wered, "Nothing, nothing at all"--he, nevertheless, fell senseless
upon the ground, before she had time to run up to him and catch him in
her arms.

The Knight von Malzahn, who, on some business or other, entered the
room at this moment, said: "Good God, what ails the gentleman?" while
the lady cried out, "Water, bring water!"

The huntsmen raised the elector from the ground and carried him to a
bed in an adjoining room, and the consternation of all reached its
height, when the chamberlain, who had been fetched by a page, declared,
after many futile endeavours to restore the elector to his senses, that
there were all the signs of apoplexy.

The seneschal, while the cup-bearer sent a messenger on horseback to
Luckau to fetch a physician, caused the elector to be placed in a
vehicle, as soon as he opened his eyes, and to be taken, slowly, to his
hunting castle in the neighbourhood. The consequence of this journey
was two fainting fits after his arrival at the castle, and it was late
on the following morning, when the physician from Luckau had arrived,
that he recovered in some degree, still with the decided symptoms of an
impending nervous fever. As soon as he had regained his senses he
raised himself in his bed, and his first inquiry was for Kohlhaas.

The chamberlain, who misunderstood his question, said, seizing his
hand, that he need no longer trouble himself about this terrible man,
since, as had been designed, he had remained at the farm at Dahme,
guarded by the Brandenburg escort, after the sudden and
incomprehensible mischance which had occurred. Assuring him of his
warmest sympathy, and also that he had reproached his wife most
bitterly for her unwarrantable heedlessness in bringing him in contact
with the man, he asked what there was so strange and monstrous in the
conversation to strike him thus.

The elector said he could only confess that the sight of a worthless
slip of paper, worn by the man in a leaden case, had been the cause of
the unpleasant occurrence. In explanation of this circumstance he
uttered much which the chamberlain did not understand, suddenly assured
him, as he pressed his hand, that the possession of this slip would be
of the utmost importance, and finally entreated him to mount on
horseback without delay, to ride to Dalheim, and to purchase the slip
from Kohlhaas at any price.

The chamberlain, who had difficulty in concealing his embarrassment,
represented to him, that if this