, as the sullen
minutes dragged by, leaden-clogged and tardy. But the evening came at
last. And with it, knocking at the door of the Bishop's quadrangle and
interrupting my long talk with Dessauer, lo! a messenger, hot-foot from
the castle.

"To the learned Doctor and his servant, Gottfried Gottfried, being in
death's utmost extremities, sends greeting, and desires greatly to have
speech with them."

Thus ran my father's message in that testing hour where he had seen
so many! Yet I was but little surprised. There was no wonder in the
fact save the wonder that it should all seem so natural. Dessauer
rose quickly.

"I will go with you," he said; "it will be safer. For at least I can
keep the door while you speak with your father."

So, without further word, we followed the messenger up the long, narrow,
wooden-gabled street, and heard the folk muttering gloomily in the
darkness within, or talking softly in the dull russet glow of their
hearth-fires. For there were but few lighted candles in Thorn that
night. And I wondered how near or how far from us tho men of Plassenburg
might be encamping, and thrilled to think that at any moment a spy might
ride in to warn Duke Otho of the spy within his city, or the near
approach of his foe.

But so far all was quiet at the Red Tower. The wicket-gate in the angle
of the wall was open, and we passed in without difficulty. As I mounted
the stairs I heard the key turn behind us. Obviously, therefore, we were
expected. The gate of the Red Tower had been left open for our entrance;
and so soon as the birds were in the snare, it was shut, and the silly
goslings trapped.

Nevertheless we climbed up and up the dark stairs till we came to
the door of my father's garret. I pushed it open without knocking,
and entered.

"The most learned the Doctor Schmidt," I announced, lest there should be
some stranger in the room. And indeed my precaution was necessary enough.
For, from my father's bed-head, disengaging himself reluctantly, like a
disturbed vulture napping up from the side of a dying steer, Friar
Laurence rose out of the darkness, and, folding his robe about him,
stalked to the door without a word or nod to either of us. I stood
holding the edge of it till I had watched him well down the stairs. Then
Dessauer relieved me at the stair-head as I went to approach my father.

I saw a change in him, very startling, indeed, to see. "In the uttermost
extremity" he was, indeed, as he had