lled the room.

"'Wolfframb opened the windows; the fresh morning air streamed in, and
cleared away all traces of the Evil Thing. Jonas woke up from the deep
sleep into which he had fallen, and wondered not a little to learn that
all was over. He called his master, to whom Wolfframb related all that
occurred. And if Gottschalk had honoured the noble Wolfframb before, he
now looked upon him as a very saint, whose pious power could baffle the
denizens of hell itself. When he chanced to cast his eyes towards the
ceiling of the room, what was his astonishment to see, written in
letters of fire above the door, the words:

"'"Schnib! Schnab! what are you but an ignorant laic?--yield the
mastership to Klingsohr!"

"The Evil Thing had written there the last words he spoke when he took
his departure, by way of an eternal defiance. "Not a single happy
hour," said Gottschalk, "can I spend in this house while that devilish
writing--an affront to my dear Master Wolfframb of Eschinbach--keeps on
burning there on the wall." He went off straight and fetched masons to
plaster the words over with lime. It was so much labour wasted.

"They put on a finger's depth of lime, and still the writing was as
plain as ever. And when they took it all off again and came to the bare
bricks the writing was burning upon them as brightly as before.
Gottschalk uttered loud complaints, and begged Wolfframb to sing
something which should constrain Nasias to remove the horrible writing
himself. Wolfframb said, laughing, that this might not be in his power,
but that Gottschalk should wait patiently, and see if the writing might
perhaps disappear when he had gone away.

"'It was high noon when Wolfframb of Eschinbach left Eisenach in the
happiest possible frame of mind, and the highest spirits, like one who
sees the brightest and most hopeful of prospects dawning before him.
Not far from the town there came, meeting him, Count Meinhard of
Muehlberg, and Walther of Bargel, the cupbearer, dressed in the richest
attire, on gaily caparisoned horses, attended by a numerous retinue.
Wolfframb saluted them, and learned that Landgrave Hermann had
despatched them to Eisenach to escort the renowned Master Klingsohr to
the Wartburg. On the previous night Klingsohr had repaired to a high
window of Helgrefe's house, and consulted the stars with great care.
When he drew his astrological figures, one or two students of
astrology, who had joined him, saw from his looks