passing his hand over his face and his
limbs, as if to make sure that he really had him safe again. And now he
slipped out at the door along with the boy: he could not exactly tell
why: he wanted to be once more alone with Joseph at home; but when he
got outside the house he, for the first time, perceived that his knees
failed him--he was forced to sit down on the steps. Within the house he
heard a commotion, a window was opened and a pungent smell of smoke was
perceptible, for the lights on the Christmas tree were all blown out.

So sat Schilder-David. Who comes this way? Who can it be? It is
Haespele. He shouted with joy on seeing Joseph, who was, however,
shivering so much that Schilder-David was quite uneasy about him.

"Go back quickly into the wood and say that he is here, and prevent
them all running about in search of him," said David, his teeth
chattering.

Haespele hurried away, shouting out the good news. "He is found! he is
found!" cried he up the hill till he was hoarse.

A female figure now came out to David and said--

"Give me the child."

"No; I'll give him to no one here. What do you want with him?"

"I wish to carry him to my room, and to put him to bed. Come with us."

"Oh! you must be Tony, surely? Your mother was a good woman."

"And I hope I am, too. Come, quick; make haste!"

"I can't go up the steps; I find out now what I have gone through."

"Come into the stable, then; for you will be warmer there, at all
events."

Tony took the old man straight into the stable, where she prepared a
comfortable bed of dry hay, and laid the child on it, and covered him
up warmly.

Schilder-David placed his hand on the child's forehead, who soon fell
sound asleep; and his grandfather watched by him, scarcely daring to
breathe. Not till they were both quietly sleeping did Tony glide softly
out of the stable.

CHAPTER XVI.
ASLEEP AND AWAKE AGAIN IN THE FOREST MILL.

Haespele had been sent by the anxious parents to the eminence where they
had observed a light, to see what was going on there. Martina would not
believe what Adam said:--"Who knows but they may have found our Joseph
in the mill?" and yet she wanted to go there instantly herself; but
Adam persuaded her to wait, at all events till Haespele came back.

At last he came; he ran as fast as he could to the spot where he had
left them, but they were no longer there. "Is the whole world