down, silly woman,
and hold thy tongue.--I beseech you, my masters, to pardon this foolish
creature; women are always making simpletons of themselves."

"Don't put yourself out, good man," answered the sumner with a smile of
superiority; "I have a wife and four daughters."

Haimet now appeared with a rope which he handed to the sumner, who
proceeded to tie together first Gerhardt and Ermine, then Agnes and
Rudolph. The child was thoroughly frightened, and sobbing piteously.

"Oh deary, deary me!" wailed poor Isel. "That ever such a day should
come to my house! Dame Mary, and all the blessed Saints in Heaven, have
mercy on us! Haven't I always said there was nought but trouble in this
world?"

"It's no good vexing, Mother; it has to be," said Flemild, but there
were tears in her eyes. "I'm glad Derette's not here."

Derette had gone to see her cousins at the Castle,--a sort of farewell
visit before entering the anchorhold.

"Then I'm sorry," said Isel. "She might have given those rascals a lick
with the rough side of her tongue--much if she wouldn't, too. I'd like
to have heard it, I would!"

The prisoners were marched out, with much show of righteous indignation
against them from Manning, and stolid assistance to the sumners on the
part of Haimet. When the door was shut and all quiet again, Manning
came up to Isel.

"Come, Wife, don't take on!" he said, in a much more gentle tone than
before. "We must not let ourselves be suspected, you know. Perhaps
they'll be acquitted--they seem decent, peaceable folk, and it may be
found to be a false accusation. So long as holy Church does not condemn
them, we need not: but you know we must not set ourselves against her
officers, nor get ourselves suspected and into trouble. Hush, children!
the fewer words the better. They may turn out to be all wrong, and then
it would be sin to pity them. We can but wait and see."

"Saints alive! but I'm in a whole sea of trouble already!" cried Isel.
"We've lost six hands for work; and good workers too; and here had I
reckoned on Ermine tarrying with me, and being like a daughter to me,
when my own were gone: and what am I to do now, never speak of them?"

"There are plenty more girls in the city," said Manning.

"Maybe: but not another Ermine."

"Perhaps not; but it's no good crying over spilt milk, Isel. Do the
best you can with what you have; and keep your mouth shut about what you
have not."

Haimet was seen n