for a very long time. She admitted that
she had bewitched poor Frau Luetkens, and foisted off the vile abortion
upon her; and that, over and above that, she had in company with two
other witches belonging to Blumber killed and boiled several children
of Christian parents, with the object of causing a famine in the land.

Accordingly she was sentenced to be burnt alive in the market-place. So
when the appointed day arrived old Barbara was conducted there in
presence of a great concourse of people, and made to ascend the
scaffold which was there erected. When ordered to take off a fur cloak
which she was wearing, she would by no means obey, insisting that they
should tie her to the stake just as she was. This was done. The pile of
wood was already alight, and burning at all four corners, when suddenly
the stranger appeared, seemingly grown to gigantic dimensions, and
glaring over the heads of the populace at Barbara Roloffin with eyes of
flame.

The clouds of black smoke were rolling on high, the crackling flames
were catching the woman's dress, she cried out, in a terrible screaming
voice, "Satan! Satan! is this how thou holdest the pact thou hast made
with me? Help, Satan! Help! my time is not out yet!" and the stranger,
it was found, had suddenly vanished. But from the spot where he had
been standing an enormous bat went fluttering up, darted into the thick
of the flames, and thence rose screaming into the air with the old
woman's fur cloak; and the burning pyre went crashing down into
extinction.

Horror seized upon all the spectators; every one now saw clearly that
the distinguished stranger had been none other than the very Devil in
person. He must have had some special grudge against the folks of
Berlin, to whom he had so long behaved so smoothly and in such friendly
fashion, and with hellish deceit betrayed Councillor Luetkens and many
other sapient men and women.

Such is the power of the Evil One; from whom and from all his snares
may Heaven in its mercy defend us all.

When Lothair had finished, he looked into Ottmar's face, in utter
self-irony, with the peculiar expression of bitter sweetness which he
had at his command on such occasions.

"Well," said Theodore, "what think you of Lothair's pretty little
specimen of _diablerie_? One of the best points about it, I think, is
that there is not too much of it."

Whilst Lothair had been reading, Ottmar had laughed a great deal, but
towards the close he