door of my
apartment was burst in--several men immediately stood around me, whom I
recognized for officers of police, and who shewed me an order of the
Justiciary Court for my immediate imprisonment. Any attempt at
resistance would now have been in vain. They led me down stairs, and
placed me in a carriage, which stood there ready to receive me, and
which immediately drove off rapidly, through the streets.

When arrived at the place which seemed that of my destination, after
being led through divers passages and corridors; also up staircases
_that staircases were none_, but seemed (having no steps[1]) to be like
the side of a mountain; I inquired "Where I was?" I received for answer,
"In the prison of the upper castle." In this place, according to
information already received on the arrestment of others, I knew that
dangerous and treasonable criminals were shut up during the time that
their trial was going on, or was in preparation.

My apartment was comfortless and ghastly enough; but, in a little time,
my bed and some other furniture were brought, and the gaoler asked if I
wanted anything more. To get rid of him, I answered "No;" and at last
was left alone. The receding steps through the long-sounding passages,
with the opening and shutting of many doors, if I had not known it
already, would have sufficiently made me aware that I was in one of the
innermost prisons of the fortress.

It was to myself inconceivable, how, during a pretty long drive, I had
remained quite quiet, nay, under a kind of stunning and stupefaction of
the senses. I beheld all images that passed before me, as if they
existed only in the half-effaced colours of a faded picture. Now, too, I
did not resign myself to sleep, but to a kind of faint or swoon,
paralysing the faculty of clear thought, and yet leaving me awake to the
most horrible and fantastic apprehensions.

When I awoke in the bright light of the morning, I, for the first time,
gradually took counsel with myself, and fully recollected all that had
happened, and whither I had been brought. As to the room wherein I lay,
its inconvenience made less impression on me than it would have done
upon another. The vaulted roof, and want of comfort, only reminded me of
my cell in the Capuchin Convent; and the chamber would scarcely have
appeared to me a prison, if it had not been that the small and only
window was strongly barred with iron, and so high, that I could scarcely
reach it with my upstretched hands, far less look out from it on the
prospect.

Only a narrow sunbeam fell through this high loop-hole; and being
anxious to examine the environs of my prison, I drew my bed to the wall
under it; over this placed my table, and was just in the act of mounting
up, when my gaoler stepped in and seemed very much surprised at my
proceedings. He inquired roughly what I was about there; and on
receiving for answer, that I only wished, for diversion, to look out at
the window, he did not say a word; but, in significant silence, made the
bed, the table, and chair, be taken away: after which, having set down
my breakfast, he again disappeared.

After about an hour, he came back, accompanied by two other men, and
led me through long passages, up stairs and down stairs, till I entered,
at last, into an audience-hall of moderate dimensions, where one of the
supreme judges awaited me. By his side sat a young man as secretary, to
whom he afterwards dictated whatever information he got from me, in
answer to his questions. I had to thank the influence of my former
station at Court, and the respect with which I had long been treated by
all ranks, for the politeness now shewn to me by this judge. However, I
was convinced that it could only be suspicions, founded on Aurelia's
extraordinary conduct, which had led to my arrestment.

The judge's first demand was, that I should give him a clear and concise
account of my former life. Instead of answering directly to this, I
begged to know whether I had not, in the first place, a right to know
the cause of my sudden imprisonment. He told me that I should, in due
time, have information of the crimes with which I was charged; but that,
meanwhile, it was of the utmost importance that he should learn the
exact course of my life up to that day when I first arrived at the
_residenz_; and he must remind me that, as the court possessed ample
means to detect the slightest deviation from truth, I should be watchful
for my own sake, to avoid any attempt at deception.

This admonishment of the judge (a little spare man, with red hair,
staring eyes, and an absurdly croaking voice) was by no means lost upon
me. I recollected that I had already ventured to give the name of my
birth-place, and some account of my life, to one of the court ladies;
and that the story which I had now to weave, must of necessity be such,
as to harmonize with that which I had already promulgated. It was also
requisite to avoid all marvellous and intricate adventures. Moreover, to
lay the scene, as much as possible, in a country so distant, that
inquiries into the reality of my references would be tedious and
difficult. At that moment too, there came into my remembrance, a young
Pole, with whom I had studied in the college at Koenigswald. I knew the
circumstances of his life, and as the safest method now in my power,
resolved to appropriate them as my own. Thus prepared, I set out as
follows:--

"My arrestment, no doubt, has arisen from the imputation against me of
some heavy crime. For a considerable period, I have lived here under the
eye of the Prince, and all the town's-people, and during that time, have
been guilty of no crime nor misdemeanour; consequently it must be some
stranger lately arrived here who has accused me of a crime formerly
committed; and as my conscience assures me that I am completely free
from any such guilt, I can only account for what has occurred, by
supposing that an unhappy personal resemblance betwixt myself and some
person unknown, has led to the mistake.

