y-break; but their
destination is kept secret. God be merciful to the poor people upon
whom they may fall. I send you what I can spare, and beg that you will
not again write or send any message to me until I make known to you
that you can do so with safety. My guests keep a sharp watch upon me,
and I am very anxious about your last letter, which I mislaid in
consequence of one of the soldiers having interrupted me while reading
it. I yet hope to find it again. God preserve you and me!'

A death-like stillness prevailed in the room at the conclusion of the
reading, and no one ventured to express the renewed apprehensions which
the letter had inspired.

'This is a discouraging letter,' at length observed Oswald,
interrupting the general silence; 'and I begin to fear we are not
entirely safe even here. Would that we had fled to Breslau, as I
advised! The capital of the province, which is at the same time the
seat of government of the principality, will surely be spared the
longest.'

He was interrupted by a disturbance out of doors very unusual for that
quiet and retired village. People were running to and fro and calling
to each other in the Streets, and Oswald, alarmed, sprang for his sword
which lay in the recess of the window.

'Go out and see what is the cause of this disturbance,' said he to
Jonas, and bring us word as soon as possible.'

Jonas obeyed, and his mother observed, 'something very dreadful must
have happened; for the people are running and screaming, as if a fire
had broken out or an enemy were at the gates.'

'Protect us, Oswald,' begged Faith, leaning tremblingly upon the youth.

'While I live!' answered he, grasping his sword.

'Save yourselves--the converters are coming!' cried Jonas, rushing into
the room.

'It must be a false alarm,' cried Oswald. 'You must be mistaken.'

'I was told so by a farmer who has just returned from Waldenburg. He
was about to leave that city, when a squadron of the Lichtenstein
dragoons entered it. They dismounted for breakfast, and he had it from
the mouth of one of the soldiers that this village was their place of
destination. Whereupon he immediately left the city and drove home as
fast as possible to give the alarm.'

'Then we must have at least an hour's start of them,' said Oswald; and
turning to madam Rosen, 'if you feel able to travel, I will immediately
provide a conveyance to Bohemia.'

'No, my son,' said the matron, with a melancholy smile. 'For