CHAPTER XXX V.

GLIMPSES OF TRUTH.

ONE afternoon, Nitschke, having finished his labours at the office, was driving home to be ready to receive his employer, Wagner, on his arrival there. A manifest change for the better had taken place in his conduct, habits, and appearance. Although it was but a short time since Wagner had taken him under his care, he had resumed an air of respectability, and even much of his former look of health.

Just as he reached the house a bendi drove up quickly, and a joyful voice issuing from it began to exclaim,— Hallo, Nitschke, old boy! what are you up to ?" and in a moment after, Horbach sprang out of the carriage, and cordially shook hands with him.

"It is a long time since I have seen you, Horbach,” returned Nitschke quietly. "But what has brought you here this evening?"

"Do you wish me to be off at once, then?" pursued Horbach, laughing.

"You could not formerly, at all events, reproach me with entertaining that wish."

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Certainly not, old boy! But I'll tell you what has brought me here. My father is dead and gone, and I am going over to Germany to touch his money. So come along with me, and wish me luck over a glass of wine.” What, then, are you disposed to rejoice at your father's death?" exclaimed Nitschke with some disgust.

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"No, indeed, you must find some better excuse for a jovial evening than that.”

66 Well, I have one; an old friend of mine has arrived to-day. So let us be off, and have some jolly fun together."

"I am sorry I must refuse you, Horbach; but the mail will start in two or three days, and I shall have to write till twelve o'clock to get the letters ready in time.” 'Oh, bother your letters! as if you had not time enough in the day to write them."

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"Are you living now with Van Roeken?"

"Yes; but never mind about that; come, old fellow, for a spree somewhere."

let's go

"I tell you again that I cannot. I promised to wait here for Mr. Wagner."

“Oh, you are a precious fool. You know you have tried this quiet life several times, and it has never answered."

"But I mean to try it again, I can tell you. There is another difficulty in the way, moreover. That blackguard Heffken has made a false charge against me; and, as I was thereby under the suspicion of the police, Mr. Wagner became bail for me; and I should be ungrateful indeed if I were to be out of the way when he expects me."

"Oh, true! I heard something about that affair when I was boozing in the Chinese quarter. Stop a moment! let me see if I can recollect what I did hear about it." "Don't you think Tojiang could help you?"

"Not a bit; the rogues all hang together, and won't betray each other. Indeed, it is my belief that he victimized me sadly, and divided the spoil with his confederates afterwards. So I turned him off. If Tojiang chose, he could tell some strange tales, I know; for he is

mixed up with almost all the villanous deeds of these black devils. But he is so cautious, you can hardly squeeze a word out of him. Now, the proper time to draw him out would be when he has quarrelled with his friends; he would then, no doubt, blab freely."

"He was very shy about taking Van Roeken and Wagner through the Chinese quarter; and purposely avoided all the places where his friends lived."

"Probably because that blackguard Klapa is on the loose. Now, I come to reflect, I recollect seeing Heffken when I was so infernally drunk at that place.”

"Heffken!" exclaimed Nitschke, shaking his head. "What the deuce could he want there?"

"I think he must have gone there to meet Klapa. He is in league with him, I am persuaded; and I recollect seeing that precious scoundrel afterwards."

"And where is Klapa now, think you ?"

"How can I tell," answered Horbach; "one might look a month in that infamous haunt without finding him. Most of the dens in that quarter have secret doors and passages, so that he could easily escape if pursued. Heffken knows well enough how these blackguards manage to keep out of the way. But on one point I have him fast. He shall not forget IIorbach so easily, I can tell him.” "Well, what is it?"

"I'll tell you by-and-by; but do come with me now merely for a short time."

Just at that moment a bendi drove up to the house with Wagner and Tojiang in it.

"I really cannot go with you now," said Nitschke, shaking hands with Horbach; "but I will certainly see you before you leave Java."

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Well, good night, then." With these words Horbach

sprang into his bendi, and Nitschke walked back to the house. At that moment a dark form glided from behind the trees, and approaching Horbach, thus addressed him :"Tuwan Horbach, a word-just for a moment."

"Hallo! who is this?" said Horbach. "Oh, it's Tojiang, is it? What do you want with me?"

"Nothing, sir," was the answer. "I only want to ask you a question; but not here. Come a little further off." When they had moved about fifty yards away, Tojiang took a gold piece out of his pocket, and said,— "Is this good gold?"

Horbach perceived at once that it was a doubloon, and he had heard that such coins had been stolen from Heffken.

“Where did you get it from?" said he to Tojiang.

"Oh, I picked it up in the street."

"Indeed!" said Horbach.

"Well, then, you have lost nothing by it. At first, I thought some one had given it you for a joke; you would have then been deceived nicely." "Is it not money, then?"

"Oh, yes, it is money-a Chinese coin, made out of the same metal as our buttons. It's worth about a dozen doits. ""*

"Oh, the villain!" exclaimed Tojiang.

"Hallo! I thought you said just now you found it?" "No, Tuwan, I did not pick it up," replied Tojiang, unable to restrain his rage; "it was given-— " he sud

denly stopped, thinking he had said too much.

Now, my good fellow, we will hear a little more about this piece of money. Now, tell me, where did you get it from?"

* Equal to three halfpence, English money. A doit is worth half a farthing.

"Give it me back, Tuwan; I will not tell nobody's business but my own."

"Oh, indeed! we will see about that.

to Tuwan Wagner."

you. It is

Come with me

"No, Tuwan," returned Tojiang, getting quite alarmed. "It is useless, for the man that gave it me is gone into the mountains; so we will not talk about it any more."

"But you won't get off so easily, my friend," said Horbach, determined to know more about it. He knew well enough that Heffken bore no love to either Nitschke or himself, and, in fact, had caused both to be arrested. Now, as this matter promised to give him an opportunity of being revenged on the little man, he determined to profit by it.

Disregarding Tojiang's entreaties, he seized him by the collar and dragged him into the house, and there found Wagner and Nitschke taking their supper together.

"Good evening, gentlemen. I have come to put you on the track of a friend of ours-you know whom I mean, Nitschke."

"Indeed, I do not," said Nitschke, who did not feel quite comfortable at Horbach's sudden reappearance.

"At any rate," said Horbach, throwing the gold piece on the table,. "here is, I think a chip of the old block. Tojiang will not confess whence he got it, so we shall, probably, have to hand him over to the police."

"Oh, indeed!" observed Wagner, looking at the doubloon; so you won't tell us where you got this from, Tojiang?"

"I cannot, Tuwan," answered Tojiang. "A good

friend-an excellent man-who has become a Christian. He probably found it."