hild, the
darling of his heart, have been drawn into all these horrors? Through
what devilish arts could the Jesuit have succeeded in enticing the
modest child to the cross-roads at a late hour of the evening? This
childishly heedless action might have the most severe consequences for
his child should the witches name her as one of their number, and what
a satisfaction it would be for the members of the Church Council to
apply Church discipline on Erastus' daughter and place her before the
entire congregation on the penitent sinner's stool. Perhaps that might
not be enough. What if the old Sibylla, whom he had often harshly
rebuked for dabbling in medicine, revenged herself on him, by likewise
accusing Lydia of sorcery. He did not dare carry on such a train of
thought. Such an accusation was a double danger to such a beauteous
girl as Lydia. This was the cause why sleep fled from the prisoner, why
he restlessly paced up and down his room from morning till evening, why
he had petitioned the Kurfuerst through the jailer of the prison to
suffer him to have an interview with his daughter. As sadly watching
the sun setting behind the empurpled mountains near Worms, he was
aroused out of his sad reveries by a noise in the corridor. A key
turned, the door was opened, and the jailer appeared with his servant,
to make ready another bed in the room. "What means this," said Erastus
astonished.

"Another prisoner is to be brought here," replied the attendant
surlily.

"I am to be spied upon by night and by day," thought Erastus. "Herr
Hartmann may remain tranquil on that score, I am not in the habit of
talking in my sleep. But Heaven only knows what witnesses they may be
instructing in this wise against me. Forged letters do not seem
satisfactory. It would be more comfortable for these gentlemen, if I
confessed mahommedanism by word of mouth. Let it be--even in the
account of the Passion it is said 'and they brought false witnesses
against Him, but not even so did their witness agree together.'"

Again steps approached. His fellow prisoner was being brought in.
Erastus turned to the window. His intention was not to exchange a word
with the man who was placed as a spy upon him; thereby it would be all
the harder for the members of the Council to twist his opinions, if he
had not wasted a single word on their spy.

"Here," said the jailer to the new-comer, and the door was shut to
heavily. Immediately Erastus felt himself embrac