"You may believe me or not; but ask any one else you please. If you will follow my advice, you will be off at once to Sumatra, and there I am sure you will be successful. But it is getting late now, and as I feel very tired, I will say good night."

They then retired to their respective apartments; as did in about an hour afterwards Lockhaart and Wagner, when they had returned from the Resident's house.

Soon after this, the door opened, and Soltersdrop entered, with the musical-box under his arm. A variety of thoughts perplexed his brain, and with his head resting on his hands, he sat for a long time plunged in deep meditation.

What could possibly have made his wife so sad? she had actually been crying all the afternoon! Then what could the clergyman and his friend have to confer about so earnestly, and cause them to be so continually whispering to each other; above all, what on earth could induce the tall man not to like his musical box.

This last mystery mortified him more than all the others; and at last he sprang up and walked in a moody state of mind up and down the room. Presently, to his great satisfaction, a Malay entered, and placed before him a glass of grog; and his gratification was increased by the Malay lighting a spill and offering it to him.

"Well done!" exclaimed Soltersdrop taking a manilla out of his cigar-case, fully resolved on making himself comfortable. He then forthwith began to wind up his musical-box, and, placing it before him, prepared to give himself up to the full enjoyment of his three delights— his cigar, grog, and music.

He listened in ecstasy to the whole round of tunes,

from the chant to the last melody, the waltz from Der Freischütz.

Lockhaart, whose bedroom was immediately over the place where the fanatico per la musica was thus blissfully occupied, could scarcely contain his rage at this unseasonable tinkling; and, as he paced angrily up and down the room, vowed vengeance, when morning should arrive, upon both the landlord and his detestable plaything.

Y

CHAPTER XLIV.

A CAPTURE, AND ITS RESULTS.

AT early dawn on the following morning, Lockhaart was aroused from his brief allowance of sleep by his Malay servant, who, after needlessly knocking two or three times, at last opened the door.

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Well, what's the matter?" said the master, astonished to see him at that early hour.

"I have been watching the Tuwan with the long black coat; he has been with Madame this morning; then the Tuwan with the white teeth went in, and she gave him money-much money"

"To which of them-to the one with the white teeth?” The Malay nodded.

"And where is the Tuwan to whom this house belongs?"

"Still asleep."

"Did you notice anything else?"

"The two white men are going off to the mountains this morning."

"Ah!" said Lockhaart; "that's a very different thing. Order coffee in five minutes; and then

"Yes, Tuwan."

"All right; I'll tell you afterwards what to do next." The Malay left the apartment, and his master proceeded at once to the bath-room; on reaching which, he recollected all at once that he had left his pocket-book, with some important papers in it, on the dressing-table.

He felt rather uneasy at this, knowing that his Malay servant must by this time be in the kitchen; and, as the bed-room was only a few yards off, he returned quickly to it. Just as he reached the door of this apartment, to his astonishment it opened, and he encountered the blue eyes and white teeth of Joost, coming out of his room.

"The devil!" exclaimed Lockhaart, so astounded that he scarcely knew what to say.

"I beg your pardon," said Joost, bowing-"the doors here are so much alike, that it is very difficult to distinguish one room from another,-good morning."

And with these words, he turned round to go to his own room; but Lockhaart would not let him off so easily.

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Stop, sir," said he, seizing his arm;

as you have entered my room, I must be satisfied as to who you are; for who knows what you may have found there?"

"You are surely joking, my good sir," said Joost, getting rather alarmed; “for you cannot suppose that I would enter your room with any evil design."

"Whether I think so or not, matters little; but my opinion is that I have just caught a fox very nicely. Wagner!-Wagner !-come here!"

Wagner, who had overheard the last remark, immediately attended to his friend's summons, while Holderbreit appeared on the other side of the passage.

"Wagner," said Lockhaart coolly, "send somebody directly to the Resident, for four policemen to take this gentleman into custody." Then turning to Joost, he said to him, “And you, sir, in the meanwhile, will be so good as to re-enter my room.”

"You must be mad!" exclaimed Joost, "to give me in charge on such slight grounds. My dear Mr. Holderbreit,

will you tell this eccentric gentleman what you know about me."

"Mr. Lockhaart," said the clergyman, "there must be some mistake here."

"I mean to have a word or two with you also presently," interrupted Lockhaart; and, without taking any more notice of the disconcerted missionary, he pushed Joost into his room, following him thither, and taking care to lock the door.

"Mr. Lockhaart," said Joost, "if you mean this for a joke, let me tell you"

"Don't tell me anything," said Lockhaart abruptly. Well, count your money, if you think I have stolen I will

any.

"What pocket-book is that you have just dropped?" said Lockhaart, whose sharp eye had perceived it fall from Joost.

"I did not drop that," said Joost with self-possession. "Oh, indeed!" observed Lockhaart, stooping down for the article. He then took a bundle of papers out, and began counting them, adding, "You must have a sharp eye to appreciate the value of these papers."

"But I give you my word

"Pooh, pooh! Let me tell you something, Mr. Joost," said the old gentleman, stepping up to him.

"We are

alone, and I can speak to you unreservedly. I know very well that you did not come into my room for the purpose of stealing money."

"Then why do you keep me here?"

"I also know," continued Lock haart, without heeding the other's remonstrance, "that you did not come here accidentally; and I am equally certain, too, that you have forgotten something besides,"