arda_ door and tried to open it.

This struck Henrietta as suspicious and she thought it was now high time
to awake Mr. Gerzson.

"Pardon, papa Gerzson, but four men have arrived here."

Still Mr. Gerzson did not awake.

Henrietta approached, bent over him and gently insisted:

"My dear papa Gerzson, just wake up for a moment, somebody wants to come
in."

Even then Mr. Gerzson did not awake.

Henrietta listened. Outside, the hall door was beginning to groan and
rock. They were forcing it.

Full of terror now, she seized Mr. Gerzson's arm.

"Sir, sir! robbers are upon us. Awake, awake. This is no time for
slumber."

But Mr. Gerzson still slumbered on--he might have been dead. In vain she
tore him away from the table, he fell back again all of a heap and went
on slumbering.

The strangers were now in the hall, and a heavy hand was trying the
latch of the guest chamber.

"My God, my God!" moaned Henrietta, wringing her hands and rushing up
and down the room, terrorstricken, not knowing where to look now for
refuge.

A violent thud resounded against the door. Someone had placed his
shoulder against it. Henrietta clung to the table to save herself from
falling.

At last the lock burst, the door flew open, and Fatia Negra with two
masked companions stood before the lady. The same instant Henrietta
recovered her presence of mind. At a pace's distance from danger she
ceased to tremble and calmly addressed them: "What do you want?"

"Why are you not asleep now like your companion?" enquired Fatia Negra
in a low voice.

One of his comrades approached the sleeper and held the barrel of his
pistol to his temples. In Fatia Negra's hand there was only a dagger.

"Don't wake him," he whispered to Henrietta, "for if he should but raise
his head his brains will be blown out."

"Do him no harm!" implored the lady. "I will give you everything you
want. Here is my pocketbook, here are my jewels, and you shall have my
watch too. See, I will draw off my rings, only don't touch me. But if
possible let me keep this round ring for it is my wedding ring."

"All that is nothing," whispered Fatia Negra, "nor do we want these
things. Your ladyship has received a bill for 40,000 florins from your
husband; give up that and swear that you will not say anything about it
to anyone for three days so that we may have time to turn it into cash."

At the mention of the bill Henrietta felt her head reel, the blood stood
still in he