THE SEVERED HAND

By Wilhelm Hauff

From "German Tales. " Published by the American Publishers' Corporation. 

1869

I was born in Constantinople; my father was a dragoman at the Porte, and besides, carried on a fairly lucrative business in sweet-scentedperfumes and silk goods. He gave me a good education; he partlyinstructed me himself, and also had me instructed by one of our priests. He at first intended me to succeed him in business one day, but as Ishowed greater aptitude than he had expected, he destined me, on theadvice of his friends, to be a doctor; for if a doctor has learned alittle more than the ordinary charlatan, he can make his fortune inConstantinople. Many Franks frequented our house, and one of thempersuaded my father to allow me to travel to his native land to the cityof Paris, where such things could be best acquired and free of charge. He wished, however, to take me with himself gratuitously on his journeyhome. My father, who had also travelled in his youth, agreed, and theFrank told me to hold myself in readiness three months hence. I wasbeside myself with joy at the idea of seeing foreign countries, andeagerly awaited the moment when we should embark. The Frank had at lastconcluded his business and prepared himself for the journey. On theevening before our departure my father led me into his little bedroom. There I saw splendid dresses and arms lying on the table. My looks werehowever chiefly attracted to an immense heap of gold, for I had neverbefore seen so much collected together. 

My father embraced me and said: "Behold, my son, I have procured forthee clothes for the journey. These weapons are thine; they are the samewhich thy grandfather hung around me when I went abroad. I know thatthou canst use them aright; but only make use of them when thou artattacked; on such occasions, how-over, defend thyself bravely. Myproperty is not large; behold I have divided it into three parts, onepart for thee, another for my support and spare money, but the thirdis to me a sacred and untouched property, it is for thee in the hourof need. " Thus spoke my old father, tears standing in his eyes, perhapsfrom some foreboding, for I never saw him again. 

The journey passed off very well; we had soon reached the land of theFranks, and six days later we arrived in the large city of Paris. Theremy Frankish friend hired a room for me, and advised me to spend wiselymy money, which amounted in all to two thousand dollars. I lived threeyears in this city, and learned what is necessary for a skilful doctorto know. I should not, however, be stating the truth if I said thatI liked being there, for the customs of this nation displeased me;besides, I had only a few chosen friends there, and these were nobleyoung men. 

The longing after home at last possessed me mightily; during the wholeof that time I had not heard anything from my father, and I thereforeseized a favorable opportunity of reaching home. An embassy from Franceleft for Turkey. I acted as surgeon to the suite of the Ambassadorand arrived happily in Stamboul. My father's house was locked, and theneighbors, who were surprised on seeing me, told me my father had diedtwo months ago. The priest who had instructed me in my youth brought methe key; alone and desolate I entered the empty house. All was still inthe same position as my father had left it, only the gold which I wasto inherit was gone. I questioned the priest about it, and he, bowing, said: "Your father died a saint, for he has bequeathed his gold to theChurch. " This was and remained inexplicable to me. However, what could Ido? I had no witness against the priest, and had to be glad that he hadnot considered the house and the goods of my father as a bequest. Thiswas the first misfortune that I encountered. Henceforth nothing butill-luck attended me. My reputation as doctor would not spread at all, because I was ashamed to act the charlatan; and I felt everywhere thewant of the recommendation of my father, who would have introduced me tothe richest and most distinguished, but who now no longer thought ofthe poor Zaleukos! The goods of my father also had no sale, for hiscustomers had deserted him after his death, and new ones are only to begot slowly. 

