“Do you not know us?” said the foremost, holding up a lanthern which he held in his hand. Its light fell on a groupe worthy the pencil of a Rembrandt. The room lay in complete darkness, except where that strong and unbroken light fell. It glared on the rigid and moveless obduracy of Walberg’s despair, who appeared stiffening into stone as he sat. It showed the figure of the friendly priest who had been Guzman’s director, and whose features, pale and haggard with age and austerities, seemed to struggle with the smile that trembled over their wrinkled lines. Behind him stood the aged father of Walberg, with an aspect of perfect apathy, except when, with a momentary effort at recollection, he shook his white head, seeming to ask himself why he was there--and wherefore he could not speak. Supporting him stood the young form of Everhard, over whose cheek and eye wandered a glow and a lustre too bright to last, and instantly succeeded by paleness and dejection. He trembled, advanced,--then shrinking back, clung to his infirm grandfather, as if needing the support he appeared to give. Walberg was the first to break the silence. “I know ye who ye are,” he said hollowly--“ye are come to seize me--ye have heard my confession--why do you delay? Drag me away--I would rise and follow you if I could, but I feel as if I had grown to this seat--you must drag me from it yourselves.” “As he spoke, his wife, who had remained stretched at his feet, rose slowly but firmly; and, of all that she saw or heard, appearing to comprehend only the meaning of her husband’s words, she clasped her arms round him, as if to oppose his being torn from her, and gazed on the groupe with a look of impotent and ghastly defiance. “Another witness,” cried Walberg, “risen from the dead against me? Nay, then, it is time to be gone,”--and he attempted to rise. “Stay, father,” said Everhard, rushing forward and detaining him in his seat; “stay,--there is good news, and this good priest has come to tell it,--listen to him, father, I cannot speak.”--“You! oh you! Everhard,” answered the father, with a look of mournful reproach, “you a witness against me too,--I never raised my hand against you!--Those whom I murdered are silent, and will you be my accuser?”