"The robbers' treasure," whispered the lad. "I looked for some safe place wherein to hide the bag, and a stone rolled over, and underneath was a hollow like a basin—a large basin—and in the hollow a round box of iron, open and full of gold and silver money that shone in the moonlight. I lifted some in my hand and poured it back like a gold and silver fountain. And then—"
"Yes, Freskel, and then?"
"Then I feared to tell any one, lest I should not be suffered to keep all the money; and I could not bear to think of parting with one little coin. So I kept silence. But as oft as I could, I went to the island, and uncovered my treasure, and tried to count the pieces, and played with them. And lest any should come and search and find my money, I acted the ghost to frighten them away, wrapping myself in a length of white stuff which I took from the house of Grubert Reuss when no one was at hand.
"Oh, my pastor, look not on me so sternly; I returned the linen cloth to-night, for poor Freskel's treasure is gone, and what need is there any longer for a ghost?"
"My poor lad, thou hast greatly sinned," said the old man. "This evil spirit of covetousness and greed is one of Satan's messengers, and see into what sins that spirit hath led thee! Tell me, my child, would it have been possible to thee in former times to have stolen from dear little Blonda the fruit of her hard toil, so that thou mightest more readily deceive others? And again, Freskel, hast thou not also lied to cover thy fault?"
"Alas! Yes, father, that have I indeed."
"Covetousness, theft, lying, deceit—a terrible list of sins, my child! I know that it is not easy for thee always to choose between right and wrong, and far be it from me to judge thee too hardly in this matter. But before I speak to thee further about thine own faults, Freskel, I would ask what makes thee think that thou hast found the ancient treasure of the legend? Were the coins very old and barbarous looking?"
"No, my father; they are even like the gold and silver of our own country."
"Strange!" muttered Pastor Oshart to himself. "That can be no ancient hoard."
"And thou hast not a single coin that thou couldst show me, Freskel?"