Chapter 266

242 MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE caught him flying, all smoking and foaming with rage, from the burning stables of the Castle Berlifitzing. Supposing him to have belonged to the old Count's stud of foreign horses we led him back as an estray. But the grooms there disclaim any title to the creature, wdiich is strange, since he bears evident marks of having made a narrow escape from the flames.” ‘The letters W. V. B. are also branded very distinctly on his forehead,” interrupted a second equerry; “I supposed them of course to be the initials of Wilhelm Von Berlifitzing — but all at the castle are positive in denying any knowledge of the horse.” “Extremely singular !” said the young Baron with a musing air, and apparently unconscious of the meaning of his words. “He is as you say a remarkable horse — a prodigious horse! although, as you very justly observe, of a suspicious and untractable character ; let him be mine, however,” he added, after a pause, “perhaps a rider like Frederick of Metzenger stein may tame even the devil from the stables of Berlifitzing.” “You are mistaken, my lord; the horse, as I think we mentioned, is not from the stables of the Count. If such had been the case, we know our duty better than to bring him into the presence of a noble of your family.” “True!” observed the Baron, dryly; and at that instant a page of the bedchamber came from the palace with a heightened color and a precipitate step. He whispered into his master's ear an account of the sudden disappearance of a small portion of the tapestry in an apartment which he designated, entering at the same time into particulars of a minute and circumstantial character ; but from the low tone of voice in which these latter were communicated, nothing escaped to gratify the excited curiosity of the equerries. The young Frederick during the conference seemed agitated by a variety of emotions. He soon, however.