Nannerl, who had just brought the supper ordered by Herwarth, looked from the doctor to Delmar, and the latter was about to give orders that the supper should be carried to his room, when Kuno whispered, "Stay, Delmar; the fellow is tipsy, and may be off his guard in speaking of the castle and Heydeck. Stay for Leo's sake." Paul nodded assent and stayed. He could not bring himself to take a seat beside Putzer, so great was his disgust at the man, but he pushed his plate and napkin over to the other side, and took his place just where he could look directly into the doctor's face. "Now where have I come from?" the doctor repeated after Paul had seated himself. "Guess! You won't guess? Aha, I see you're a sly one! You know well enough where I have been. With the old man up there of course. You've put him in a deuce of a worry. Yes, you're a sly one, but you can't fool me, and I am not afraid of you as that old coward is. He thinks his castle and his property are all gone. Such a fright as he is in! You should have seen him shaking! Ha, ha, ha!" The doctor leaned back in his chair and laughed, or rather roared, until it took him some moments to recover his breath. What did these tipsy sentences mean? Delmar would have attached no significance to them, coming from such a source, had he not remembered the strange manner in which Herr von Heydeck had received him, and the disconnected words he had then uttered. The doctor now spoke of the old man's dread of losing his castle and his property. Had Herr von Heydeck in former years had money transactions with Paul's father, the deceased banker? Was there any bond or note of hand hidden away somewhere? The name of Delmar had evidently not been unknown to Herr von Heydeck. He had muttered 'Paul Delmar' without having heard the name of Paul from its owner. Delmar's curiosity was excited. He was anxious to learn what was the mystery at the foundation of Herr von Heydeck's terror of him, and surely no better opportunity than the present could be found for gaining this knowledge. The doctor's tipsy garrulity was driving him to tell all that he knew. By taking care not to awaken any suspicion in him that he was under examination, Paul might easily learn as much as he wished. In an instant he had decided what course to pursue. He went on carefully cutting the loaf which Nannerl had brought, and, without looking at Putzer, he casually remarked, "The old man is afraid, eh? Well, perhaps he has reason to be so." "Found out! found out!" the doctor roared, with another coarse laugh. "I told you you couldn't fool me. That's what you've come for, then! Well, the old miser deserves it. But if you think you can force him to acknowledge you as his son and give you his name, you're mistaken indeed. If you can bring proof you can take from him his castle and all he owns, but not his name and rank. You can never be a Herr von Heydeck unless he chooses, I tell you that; I, Dr. Putzer!"