lled by
feelings of horror and disgust, the moon shone full upon her, and
revealed the features of a woman of an advanced period of life, who
formerly might have possessed much beauty, although now so washed out by
tears, and furrowed by sorrow, that the whole character of her face was
changed. Her years, too, were probably very much fewer than her
appearance denoted, for the signs of age upon her face bore less the
marks of time than of mental suffering. The symptoms of aversion which
her manner displayed upon the beggar's approach, although instinctive
and involuntary, and almost immediately restrained, had not escaped his
eye. His features expressed the bitter resentment of his heart at this
insult, and worked with ill-repressed feelings of anger and spite.

"Ha! Mother Magdalena--it is thou! Why flinchest thou at my approach?
Hast thou cause to fear me, then?" exclaimed the cripple with a sneer,
as he drew nearer.

The female thus addressed shuddered at the sound of his voice; and,
hastily pulling her dark hood more closely over her face, endeavoured to
pass on without reply; but the beggar caught her by the arm.

"Not so fast, beldam!" he cried. "I would have a word with thee. Dost
thou not know me?"

"Not know thee!" exclaimed the dark female. "Who in this wretched town
does not know Schwartzer Claus, the witchfinder? What wouldst thou with
me? Let me go!"

"Why dost thou tremble, then, and turn away thy head?" continued the
cripple. "Why does Black Claus, the witchfinder--since such thou callest
me--make thee shudder thus in every limb? The innocent have no cause to
fear."

"Thou askest me why I shudder?" said Magdalena in an excited tone,
forgetting in her agitation her purpose of self-control. "Thou hast
forced me to speak, and I will tell thee. Is not thy hand yet reeking
with the bloody ashes of thy last victim? Has not a seventh unhappy
woman suffered this very day a cruel death at the stake upon thy hideous
denunciation; and thou askest me why I shudder?"

"Beware, woman--beware!" cried the witchfinder, lifting up his long
right arm with a gesture of menace. "Those who defend the evil-doer, and
malign the just and heaven-directed accuser, are not far from being
arraigned as accomplices themselves!"

"What! thou seekest already another innocent sacrifice, wretched man!"
continued the female, tearing away her arm, which the beggar still held
clenched in his left hand. "Thou art not sated with the in