d 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 housekeeper
tol