"However, it seems to me not a little severe, that on account of
_suppositions_ merely, (for here there can exist nothing more,) I should
be thus thrown into prison, and brought like a criminal for examination.
But why have I not been confronted at once with my rash, and perhaps
malicious accuser? I doubt not that individual will be found at last to
be some wicked impostor, or, at best, some misguided fool, who--"

"Softly--softly, Mr Leonard," croaked the judge. "Correct yourself,
otherwise your words may strike against some high personage; and,
besides, I can assure you, that the individual by whom you, Mr Leonard,
have been recognized as--" (here he bit himself in the lip) "is in
truth, neither rash nor foolish, but"--(hesitating) "and besides, we
have unquestionable intelligence from ---- in the Thuringian mountains."

Here he named the residence of the Baron von F.; and I perceived
immediately the dangers which threatened me. It was obvious that Aurelia
had recognized in me the monk, whom she probably looked upon as the
murderer of her brother. This monk, however, was Medardus, the preacher
of the Capuchin Convent, and as such had been recognized by the Baron's
steward Reinhold. The Abbess, however, knew that this Medardus was the
son of Francesco, and thus, my resemblance to him, which had so long
puzzled the Princess, must now probably have corroborated into certainty
the suspicions which the sisters had, no doubt, by letter communicated
to each other.

It was possible even, that intelligence had been received from the
Capuchin Convent; that I had been carefully watched upon my journey; and
that they had unequivocally identified my person with that of Medardus.

All these possibilities came crowding on my recollection, and forced me
to perceive the whole hazard of my situation. The judge, while I was
occupied in this reverie, still continued to talk on, which was very
advantageous, for I had time to repeat to myself the almost unutterable
name of the Polish town which I had assigned to the old lady at court as
the place of my birth. Scarcely, then, had the judge again repeated his
gruff demand, that I would concisely inform him as to my past course of
life, than I once more began--

"My proper name is Leonard Krczinski; and I am the only son of a Polish
nobleman, who had sold his property, and lived privately in the town of
Kwicziczwo."--

"How--what?" said the judge, endeavouring in vain to pronounce after me
either my name, or that of the town to which I had referred. The
secretary had no notion how he was to set the words on paper; I was
obliged to write down both names myself, and then went on--

"You perceive, sir, how difficult it is for a German tongue to imitate
these words of my language, which are so overburdened with consonants,
and herein consists the reason why I have chosen to lay aside my surname
altogether, and bear only my christian name of Leonard.

"But this is, indeed, the only mystery or singularity which I have to
unfold. The rest of my life is the simplest and most ordinary that could
be imagined. My father, who was himself a man of good education,
approved of my decided propensity to literature and the arts, and just
before his death, had resolved on sending me to Cracow, to live there
under the care of a clergyman related to him, by name Stanislaus
Krczinski. After that event, being my father's sole heir, I was left the
uncontrolled choice of my own actions. I therefore sold the small
remnant that was left of a paternal property, called up some debts that
were due to my father, and went with the pecuniary proceeds to Cracow,
where I studied some years under the guardianship of my relation.

"From thence I travelled to Dantzig and Koenigsberg; at last I was
driven, as if by irresistible impulse, to make a journey towards the
south. I trusted that the remainder of my small fortune would be
sufficient to carry me through, and that I should at last obtain a fixed
situation at some university; but in this town I had probably found my
means exhausted, if it had not been that one night's luck at the
Prince's pharo-table enabled me to live comfortably for some time, after
which I intended to prosecute my journey into Italy.

