,'
and I have come," she answered, caressing Bertha kindly. "I have
decided to give over the work and the care to you young people; to sit
by the chimneyside and see you happy; so bid farewell to this place,
and prepare to return with me. John is expecting thee."

"At once, dear mother?" she asked with some anxiety. "You know,
mother, I am a vassal of the Seigneur Oberthal, and may not marry
outside of his domain, without his permission. I must first get that;
but he cannot wish to keep me here, when there is so much happiness in
store for me!" she cried, with all the assurance of her happiness
newly upon her. But while she had been speaking, Faith had looked off
toward the high-road:

"Look, Bertha! dost see three strange figures coming along there?" she
asked in a low tone, pointing toward the road. Bertha looked. It was
true: three men, in black, of sinister appearance, were coming toward
them. The pair watched.

"Who are they?" she repeated, still in low and half-frightened tones.

"I have seen them before," Bertha answered. "It is said that they are
saintly men, but they look sinister to me."

By this time the men had been joined by many of the peasants and were
approaching the castle. They were Jonas, Mathison, and Zacharia,
seditionists; but they were going through the country in the garb of
holy men, stirring up the people under cover of saintliness.

They preached to the people the most absurd doctrines; that they would
have all the lands and castles of the nobles if they should rise up
and rebel against the system of vassalage that then prevailed. They
lacked a leader, however, in order to make their work successful. Now
they had come to Dordrecht and were approaching the castle of the
Count of Oberthal. All the peasants got into a frightful tangle of
trouble and riot, and they called and hammered at the Count's doors
till he and his retainers came out.

"What is all this noise?" he demanded, and as he spoke, he recognized
in Jonas, the leader of the Anabaptists, a servant whom he had
discharged for thievery. He at once told the peasants of this, and it
turned them against the three strangers and stopped the disturbance,
but at the back of the crowd the Count Oberthal had seen the beautiful
Bertha and Faith.

"What do ye do here?" he asked, curiously but kindly, noticing the
beauty of Bertha. At that she went toward him.

"I wish to ask you, Seigneur, for leave to marry outside your domain.
I love