you will yet end badly, although your foolish witchcraft is not worth a
straw." With that he took his boy by the arm and hastened towards the
seven mills.

"We must find out the red-headed Maier and make him confess," said he.
After a sad pause, he began anew in a serious tone: "What thinkest thou
does the old woman yet earn by her nightly arts?"

"The rack or the stake."

"Good, my boy, therefore do not be tempted to play at being the devil,
for he who calls on the devil, is already in the devil's claws."

"But nevertheless we have often frightened with such jokes people who
wished to disturb our meetings."

"I have never sanctioned it, and thou least of all shouldst help in
such iniquity." The boy walked on ahead much mortified, as he felt
certain that the old witch had only been induced to confess through his
magic arts.

"Dost thou think, father, that she can bewitch?" asked he after a
while.

"To wish and to do, are different things," replied the old man.

"But the neighbours assert that she can produce mice, prevent cows from
milking, and cause women's hair to fall out."

"Yes especially when they have taken no precautions against vermin, fed
their cattle poorly, and themselves acted immorally, then it is always
witchery."

"But the peasant woman on the Hang relates, that Sibylla herself told
her 'if you do not take in your hay on Sunday, the devil will carry it
off.' Monday morning the hay was still there but when they came to rake
it together, a storm arose and sent it all to the devil."

"Accident, George, accident. She must have felt that a storm was
brewing. The evil spirit is a spirit, and has only power over spirits,
not over bodies, otherwise he would long since have prevented thee from
mocking him. But take care that he does not come into thee. There is he
powerful."

END OF VOL. I.

* * * * *
PRINTING OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER.
* * * * *

COLLECTION

OF

GERMAN AUTHORS.

VOL. 45.

KLYTIA BY GEORGE TAYLOR.

IN TWO VOLUMES.--VOL. II.

KLYTIA.

A STORY OF HEIDELBERG CASTLE.