"As to anything truly remarkable or worthy of being related--no such
adventure has ever occurred in my life. Yet perhaps, (here I recollected
myself,) I ought not to say this, for I have at least one singular
occurrence to record. It would have been quite easy for me to prove
exactly the truth of all that I have now deposed, had not a very strange
chance deprived me of my _portefeuille_, in which was contained my pass,
my journal, and various letters, which would have supplied ample
documents for that purpose."

By this conclusion the judge was visibly surprised. It was evidently
something unexpected; he fixed his sharp staring eyes upon me, and then,
in a tone somewhat ironical, requested me to explain what strange
accident had thus unluckily put it out of my power to _prove_ (as might
have been hoped for) my assertions.

"Some months ago," said I, "I was on my way hither by the road leading
through the mountains. The fine season of the year, and the romantic
scenery, made me resolve to perform the journey on foot. One day, being
much fatigued, I sat in the public room of an inn at a small village. I
had there got some refreshments, and had drawn out a leaf from my
pocket-book, in order to take a drawing of some old houses that had
struck my fancy.

"At this time there arrived at the inn a horseman, whose extraordinary
dress and wild looks excited in me much astonishment. He came into the
public room obviously striving with much vain effort to look cheerful
and unconcerned, took his place opposite to me, and called for drink,
casting on me from time to time dark and suspicious glances. The man
seemed to me to be half mad, or something worse. I by no means liked
such company, and therefore, merely to avoid him, stepped out into the
court. Soon afterwards, the stranger also came out, paid the innkeeper,
hastily bowed to me, and remounting his horse, rode off at a rapid pace.

"Afterwards, as I was in the act of setting out myself, I remembered my
_portefeuille_, which I had left on the table of the public room. I
went and found it lying where I had left it, and, in my hurry, believed
all was right. It was not till the following day, that, wishing to refer
to my pocket-book, I found the _portefeuille_ was not mine, but had, in
all probability, belonged to the stranger, who must have, by mistake,
put up mine into his pocket, and left his own in its place.

"In the latter there was nothing but letters and cards, which to me were
unintelligible, addressed to Count Victorin. This _portefeuille_, with
the Count's papers, will be found still among my effects. In mine, which
was lost, I had, as before mentioned, my pass, my journal, and, as now
occurs to me, even my baptism certificate, the production of which would
at once have confirmed whatever regarding myself I have alleged."

The judge here desired that I would give him an accurate description,
from head to foot, of the stranger's personal appearance. Accordingly, I
patched up a skilful composition from the features and dress of the late
Count Victorin, and of myself when on my flight from the Baron's castle.
To the judge's cross-questioning as to all the minutest circumstances of
this meeting, to which there almost seemed no end, I continued to
answer as quietly and decisively as possible, till at last the fiction
that I had thus invented, rounded itself in such manner in my own mind,
that I actually believed all that I had asserted, and ran no risk
whatever of falling into contradictions.

Besides, there were other advantages; my first object indeed had only
been to justify my possession of these letters of Count Victorin, which
would be found in my _portefeuille_; but, by the method that I had
chosen to fulfil this purpose, I had luckily raised up an imaginary
personage, (one at least who no longer existed in reality,) who might
hereafter, as need required, play the part either of the fugitive
Medardus, or of the Count Victorin.

Afterwards, it occurred to me also that probably Euphemia's papers must
have been examined; that among them there were no doubt letters paving
the way for Victorin's plan of appearing as a monk at the castle, and
that this would form a fresh nucleus of clouds sufficient to wrap the
whole affair in impenetrable mystery.

Thus my internal fantasy continued to work, during the whole time of my
examination; and there were always new methods suggesting themselves,
by which I might avoid the risk of discovery; so that at last I believed
myself secure against the very worst that could happen.

I now waited in hopes that the judge would have recourse to the criminal
accusation which had been entered against me, and concluded that I had
said quite enough as to the fortune and adventures of my own past life.

I was mistaken, however, for he seemed as willing to go on with his
tiresome questions as if he had but just begun. Among other inquiries,
he asked, "For what reason I had formed the wish of escaping out of
prison?" I assured him that no such thought had ever entered my mind,
and that I had only wished to look out through the window. The gaoler's
testimony, however, as to the piled-up bed, chair, and table, seemed
here much against me. At last, after a most tedious interview, the judge
finally assured me, that if I attempted any prank of that sort again, I
must, of necessity, be bound to the ground with iron chains.