ss was
missing, and that her couch had not been slept on. The governor had at
once hurried to the spot. The count and countess resolutely refused to
state what had become of their daughter.

The sentries had all been strictly questioned, and it was found that the
mender of clocks had, when he left, been accompanied by an apprentice
whom the sentry previously on duty asserted had not entered with him.
The woman was then closely questioned; she asserted stoutly that she
knew nothing whatever of the affair. The count had commissioned her to
obtain a craftsman to set the clock in order, and she had bethought her
of a young man whose acquaintance she had made some time previously, and
who had informed her in the course of conversation that he had come
from Nuremberg, and was a clockmaker by trade, and was at present out of
work. She had met him, she said, on several occasions, and as he was a
pleasant youth and comely, when he had spoken to her of marriage she
had not been averse, now it was plain he had deceived her; and here she
began to cry bitterly and loudly.

Her story seemed probable enough, for any friend of the count who
had intended to carry off his daughter would naturally have begun by
ingratiating himself with her attendant. She was, however, placed in
confinement for a time. The count and countess were at once removed
to the fortress. Orders were given that the town should be searched
thoroughly, and any person answering to the description which the
governor was able to give of the supposed clockmaker should be arrested,
while parties of horse were despatched along all the roads with orders
to arrest and bring to Prague any craftsman or other person accompanied
by a young boy whom they might overtake by the way. Several innocent
peasants with their sons were pounced upon on the roads and hauled to
Prague; but no news was obtained of the real fugitives, who quietly
pursued their way undisturbed further by the active search which was
being made for them. The anger of the emperor when he heard of the
escape of the prize he had destined for one of his favourite officers
was extreme. He ordered the count to be treated with the greatest
rigour, and declared all his estates and those of his wife forfeited,
the latter part of the sentence being at present inoperative, her
estates being in a part of the country far beyond the range of the
Imperialist troops. The waiting maid was after some weeks' detention
released, a