Thus when I was one day meditating sadly over my position, it occurredto me that I had often seen in France men of my nation travellingthrough the country exhibiting their goods in the markets of the towns. I remembered that the people liked to buy of them, because theycame from abroad, and that such a business would be most lucrative. Immediately I resolved what to do. I disposed of my father's house, gavepart of the money to a trusty friend to keep for me, and with the rest Ibought what are very rare in France, shawls, silk goods, ointments, and oils, took a berth on board a ship, and thus entered upon my secondjourney to the land of the Franks. It seemed as if fortune had favoredme again as soon as I had turned my back upon the Castles of theDardanelles. Our journey was short and successful. I travelled throughthe large and small towns of the Franks, and found everywhere willingbuyers of my goods. My friend in Stamboul always sent me fresh stores, and my wealth increased day by day. When I had saved at last so muchthat I thought I might venture on a greater undertaking, I travelledwith my goods to Italy. I must however confess to something, whichbrought me not a little money: I also employed my knowledge of physic. On reaching a town, I had it published that a Greek physician hadarrived, who had already healed many; and in fact my balsam and medicinegained me many a sequin. Thus I had at length reached the city ofFlorence in Italy. 

I resolved upon remaining in this town for some time, partly because Iliked it so well, partly also because I wished to recruit myself fromthe exertions of my travels. I hired a vaulted shop, in that part of thetown called Sta. Croce, and not far from this a couple of nice roomsat an inn, leading out upon a balcony. I immediately had my billscirculated, which announced me to be both physician and merchant. Scarcely had I opened my shop when I was besieged by buyers, and inspite of my high prices I sold more than any one else, because I wasobliging and friendly towards my customers. Thus I had already livedfour days happily in Florence, when one evening, as I was about to closemy vaulted room, and on examining once more the contents of my ointmentboxes, as I was in the habit of doing, I found in one of the small boxesa piece of paper, which I did not remember to have put into it. 

I unfolded the paper, and found in it an invitation to be on the bridgewhich is called Ponto Vecchio that night exactly at midnight. I wasthinking for a long time as to who it might be who had invited me there;and not knowing a single soul in Florence, I thought perhaps I shouldbe secretly conducted to a patient, a thing which had already oftenoccurred. I therefore determined to proceed thither, but took care togird on the sword which my father had once presented to me. When it wasclose upon midnight I set out on my journey, and soon reached thePonte Vecchio. I found the bridge deserted, and determined to await theappearance of him who called me. It was a cold night; the moon shonebrightly, and I looked down upon the waves of the Arno, which sparkledfar away in the moonlight. It was now striking twelve o'clock from allthe churches of the city, when I looked up and saw a tall man standingbefore me completely covered in a scarlet cloak, one end of which hidhis face. 

At first I was somewhat frightened, because he had made his appearanceso suddenly; but was however myself again shortly afterwards, and said:"If it is you who have ordered me here, say what you want?" The mandressed in scarlet turned round and said in an undertone:

"Follow!" At this, however, I felt a little timid to go alone with thisstranger. I stood still and said: "Not so, sir, kindly first tell mewhere; you might also let me see your countenance a little, in orderto convince me that you wish me no harm. " The red one, however, did notseem to pay any attention to this. "If thou art unwilling, Zaleukos, remain, " he replied, and continued his way. I grew angry. "Do youthink, " I exclaimed, "a man like myself allows himself to be made a foolof, and to have waited on this cold night for nothing?"

In three bounds I had reached him, seized him by his cloak, and criedstill louder, whilst laying hold of my sabre with my other hand. Hiscloak, however, remained in my hand, and the stranger had disappearedround the nearest corner. I became calmer by degrees. I had the cloak atany rate, and it was this which would give me the key to this remarkableadventure. I put it on and continued my way home. When I was at adistance of about a hundred paces from it, some one brushed very closelyby me and whispered in the language of the Franks: "Take care, Count, nothing can be done to-night. " Before I had time, however, to turnround, this somebody had passed, and I merely saw a shadow hoveringalong the houses. I perceived that these words did not concern me, butrather the cloak, yet it gave me no explanation concerning the affair. On the following morning I considered what was to be done. At first Ihad intended to have the cloak cried in the streets, as if I had foundit. But then the stranger might send for it by a third person, and thusno light would be thrown upon the matter. Whilst I was thus thinking, I examined the cloak more closely. It was made of thick Genoese velvet, scarlet in color, edged with Astrachan fur and richly embroidered withgold. The magnificent appearance of the cloak put a thought into my mindwhich I resolved to carry out. 

