e in the emergency; and, even the
fat little Burgher, disliked as he was by her, as a rule, with an
inveterate hatred, was better than nobody!

"Madame has fainted," she said. "Help me to lift her up, and I'll be
obliged to you, worshipful Herr."

"Yes, so, right gladly will I do it, dearest maiden," replied Burgher
Jans politely, with his usual sweeping bow, taking off his hat and
depositing it on an adjacent chair, while he lent a hand to raise the
poor lady and place her on the couch.

This done, he espied the letter that had caused the commotion, which
Madame Dort still held tightly clutched in her hand when she fell; and
he tried to pull it away from her rigid fingers. "Ha, what have we
here?" he said.

"You just leave that alone!" snapped out Lorischen. "Pray take yourself
off, with your wanting to spy into other people's business! If I were a
man I'd be ashamed of being so curious, I would. Burgher Jans, I'll
thank you to withdraw; I wish to attend to my mistress."

"I will obey your behests, dearest maiden," blandly replied the little
man, taking his hat from the chair and backing towards the door,
although casting the while most covetous eyes on the mysterious letter,
which he would have cheerfully given a thaler to have been allowed to
peruse. "I will return anon to inquire how the gracious lady is after
her indisposition, and--"

"If you are not out of the room before I count five," exclaimed the old
nurse, angrily interrupting him, "I declare I'll pitch this footstool at
your little round turnip-top of a head, that I will. One--two--three--"

"Why, whatever is the matter, Lorischen?" interposed Madame Dort,
opening her eyes at this juncture, while the old nurse yet stood with
the footstool raised in her uplifted hands facing the door, half in and
half out of which peered the tortoise-shell spectacles of the little fat
burgher. "Who is there?"

The poor lady spoke very faintly, and did not seem to know where she was
at first, her gaze wandering round the room.

Lorischen quickly put down the heavy missile with which she was
threatening Burgher Jans; and he, taking advantage of this suspension of
hostilities, at once advanced again within the apartment, although still
keeping his hand on the door so as to be ready to beat a retreat in a
fresh emergency, should the old nurse attempt to renew the interrupted
fray.

"High, well-born, and most gracious madame," said he obsequiously. "It
is me