e, and gazing after Herdegen and Hind, heeding him not. At length he
hurt my hand, which I could not get away from him; and whereas he was
beginning to look wildly and to seem crazed, I besought him to leave me
free henceforth and try his fortune elsewhere. But still he would never
have set me free so hastily if an evil star had not brought the Swabian
Junker to the spot.

Sir Franz, without a word of greeting or warning, went up to him and
upbraided him for having caused a mischief to a helpless babe through
his heedless conduct. But if Sir Franz knew not already that he, to
whom he spoke as roughly as though he were a froward serving man, was
in truth son and heir of a right noble house, he learnt it now. His
last words were: "And for the future have your savage hounds in better
governance!" Whereupon the other coolly answered: "And you, your
tongue."

On this the other shrugged his shoulders and replied in scorn that to be
sure his tongue was for use and not for silence like some folks'. And I
marvelled where the Swabian, who was so slow of speech, found the words
for retort and answer, till at length it was too much for him and he
laid his hand on his hanger as a second and a sharper tongue.

CHAPTER VIII.

The dancing-wench was locked into the cell with the rest of the
wanderers, and as I looked in through the window at the fine young
creature, squatting in a corner, I had pity on her, and for my part I
would fain have sent her forth and away never to see her more.

I could nowhere find Herdegen; I had no mind for Uncle Christian's
jests; and when, at last, I betook me to my own chamber, meseemed that
some horrible doom was in the air, from which there was no escape. And
matters were no better when Ann, who of late had been free from her bad
headache, came up to bed, to hide her increasing pain among the pillows.
So I sat dumb and thoughtful by her side, till Aunt Jacoba sent for me
to lay cold water on the arm of the little kidnapped maid. The child had
been well washed, and lay clean and fresh between the sheets, and the
swarthy dirty little changeling was now a sweet, fair-haired darling. I
tended it gladly; all the more when I thought of the joy it would bring
to its father and mother; notwithstanding the evil nightmare would
not be cast off, not even when the clatter of wine cups and Uncle
Christian's big laugh fell on my ear.

Seldom had I so keenly missed Herdegen's mirthful voice. The housekeepe