I carried it into my shop and exposed it for sale, but placed such ahigh price upon it that I was sure nobody would buy it. My object inthis was to scrutinize everybody sharply who might ask for thefur cloak; for the figure of the stranger, which I had seen butsuperficially, though with some certainty, after the loss of thecloak, I should recognize amongst a thousand. There were many would-bepurchasers for the cloak, the extraordinary beauty of which attractedeverybody; but none resembled the stranger in the slightest degree, andnobody was willing to pay such a high price as two hundred sequins forit. What astonished me was that on asking somebody or other if therewas not such a cloak in Florence, they all answered "No, " and assured methey never had seen so precious and tasteful a piece of work. 

Evening was drawing near, when at last a young man appeared, who hadalready been to my place, and who had also offered me a great deal forthe cloak. He threw a purse with sequins upon the table, and exclaimed:"Of a truth, Zaleukos, I must have thy cloak, should I turn into abeggar over it!" He immediately began to count his pieces of gold. I wasin a dangerous position: I had only exposed the cloak, in order merelyto attract the attention of my stranger, and now a young fool came topay an immense price for it. However, what could I do? I yielded; foron the other hand I was delighted at the idea of being so handsomelyrecompensed for my nocturnal adventure. 

The young man put the cloak around him and went away, but on reachingthe threshold he returned; whilst unfastening a piece of paper which hadbeen tied to the cloak, and throwing it towards me, he exclaimed:"Here, Zaleukos, hangs something which I dare say does not belong tothe cloak. " I picked up the piece of paper carelessly, but behold, onit these words were written: "Bring the cloak at the appointed hourto-night to the Ponte Vecchio, four hundred sequins are thine. " I stoodthunderstruck. Thus I had lost my fortune and completely missed my aim!Yet I did not think long. I picked up the two hundred sequins, jumpedafter the one who had bought the cloak, and said: "Dear friend, takeback your sequins, and give me the cloak; I cannot possibly part withit. " He first regarded the matter as a joke; but when he saw that I wasin earnest, he became angry at my demand, called me a fool, and finallyit came to blows. 

However, I was fortunate enough to wrench the cloak from him in thescuffle, and was about to run away with it, when the young man calledthe police to his assistance, and we both appeared before the judge. Thelatter was much surprised at the accusation, and adjudicated the cloakin favor of my adversary. I offered the young man twenty, fifty, eighty, even a hundred sequins in addition to his two hundred, if he wouldpart with the cloak. What my entreaties could not do, my gold did. Heaccepted it. I, however, went away with the cloak triumphantly, and hadto appear to the whole town of Florence as a madman. I did not care, however, about the opinion of the people; I knew better than they that Iprofited after all by the bargain. 

Impatiently I awaited the night. At the same hour as before I went withthe Cloak under my arm towards the Ponte Vecchio. With the last strokeof twelve the figure appeared out of the darkness, and came towards me. It was unmistakably the man whom I had seen yesterday. "Hast thou thecloak?" he asked me. "Yes, sir, " I replied; "but it cost me a hundredsequins ready money. " "I know it, " replied the other. "Look here, hereare four hundred. " He went with me towards the wide balustrade ofthe bridge, and counted out the money. There were four hundred; theysparkled magnificently in the moonlight; their glitter rejoiced myheart. Alas, I did not anticipate that this would be its last joy. I putthe money into my pocket, and was desirous of thoroughly looking at mykind and unknown stranger; but he wore a mask, through which dark eyesstared at me frightfully. "I thank you, sir, for your kindness, " I saidto him; "what else do you require of me? I tell you beforehand it mustbe an honorable transaction. " "There is no occasion for alarm, " hereplied, whilst winding the cloak around his shoulders; "I require yourassistance as surgeon, not for one alive, but dead. "

