as if he
wanted in that way to stop the motion of his head, he said thoughtfully:
"Not a whole thing, Wolf, rather a double one, or--if we look at it
differently--it is only a half, for an honest friend of our Holy Church.
The way into which they tempt you is paved with gold, but--but--I see
the snares and pitfalls----"

He rose as he spoke, muttering all sorts of unintelligible things, until
he finally exclaimed, "Yet perhaps one might----"

Then he looked impatiently toward the door, and asked: "Where is the
girl loitering? Would Eve probably bite the apple of temptation also?"

"Shall I call her?" cried Wolf eagerly.

"No, no," said the captain. "It is sinful to disturb even our nearest
relatives at prayer. Besides, you would not believe how the maestro's
praises and the imperial gift have excited the vanity in her woman's
nature. For the first time in I know not how many years, she overslept
the hour of mass. It was probably ten o'clock when I knocked at her
chamber door. Toward eleven there was a movement in her room. Then I
opened the door to bid her good-morning, but she neither heard nor saw
anything, and knelt at the priedieu as if turned to stone. Before going
to sleep and early in the morning I expect such things, but when it is
almost noon! Her porridge still stood untouched on the table here, and
to-day there is no occasion for fasting. But I did not like to disturb
her, and perhaps she would still be kneeling before the Virgin's image
if the maid-servant hadn't blundered in to carry a bouquet which Herr
Peter Schlumperger's servant had brought. Then Barbara started up as
if a hornet had stung her. And how she looked at me! Once--I knew it
instantly--I had gazed into such a marvellously beautiful face, such
helpless blue eyes. Afterward I remembered who and where it had been.
God guard me from sinning against my own child, but that was exactly the
way the young girl looked who they--it was farther back in the past than
you can remember--burned here for a witch, as the halberdiers and monks
led her to the place of execution. Susanne Schindler--that was her
name--was the daughter of a respectable notary's clerk, who was obliged
to wander about the world a great deal, and perished in Hungary just as
she reached womanhood. Her mother had died when she was born, and an old
woman had taken care of her out of friendship. People called the lass
'beautiful Susel,' and she was wonderfully charming. Pink and white