d not noticed it,' answered Schweinitz carelessly, looking down at
the splash of blood on his coat. 'Possibly a chip of masonry or some
ball that has glanced aside may have grazed my hip. The Swedes have
paid for it dearly enough, anyhow.'

With a brightened and almost joyful heart Schoenleben took leave of the
commandant. As the former left the tower and gate, he saw the besieged
clambering down into the city moat to make prisoners the wounded Swedes
who lay there, and to bring in the firelocks, pikes, and
scaling-ladders the enemy had left behind. At the same time, men were
set busily to work to repair and rebuild the walls and other defensive
works that had suffered injury. The bells were silent, and the
glorious words of the Te Deum--'We praise Thee, O God! we acknowledge
Thee to be the Lord'--could be plainly heard as they sounded solemnly
forth from the various churches,--words in which the Burgomaster joined
with a most devout and thankful heart.

[1] The mediaeval 'morning-star' was a heavy war-club thickly studded
with short iron spikes.

CHAPTER VII.

CONRAD UNDER THE WINDOW-SEAT.

It was early in the afternoon, yet the long winter night already lay
dark over the city of Freiberg. At intervals the gloom was lighted up
for a few minutes by the lurid glare of some burning house set on fire
by a hostile shell, and as quickly extinguished by the prompt
watchfulness and energy of the fire-brigade, whose members had to
struggle against a strong wind that by fanning the flames made them
doubly dangerous. The streets were almost deserted. Only now and then
might some wayfarer be dimly descried stealing along, keeping close in
to the houses so as to gain some slight protection from the falling
stones and cannon-balls. Among these wayfarers was Conrad Schmidt,
hastening from his mistress' house to his mother's distant dwelling.
When he had reached his destination, and made sure that his dreaded
stepfather was away, he entered the living-room. To his great surprise
it was dark and cheerless, and his blind mother sat alone in the midst
of it shivering with cold. By way of warming herself, she had taken
the sleek tabby cat into her lap and folded her chilled hands over
pussy's warm fur. The whole scene sent a pang through the boy's warm
and loving heart.

'But, my dearest mother!' he cried, 'has not Hannah got back yet from
her parents'? Let me go and call her.'

The woman shook her head sor