er her arrival and remained a long time
but, it is true, had not appeared again. With the others also she held no
regular intercourse--nay, she scarcely seemed to enjoy their visits. Thus
the daughters of the Woller family from the Ark, who had appeared one
afternoon, had been detained only a little longer by her than other
Protestant matrons and maidens.

All this was scarcely sufficient to foster his anxiety; but Cassian
reported one visit with which the case was different. Barbara had not
only received this guest alone, but she had kept him more than an hour,
and the servant could swear that the young man to whom she sang long
songs--which, it is true, sounded like church music--to the lute and also
to the harp, was Erasmus Eckhart, the adopted son of the archtraitor, Dr.
Hiltner, who had just obtained the degree of Master of Arts in
Wittenberg. This seemed suspicious, and induced De Soto to investigate
the matter thoroughly.

Erasmus had come in the morning, at a time when the Emperor never visited
Barbara. Nothing remarkable had taken place during their interview, but
Cassian had heard her dismiss him with a warning which, even to a less
distrustful person, would have seemed suspicious. Why had she assured the
Wittenberg theologian, as she extended her hand to him in farewell, that
what he offered her had given her great pleasure, and she would gladly
invite him to bring her similar things often, but must deny herself this
gratification from motives which he could imagine? His urgent entreaty at
least to be permitted to call on her sometimes she had curtly and
positively refused, but the Wittenberg heretic did not allow himself to
be rebuffed, for Cassian had seen him several times in the neighbourhood
of the castle.

There was as little cause to object to the visits paid to her by Gombert,
Appenzelder, Damian Feys, occasionally some noblemen or guests of the
court, and once even by no less a personage than the Bishop of Arras, as
to the rides she took every afternoon; for the latter were always under
the charge of Herr de Fours, an old equerry of the Emperor, and in the
company of several courtiers, among whom Baron Malfalconnet was often
included. A number of gay young pages always belonged to this brilliant
cavalcade, whose number never lacked the handsome sixteen-year-old Count
Tassis, who spent his whole large stock of pocket money in flowers which
he sent every morning to Barbara.

The confessor was glad