may come into your head,
because you say, that otherwise the Devil has the power to strengthen
her against the rack. You shall not touch with one of your fingers the
pious child, whom I have seen praying every Sunday in my church, and I
have often felt edified by her hearty worship, even when the discursive
sermons of your spiritual friends were sickening to me. Is this
harmless sweet young creature to be considered a devils' harlot? Who
can be safe, if such a child is tried by torture?"

"But it has been proved," replied the Amtmann with unheard of
obstinacy, "that this very maiden with her hypocritical appearance of
virtue, used to walk about at night on the cross-road which of the
whole neighbourhood has the worst repute. Three young men from
Neuenheim, named by the old woman have confirmed all her statements.
They have sworn upon oath to having met on a fine June night of this
year Erastus' daughter on the Holtermann and to have wished to lay hold
of her, the Maiden however floated on before them like a will-o'-the
wisp, and when they thought to have seized her near the haunted ruins
of the fallen Chapel she melted into thin air and disappeared."

The Kurfuerst looked at the Magistrate with astonished eyes.

"I greatly fear," continued the latter, "that we have to do with one of
those sorceresses known to the ancients as Empusae. A gentle exterior
attracts all the men to her; wherever she has been she has bewitched
all hearts by her supernatural beauty. She resembles the witch of
Bacharach with her golden hair, and perhaps she received like the
latter this beauteous adornment as a reward for the _homagium_ she paid
to Satan." The Kurfuerst made a displeased gesture, but the Amtmann
continued: "Very suspicious things are said about her. Her maid has
been heard to say among other things: that her young Mistress had a
green dress which the longer she wore, the better it looked."

"Rubbish."

"In the Stift where I, privately of course, made some inquiries, she
bore the name 'the bewitched maiden.' My instructions point out to me,
to take particular notice of any who may be considered by public
opinion to be concerned with magic. She has also often rocked herself
backwards and forwards on the pump-handle, as does the witches' fiddler
whenever he plays by the Saubrunnen for the witches' sabbath."

"Twaddle," grunted the old Prince.

"Indicium follows indicium. I have conducted the inquiry with the
greatest care.