ducats. Ha, ha, ha! a thousand ducats for making myself the
wretched creature I am! But I did not come here to frighten your
ladyship, I came here to humbly beg a favour. Gracious lady, the
magistrates told me that a mixed commission will be appointed to try the
forgers and that his lordship, the baron, will be the president of this
commission; on him depends the life and death of everyone concerned."

Henrietta felt obliged to lean against the wall.

"My lady, I do not expect impossibilities, I cannot wish that the guilty
should remain unpunished--justice is justice! But the leader of the
whole gang was Fatia Negra, he planned everything, the others only
carried out his orders. And now there is a lot of false witnesses ready
to swear that my father was the ring-leader and throw all the blame upon
him, but it was Fatia Negra and nobody else as God knows."

Every time the peasant woman mentioned Fatia Negra's name a spasmodic
twitch convulsed Henrietta's pale features.

"Gracious lady," continued Anicza, "I implore you by the tender mercies
of God not to abandon me. Grant me my petition! Either let them kill me
or lock me up with the others. I implore you, my lady, to speak or write
to your husband (if these things must be in writing) on my behalf. Do
not let me perish. God will not be angry with you for protecting me."

Henrietta was now even less able to speak than before. But though she
could not express herself in words, she placed one hand on the girl's
head and raised the other tremulous hand to heaven, as one who takes a
solemn oath before God. Then she tore herself away from Anicza, who had
stooped to kiss the hem of her garment, and hastened back to her own
room. On reaching the threshold of the house she looked back and saw
that the girl had sunk down in the dust and was gratefully kissing the
very traces of the footsteps of the departing lady.

On reaching her room Henrietta paced up and down it for a long time,
wringing her hands as she went and moaning loudly: "My God! my God!"
Then she flung herself down on her couch, writhing like one in mortal
agony.

But soon she strengthened her heart and sat down at the writing-table.
What had become of that beautiful handwriting of hers which had
resembled copper plate? Scarcely legible letters now issued from her
trembling hand, dumb witnesses of the terror of her heart, and yet write
she must for it was her petition to her husband. Ah! that she should be
forc