erribly punished, but Erastus could not yet pardon him for
the danger into which he had brought Lydia.

CHAPTER XIV.

Paul Laurenzano was brought to the house on the marketplace in order to
recover under the tender care of Erastus and Frau Belier from his
severe wounds. "The burns," said the physician to Herr Belier, after
that the patient had been put to bed in a room high above all noise
from the street, "are bad but not mortal. When two thirds of the skin
as in this case are uninjured the patient usually recovers. The joints
are wrenched but not torn. He is young and will survive, still he must
be a burden on you for some time, if he is not to suffer from the
consequences for the rest of his life."

"No Huguenot ever considers one unjustly persecuted as a burden," said
the Frenchman. "We know from experience what our duty requires."

Frau Belier cast the first kindly look at Felix since the melancholy
death of her parrot and said: "We shall soon have the poor young man up
on his legs again."

"I shall have time to aid you, noble lady," replied the young Maestro,
"I have been turned away from my work in the Castle."

"What! How ungrateful," cried Frau Belier and the others in one breath.

"The Kurfuerst must have been told to whom the reverend Parson Neuser
owed through a lucky _qui pro quo_ his escape. He paid me off and
ordered me at the same time to give up the plans of the Castle, I also
received a hint that in consequence of suspicious proceedings in
connection with Neuser's flight all foreigners had to leave the
castle."

"I cannot blame the noble gentleman," said Erastus. "He is naturally of
a mild disposition; spring cannot be milder. He would only have
punished Vehe and Suter by banishment, and he would have even forgiven
Neuser; it is quite proper that he should not permit any interference
in his affairs. It may be presumed that our friend would have had to
pay dearer for his gymnastics, were it not that the kind-hearted man is
weary of punishing, so that the daring brother escapes through Paul's
sufferings."

"It is the same with him as with me," replied Felix with a smiling side
glance at the plump hostess. "Had I not slaked my Neapolitan thirst for
blood on the parrot, neither this Hartmanni, nor Master Ulrich, nor
Pigavetta would have lived longer."

"Private justice is not necessary in this country, my dear friend,"
said Erastus. "Pigavetta will be prose