.

"Who has been the cause of all this trouble?" asked the little
Frenchwoman with a sigh.

"Laurenzano," called out a screechy voice, "_filou Laurenzano_."

Lydia turned pale, and looked around her in terror. Frau Belier
laughed. "Be quiet, Papchen," she said to a bird, which Lydia now
noticed for the first time. "You scare people." Lydia clung terrified
to Frau Belier's arm.

"There is witchcraft in this," she said trembling, "The bird is right.
Oh, how frightened I am!"

"Be sensible, child, the name of our architect is Laurenzano, and as
his name is mentioned daily in connection with the new building my
husband is undertaking, the parrot has picked up his name."

"No, no," said Klytia trembling, "he has learnt it from the Evil one."

"But I assure you, that he calls out the name at least twenty times a
day. He is always proud of a new accomplishment. What could the good
architect have to do with this matter? Or are you thinking of his
brother?"

Lydia remained silent with a sad look on her face. This aroused the
curiosity, or as she preferred to term it, them otherly interest of the
Frenchwoman. "Why do you think evil of Master Laurenzano?" asked she,
fixing her kindly brown eyes on the face of the maiden.

"He acted in a wrong manner toward me," sobbed Lydia, and she felt as
if the places kissed by Laurenzano more than hour since, still burnt
her face. The words had escaped the lips of the excited maiden
involuntarily, but concealment was no longer possible. The sharp woman
asked and crossquestioned so long that Klytia had to make a full
confession. When she hesitated, the indiscreet Frenchwoman supplied the
rest in a manner best pleasing to herself. "He made appointments with
thee, followed after thee, etc.," so that the poor child had to
disclose her secret in order that the matter should not appear in a
worse light than it really was.

The fiery little woman stamped her foot angrily. "He is in truth an
abominable wolf in sheep's clothing, a seducer, a secret papist, a spy,
perhaps even a Jesuit."

"_Filou_, _filou_" cried out the bird.

"But you promise not to say a word of this to my father," said Lydia
beseechingly.

"I betray you, _foi de Bayard_! I a Frenchwoman, tell women's secrets
to men? What do you think of me? But you must place yourself under my
_surveillance_, you little rogue," she added kindly. "We shall soon be
quits with that black gentleman. Come and see me to-morrow again, and