other. "The
soldiers and the Poles are fighting," said one. "Kunau is on fire too,"
cried some women who had been working in the fields. At last came the
farmer's wife, running up to Lenore. "My husband sends me because he
won't leave the farm on a day like this. He wishes to know whether you
have any tidings of the forester; there is murder going on in the town,
and people say the forester is shooting away in the midst of it all."

"Who says so?" asked the baron.

"One who came running across the fields told it to my husband; and it
must be true that there is an uproar in the town, for when the forester
went thither he had no gun."

Thus the dark rumor spread. Karl had much difficulty in getting the men
out again to their plowing. Lenore meantime went up to the tower with
him, but they could not be positive whether or not there was smoke in
the direction of Rosmin. They had scarcely got down, when one of the
farmer's servants came back with his horses to say that a man from the
next district had told him, as he galloped past, that Rosmin was filled
with men bearing red flags, and armed with scythes; and that all the
Germans in the country were to be shot. The baroness wrung her hands and
began to weep, and her husband lost all the self-command he had sought
to exercise. He burst out into loud complaints against Wohlfart for not
being on the spot on a day like this, and gave Karl a dozen
contradictory orders in quick succession. Lenore could not endure her
suspense within the castle walls, but kept as much as she could with
Karl, in whose trusty face she found more comfort than in any thing
else. Both looked constantly along the high road to see if a carriage or
a messenger were coming.

"He is peaceable," said she to Karl, hoping for confirmation from him.
"Surely he would never expose himself to such fearful risk."

But Karl shook his head. "There is no trusting to that. If things in the
town are as people say, Mr. Anton will not be the last to take a hand in
them. He will not think of himself."

"No, that he will not," cried Lenore, wringing her hands.

So the day passed. Karl sternly insisted upon keeping all the servants
together, he himself shouldering his carbine, not knowing why, and
saddling a horse to tie it up again in the stable. At evening the
landlord came running to the castle, accompanied by a servant from the
distillery. As soon as he saw the young lady, the good-natured man
called out, "Here a