"What do you mean?" I exclaimed, full of surprise. "I arrived with mysister from abroad, " he said, and beckoned me at the same time to followhim. "I lived here with her at the house of a friend. My sister diedyesterday suddenly of a disease, and my relatives wish to bury herto-morrow. According to an old custom of our family all are to be buriedin the tomb of our ancestors; many, notwithstanding, who died in foreigncountries are buried there and embalmed. I do not grudge my relativesher body, but for my father I want at least the head of his daughter, inorder that he may see her once more. " This custom of severing the headsof beloved relatives appeared to me somewhat awful, yet I did not dareto object to it lest I should offend the stranger. I told him that I wasacquainted with the embalming of the dead, and begged him to conduct meto the deceased. Yet I could not help asking him why all this must bedone so mysteriously and at night? He answered me that his relatives, who considered his intention horrible, objected to it by daylight;if only the head were severed, then they could say no more about it;although he might have brought me the head, yet a natural feeling hadprevented him from severing it himself. 

In the meantime we had reached a large, splendid house. My companionpointed it out to me as the end of our nocturnal walk. We passed theprincipal entrance of the house, entered a little door, which thestranger carefully locked behind him, and now ascended in the dark anarrow spiral staircase. It led towards a dimly lighted passage, out ofwhich we entered a room lighted by a lamp fastened to the ceiling. 

In this room was a bed, on which the corpse lay. The stranger turnedaside his face, evidently endeavoring to hide his tears. He pointedtowards the bed, telling me to do my business well and quickly, and leftthe room. 

I took my instruments, which I as surgeon always carried about with me, and approached the bed. Only the head of the corpse was visible, and itwas so beautiful that I experienced involuntarily the deepest sympathy. Dark hair hung down in long plaits, the features were pale, the eyesclosed. At first I made an incision into the skin, after the manner ofsurgeons when amputating a limb. I then took my sharpest knife, and withone stroke cut the throat. But oh, horror! The dead opened her eyes, butimmediately closed them again, and with a deep sigh she now seemed tobreathe her last. At the same moment a stream of hot blood shot towardsme from the wound. I was convinced that the poor creature had beenkilled by me. That she was dead there was no doubt, for there was norecovery from this wound. I stood for some minutes in painful anguishat what had happened. Had the "red-cloak" deceived me, or had hissister perhaps merely been apparently dead? The latter seemed to me morelikely. But I dare not tell the brother of the deceased that perhaps alittle less deliberate cut might have awakened her without killing her;therefore I wished to sever the head completely; but once more the dyingwoman groaned, stretched herself out in painful movements, and died. 

Fright overpowered me, and, shuddering, I hastened out of the room. Butoutside in the passage it was dark; for the light was out, no trace ofmy companion was to be seen, and I was obliged, haphazard, to feelmy way in the dark along the wall, in order to reach the staircase. Idiscovered it at last and descended, partly falling and partly gliding. But there was not a soul downstairs. I merely found the door ajar, and breathed freer on reaching the street, for I had felt verystrange inside the house. Urged on by terror, I rushed towards mydwelling-place, and buried myself in the cushions of my bed, in order toforget the terrible thing that I had done. 

But sleep deserted me, and only the morning admonished me again to takecourage. It seemed to me probable that the man who had induced me tocommit this nefarious deed, as it now appeared to me, might not denounceme. I immediately resolved to set to work in my vaulted room, andif possible to assume an indifferent look. But alas! an additionalcircumstance, which I only now noticed, increased my anxiety still more. My cap and my girdle, as well as my instruments, were wanting, and Iwas uncertain as to whether I had left them in the room of the murderedgirl, or whether I had lost them in my flight. The former seemed indeedthe more likely, and thus I could easily be discovered as the murderer. 

