When questioned concerning the motives of his absence from home during the entire night he maintained a profound silence; but he was evidently much agitated and excited by the queries thus put to him. He said nothing about the stranger-lady who had so frequently terrified Agnes; because, in relating the proceedings of that mysterious female in respect to his deceased grand-daughter--especially the incident of the abstraction of the antique jewels which the late Count of Riverola had given to her--he would have been compelled to enter into details concerning the _amour_ between those who were no more. And this subject he was solicitous to avoid, not only through respect for the memory of the murdered Agnes, but also to spare the feelings of Count Francisco and Donna Nisida. The judges and the procurator fiscal, finding that they could elicit nothing from Wagner relative to the cause of his absence from home during the night preceding the murder, passed on to another subject. "In an apartment belonging to your residence," said the chief judge, "there are several pictures and portraits." Wagner turned pale and trembled. The judge made a signal to an officer of the court, and that functionary quitted the judgment hall. In a few minutes he returned, followed by three subordinates bearing the two portraits mentioned in the sixth chapter of this tale, and also the frame covered over with the large piece of black cloth. On perceiving this last object, Wagner became paler still, and trembled violently. "There are six other pictures in the room whence these have been taken," said the judge; "but these six are not of a character to interest the tribunal. We however require explanations concerning the two portraits and the frame with the black cloth cover now before us." The greatest excitement at present prevailed amongst the audience. "On one of the portraits," continued the chief judge, "there is an inscription to this effect,--_F., Count of A., terminated his career on the 1st. of August, 1517._--What does this inscription mean?" "It means that Faust, Count of Aurana, was a nobleman with whom I traveled during a period of eighteen months," replied Wagner; "and he died on the day mentioned in that inscription." "The world has heard strange reports relative to Faust," said the chief judge, in a cold voice and with unchanged manner, although the mention of that name had produced a thrill of horror on the part of his brother judges and the audience. "Art thou aware that rumor ascribes to him a compact with the Evil One?" Wagner gazed around him in horrified amazement, for the incident of the preceding night returned with such force to his mind that he could scarcely subdue an agonizing ebullition of emotion.