Count, for the moment, was too much
astonished to do anything, but stood with arms uplifted exclaiming, "My
dear Baron, what has happened? Do get out of that;" while other persons
who stood by only cruelly grinned at his misfortune. At length the
Count, recovering his presence of mind, descended the steps to the
assistance of the hapless Baron, who certainly was more frightened than
hurt, though covered from head to foot with flour and dough and the
contents of the meat pies and fruit tarts, producing an extraordinary
and ludicrous effect.

The mob, who had by this time come up, shouted, "We have him at last.
Now where shall we carry him to? What shall we do with him? He has
given us a pretty long chase, and deserves to be well ducked, or tarred
and feathered!"

"My dear people," exclaimed the Count, "you have made a mistake; this is
my friend, Baron Stilkin, who joined you in the chase of that roguish
fellow who let the cats out of the cask, and whom I am afraid you let go
as well as the cats."

The mob still insisted that the Baron was the man of whom they were in
chase, and it required all the Count's eloquence to persuade them to the
contrary; but his pitiable plight rather amused them than excited their
compassion. Some of them had even the cruelty to beg him to start
again, and give them another chase. At length the kind-hearted landlady
of the inn, coming out, begged him to enter, undertaking to wash his
waistcoat and shirt-front, and to put him to rights.

"Thanks, my good Vrouw, thanks; and if you will prepare some supper for
me, I shall be doubly grateful, for I am terribly hungry after my long
run," answered the Baron.

"First let me get off the paste and flour, jam and grease," said the
Vrouw, bringing a brush and a towel and water; and she rubbed and
scrubbed for some minutes with such good effect that the Baron's
garments were restored to their primitive lustre.

"And now my outward appearance has been polished up, pray look after the
interests of my inner man," said the Baron, placing his hands to his
heart. "I shall ever bear in mind the polite attention with which you
have treated me, though it will take some time to forget the want of
discernment your townsmen have exhibited in mistaking me for that
abominable cat-man. What could have induced him to play such a trick?"

The landlady admitted that she had met no one who could solve the
mystery.

"Nor have I," said the Count. "I have