At the accustomed hour I opened my vaulted room. My neighbor came in, aswas his wont every morning, for he was a talkative man. "Well, " he said, "what do you say about the terrible affair which has occurred during thenight?" I pretended not to know anything. "What, do you not know what isknown all over the town? Are you not aware that the loveliest flower inFlorence, Bianca, the Governor's daughter, was murdered last night?I saw her only yesterday driving through the streets in so cheerful amanner with her intended one, for to-day the marriage was to have takenplace. " I felt deeply wounded at each word of my neighbor. Many a timemy torment was renewed, for every one of my customers told me of theaffair, each one more ghastly than the other, and yet nobody couldrelate anything more terrible than that which I had seen myself. 

About mid-day a police-officer entered my shop and requested me to sendthe people away. "Signor Zaleukos, " he said, producing the things whichI had missed, "do these things belong to you?" I was thinking as towhether I should not entirely repudiate them, but on seeing throughthe door, which stood ajar, my landlord and several acquaintances, I determined not to aggravate the affair by telling a lie, andacknowledged myself as the owner of the things. The police-officerasked me to follow him, and led me towards a large building which I soonrecognized as the prison. There he showed me into a room meanwhile. 

My situation was terrible, as I thought of it in my solitude. The ideaof having committed a murder, unintentionally, constantly presenteditself to my mind. I also could not conceal from myself that the glitterof the gold had captivated my feelings, otherwise I should not havefallen blindly into the trap. Two hours after my arrest I was led out ofmy cell. I descended several steps until at last I reached a great hall. Around a long table draped in black were seated twelve men, mostly oldmen. There were benches along the sides of the hall, filled with themost distinguished of Florence. The galleries, which were above, werethickly crowded with spectators. When I had stepped towards the tablecovered with black cloth, a man with a gloomy and sad countenance rose;it was the Governor. He said to the assembly that he as the father inthis affair could not sentence, and that he resigned his place on thisoccasion to the eldest of the Senators. The eldest of the Senators wasan old man at least ninety years of age. He stood in a bent attitude, and his temples were covered with thin white hair, but his eyes wereas yet very fiery, and his voice powerful and weighty. He commenced byasking me whether I confessed to the murder. I requested him to allowme to speak, and related undauntedly and with a clear voice what I haddone, and what I knew. 

I noticed that the Governor, during my recital, at one time turned pale, and at another time red. When I had finished, he rose angrily: "What, wretch!" he exclaimed, "dost thou even dare to impute a crime which thouhast committed from greediness to another?" The Senator reprimandedhim for his interruption, since he had voluntarily renounced his right;besides it was not clear that I did the deed from greediness, for, according to his own statement, nothing had been stolen from the victim. He even went further. He told the Governor that he must give an accountof the early life of his daughter, for then only it would be possibleto decide whether I had spoken the truth or not. At the same time headjourned the court for the day, in order, as he said, to consult thepapers of the deceased, which the Governor would give him. I was againtaken back to my prison, where I spent a wretched day, always ferventlywishing that a link between the deceased and the "red-cloak" might bediscovered. Full of hope, I entered the Court of Justice the next day. Several letters were lying upon the table. The old Senator asked mewhether they were in my handwriting. I looked at them and noticed thatthey must have been written by the same hand as the other two paperswhich I had received. I communicated this to the Senators, but noattention was paid to it, and they told me that I might have writtenboth, for the signature of the letters was undoubtedly a Z. , the firstletter of my name. The letters, however, contained threats againstthe deceased, and warnings against the marriage which she was about tocontract. 

The Governor seemed to have given extraordinary information concerningme, for I was treated with more suspicion and rigor on this day. Ireferred, to justify myself, to my papers which must be in my room, but was told they had been looked for without success. Thus at theconclusion of this sitting all hope vanished, and on being brought intothe Court the third day, judgment was pronounced on me. I was convictedof wilful murder and condemned to death. Things had come to such a pass!Deserted by all that was precious to me upon earth, far away from home, I was to die innocently in the bloom of my life. 

