“And I shall be free,” murmured Leonore, with a flash of enthusiasm upon her beautiful face.  “You will not forget, father, that you promised to give me my liberty if I helped you to become rich.  You will not forget that you are to permit me to escape, with the man I love, from this false, pitiful world, and fly with him to some remote, secluded nook, where no one knows me—­no one can betray to him the shame and sin of my past life.  And above all, father, you will not forget that you have solemnly sworn to reveal nothing of my former existence, not to let him suspect who I am, and—­”

“Who and what your father is, you wanted to say,” he interrupted.  “Yes, I will remember and not disclose our little secrets to him.  The virtuous Baron von Kolbielsky would certainly be very much astonished if he made the discovery that your major-domo has the honor of being your father, and that the father of the proud baroness is no other than the well-known spy Schulmeister, who has rendered the Emperor Napoleon so many useful services, and whose name Kolbielsky has so often mentioned in my presence with scornful execration.  No, he must not learn all this.  We will conceal our past, we will begin a new life, and since we shall then be rich enough, it will not be difficult for us to remain noble and virtuous.  But now, my Leonore, tell me exactly and in detail everything you know.  Come, let us sit down on this divan and allow me to note at once the most important points in your story, and especially the names.”

“Then listen, father!  Thursday next the emperor is to be carried away by force.”

“Carried away—­where?” asked Schulmeister, smiling.

“To some desolate island in the ocean.  But do not interrupt me; don’t let me anticipate, but relate everything in regular order.  So listen and note what is necessary.  There is a conspiracy which has its members in the French army, in the garrison now in Vienna, nay, even among those who are in the closest attendance upon the emperor, and which unites all the malcontents in France with the foes of Napoleon throughout all Europe.  Heligoland is the meeting-place for the envoys of the conspirators throughout Europe; there the central committee always assembles at certain times, and from there by confidential messengers and fellow conspirators issues its commands and directions to the members in all places; there is the depot of the arms, ammunition, and other military stores.  Thither England has sent General Bathurst; Spain, General Bandari, for consultation and agreement with the Austrian General Nugent, the Russian General Demidoff, and a certain Baron von Moudenfels, who has apparently played a prominent part in all these negotiations, and in whose hands all the single threads of this many-branched conspiracy meet.  There was devised and arranged the plan which is now to be executed and in which Baron von Moudenfels plays the most important part.”

“Do you know this Baron von Moudenfels?” asked Schulmeister.  “Was he at your entertainment this evening?  I saw several gentlemen who were strangers to me, and whose names I was going to ask you, when I was called away.  Was Baron von Moudenfels among them?”