who would interest himself for you, and endeavour to appease the noisy claimants. On that account I appeared as a paymaster, commanded to deliver you new sums of money. The period when the bishop could be useful to me was now over, and I found it necessary to put him out of the way, that he might not be hurtful to me. He had made you an admirer of religion. Others were now necessary to occupy his place that a scheme might be raised upon a new foundation, as it agreed with my previous plans. On that account Sebastiano had sought to acquire the confidence of the bishop, that he might be able to get yours."
"You have not told me yet who the bishop was. That he was not the person which the writing that Sebastiano delivered to me after his death had represented him, I see now but too clearly."
"But very little was known about him; his history remained a profound secret: the only thing discovered was, that Germany was his birthplace, and this merely was betrayed by his great partiality to that nation. You once told the marquis a family secret: this and other favourable circumstances induced me to compose that history which Sebastiano delivered to you. The character of the bishop was too dear to you to entertain any doubt as to it being a genuine story. My object was gained. Your hatred against ——— rose to the highest pitch, when you saw that so many deeds of murder were up on that side. You thought it was ——— who had taken from you your beloved and the Bishop, and even aimed at your own life (as the sudden appearance of your lost servant proved to you), and your confidence increased towards Sebastiano."
"But why did you seek to make the innocent Baron F——— so suspicious and detestable to me, that I consented to his killing him? Could you not obtain your aim otherwise than by laying this crime upon my soul?"[1]
- ↑ I saw the letters which were fabricated in the name of Baron F——— and which were delivered to the Prince to stimulate him to such a deed. Never did I see handwritings so artfully and accurately imitated. I should have acknowledged all the letters which were forged under my name to have
