As I spoke I produced as much gold as I could hold in my two hands, and added jewels and precious stones of still greater value.  “Bendel,” said I, “this smooths many a path, and renders that easy which seems almost impossible.  Be not sparing of it, for I am not so; but go, and rejoice thy master with intelligence on which depend all his hopes.”

He departed, and returned late and melancholy.

None of Mr. John’s servants, none of his guests (and Bendel had spoken to them all) had the slightest recollection of the man in the grey cloak.

The new telescope was still there, but no one knew how it had come; and the tent and Turkey carpet were still stretched out on the hill.  The servants boasted of their master’s wealth; but no one seemed to know by what means he had become possessed of these newly acquired luxuries.  He was gratified; and it gave him no concern to be ignorant how they had come to him.  The black coursers which had been mounted on that day were in the stables of the young gentlemen of the party, who admired them as the munificent present of Mr. John.

Such was the information I gained from Bendel’s detailed account; but, in spite of this unsatisfactory result, his zeal and prudence deserved and received my commendation.  In a gloomy mood, I made him a sign to withdraw.

“I have, sir,” he continued, “laid before you all the information in my power relative to the subject of the most importance to you.  I have now a message to deliver which I received early this morning from a person at the gate, as I was proceeding to execute the commission in which I have so unfortunately failed.  The man’s words were precisely these:  ’Tell your master, Peter Schlemihl, he will not see me here again.  I am going to cross the sea; a favourable wind now calls all the passengers on board; but, in a year and a day I shall have the honour of paying him a visit; when, in all probability, I shall have a proposal to make to him of a very agreeable nature.  Commend me to him most respectfully, with many thanks.’  I inquired his name; but he said you would remember him.”

“What sort of person was he?” cried I, in great emotion; and Bendel described the man in the grey coat feature by feature, word for word; in short, the very individual in search of whom he had been sent.  “How unfortunate!” cried I bitterly; “it was himself.”  Scales, as it were, fell from Bendel’s eyes.  “Yes, it was he,” cried he, “undoubtedly it was he; and fool, madman, that I was, I did not recognise him—­I did not, and have betrayed my master!” He then broke out into a torrent of self-reproach; and his distress really excited my compassion.  I endeavoured to console him, repeatedly assuring him that I entertained no doubt of his fidelity; and despatched him immediately to the wharf, to discover, if possible, some trace of the extraordinary being.  But on that very morning many vessels which had been detained in port by contrary winds had set sail, all bound to different parts of the globe; and the grey man had disappeared like a shadow.