, closed the door prudently each time that
she came up from the cellar. At last, I heard the old woman cry: "Leave
the door open! Are you mad to lose half your time in shutting it?" After
that the door remained ajar, and from my nook in the shadows I could see
the tables gradually filling with new customers.

Stories, discussions, and exclamations concerning the famous band of
robbers reached my ears. "Oh! the rascals!" cried one; "thank Heaven
they are caught. What a scourge they have been to Heidelberg! No one
dared risk himself in the streets after ten o'clock, and even business
was beginning to suffer; but now things are changed and in a fortnight
it will all be forgotten."

"Those musicians of the Black Forest are a lot of bandits!" chimed in
another; "they make their way into the houses under pretext of playing,
and meanwhile they are examining the locks, bolts, chests, and windows,
and some fine morning we hear that such a one has had his throat cut in
his bed; that his wife has been murdered, his children strangled, and
his house rifled from top to bottom. The wretches should be strung up
without mercy! Then we might have some peace." "The whole village will
turn out to see them hanged," said Mother Gredel, "and as for me, it
will be the happiest day of my life." "Do you know, if it hadn't been
for Dean Daniel's watch, no trace of them would have been found. Last
night the watch disappeared, and this morning the Dean notified the
police. An hour later, Madoc bagged them all! Ha! Ha! Ha!" The entire
roomful burst out laughing, and I trembled with shame, indignation, and
fear in turn.

Meanwhile, the night drew on. Only a few loungers remained. The people
of the inn, who had sat up the night before, were anxious to get to bed.
I heard the landlady yawn and mutter: "Oh, dear! How long before we can
get some sleep?" Most of the tipplers comprehended the force of this
remark and withdrew; only one remained, sitting half asleep before
his glass. The watchman, going his rounds, woke him up and he went off
grumbling and staggering.

"At last!" I said to myself; "this is good luck; Mother Gredel has
gone to bed and Annette will not be slow in getting me out." With this
agreeable prospect in view, I had already stretched out my stiffened
limbs, when Dame Gredel's voice reached my ear: "Annette, go and lock
up, and don't forget to bolt the door! I am going down cellar." It
appeared that this was a wise custom of hers t