ther back in the past than you
can remember--burned here for a witch, as the halberdiers and monks led
her to the place of execution. Susanne Schindler--that was her name--was
the daughter of a respectable notary's clerk, who was obliged to wander
about the world a great deal, and perished in Hungary just as she reached
womanhood. Her mother had died when she was born, and an old woman had
taken care of her out of friendship. People called the lass 'beautiful
Susel,' and she was wonderfully charming. Pink and white, like the maiden
in the fairy tale, and with glittering golden hair just like my Wawerl's.
The old woman with whom she lived--her aunt or some other relative--had
long practised the healing of all sorts of infirmities, and when a young
Spanish count, who had come here with the Emperor Charles to the
Reichstag in the year '31, fell under his horse in leaping a ditch, his
limbs were injured so that he could not use them. As he did not recover
under the care of the Knights of St. John, who first nursed him, he went
to the herb doctress, and she took charge of him, and cured him, too,
although the skill of the most famous doctors and surgeons had failed to
help him.

"But, to make amends, Satan, who probably had the largest share in the
miracle, visited him with the sorest evil, for 'beautiful Susel,' who was
the old woman's assistant, had so bewitched the young count that he not
only fell in love with her, but actually desired to make her his wife.

"Then all the noble relatives at home interfered. The Holy Inquisition
commanded the investigation of the case, and sent a stern vicar general
to direct the proceedings of the Dominicans, who had seized the
temptress. Then it came to light that 'beautiful Susel' had bewitched the
luckless young count and robbed him of reason by her wicked arts.

"The old woman, whom they had also examined, escaped her just punishment
because she died of the plague, which was raging here at that time, but
'beautiful Susel' was burned, and I looked on while it was done.

"When the Dominicans had led her to the stake, she turned toward the
people who had flocked here from all quarters. Many doubtless pitied her
on account of her marvellous beauty, and because the devil had given her
the mask of the most touching kindness of heart; but she gazed directly
into my face with her large, blue eyes as I stood close by, and for years
I saw the witch's look distinctly before me. Yet what do we