On the evening of this terrible day which had decided my fate, I wassitting in my lonely cell, my hopes were gone, my thoughts steadfastlyfixed upon death, when the door of my prison opened, and in came a man, who for a long time looked at me silently. "Is it thus I find you again, Zaleukos?" he said. I had not recognized him by the dim light of mylamp, but the sound of his voice roused in me old remembrances. It wasValetti, one of those few friends whose acquaintance I made in the cityof Paris when I was studying there. He said that he had come to Florenceaccidentally, where his father, who was a distinguished man, lived. Hehad heard about my affair, and had come to see me once more, and to hearfrom my own lips how I could have committed such a crime. I related tohim the whole affair. He seemed much surprised at it, and adjured me, asmy only friend, to tell him all, in order not to leave the world with alie behind me. I confirmed my assertions with an oath that I had spokenthe truth, and that I was not guilty of anything, except that theglitter of the gold had dazzled me, and that I had not perceived theimprobability of the story of the stranger. "Did you not know Bianca?"he asked me. I assured him that I had never seen her. Valetti nowrelated to me that a profound mystery rested on the affair, that theGovernor had very much accelerated my condemnation, and now a report wasspread that I had known Bianca for a long time, and had murdered her outof revenge for her marriage with some one else. I told him that all thiscoincided exactly with the "red-cloak, " but that I was unable to provehis participation in the affair. Valetti embraced me weeping, andpromised me to do all, at least to save my life. 

I had little hope, though I knew that Valetti was a clever man, wellversed in the law, and that he would do all in his power to save mylife. For two long days I was in uncertainty; at last Valetti appeared. "I bring consolation, though painful. You will live and be free with theloss of one hand. " Affected, I thanked my friend for saving my life. He told me that the Governor had been inexorable in having the affairinvestigated a second time, but that he at last, in order not to appearunjust, had agreed, that if a similar case could be found in the lawbooks of the history of Florence, my punishment should be the same asthe one recorded in these books. He and his father had searched in theold books day and night, and at last found a case quite similar tomine. The sentence was: That his left hand be cut off, his propertyconfiscated, and he himself banished for ever. This was my punishmentalso, and he asked me to prepare for the painful hour which awaited me. I will not describe to you that terrible hour, when I laid my hand uponthe block in the public market-place and my own blood shot over me inbroad streams. 

Valetti took me to his house until I had recovered; he then mostgenerously supplied me with money for travelling, for all I had acquiredwith so much difficulty had fallen a prey to the law. I leftFlorence for Sicily and embarked on the first ship that I found forConstantinople. 

My hope was fixed upon the sum which I had entrusted to my friend. Ialso requested to be allowed to live with him. But how great was myastonishment on being asked why I did not wish to live in my own house. He told me that some unknown man had bought a house in the Greek Quarterin my name, and this very man had also told the neighbors of my earlyarrival. I immediately proceeded thither accompanied by my friend, andwas received by all my old acquaintances joyfully. An old merchant gaveme a letter, which the man who had bought the house for me had leftbehind. I read as follows: "Zaleukos! Two hands are prepared to workincessantly, in order that you may not feel the loss of one of yours. The house which you see and all its contents are yours, and every yearyou will receive enough to be counted amongst the rich of your people. Forgive him who is unhappier than yourself!" I could guess who hadwritten it, and in answer to my question, the merchant told me it hadbeen a man, whom he took for a Frank, and who had worn a scarlet cloak. I knew enough to understand that the stranger was, after all, notentirely devoid of noble intentions. In my new house I found everythingarranged in the best style, also a vaulted room stored with goods, more splendid than I had ever had. Ten years have passed since. I stillcontinue my commercial travels, more from old custom than necessity, yet I have never again seen that country where I became so unfortunate. Every year since, I have received a thousand gold-pieces; and although Irejoice to know that unfortunate man to be noble, yet he cannot relieveme of the sorrow of my soul, for the terrible picture of the murderedBianca is continually on my mind.