orking away untiringly, whilst the iron
splinters rattled around his own head. The work was now at an end, the
bar sawn through wrenched up with a powerful effort and placed within
the room. The ladder was now drawn up. Felix saw two strong hands
fastening it tightly. "He is surely certain to send Lydia down first,"
thought the excited artist, "so as to be able to help her from above."
A dark figure appeared on the ladder. "Lydia first," called out the
excited artist, but the heavy man came down the wall without stopping
for a moment, he now stood on the gable and hurried over the steps to
the window, Felix helped him in. The lucky fugitive now turned and
Felix saw before him the Reverend Neuser's fat, red face. His first
inclination was to seize the hated Parson and with one blow to hurl him
into the depths beneath.

"_Corpo di Baccho_!" he called out in a rage, "why did you lie to me
and tell me you were Erastus?"

"Ah! Signer Italiano," said Neuser puffing, "it is to you I am indebted
for my delivery!" and without losing a minute he sprang on to the floor
of the garret.

"_Birbante_!" hissed Felix, "_coglione_!"

"My dear Sir," said the Parson calmly, wiping away the perspiration
from his brow, "did not your brother at the Hirsch teach me that
deception was a virtue, as is everything, which gives man power over
his fellow-men? Tell this pious man, that Parson Neuser thanks him much
for this useful truism."

Felix gnashed his teeth with rage, but Neuser continued good-naturedly:
"How could you suppose, my dear Sir, that I would let myself be
beheaded, whilst a little imprisonment does not mean the life of the
worthy Counsellor."

"You have acted like a German," said Felix in his rage. "You surrender
an innocent maiden to be tried for witchcraft so long as you can save
your greasy hide."

"Gently, Signer Italiano," said Neuser calmly, "this small plot would
be much too round for my square schwabian skull. Your countryman
Pigavetta taught me that."

"Pigavetta!" cried the astonished Felix, "he pointed out your window to
me."

"You see, my dear Sir. I had returned at an inconvenient moment for
your countryman, as he had found a quantity of letters among the papers
of the fugitive clergyman, which the latter knew nothing of. He
therefore offered to pay my expenses and a free pass, if I only would
disappear." The Parson jingled a few loose thalers in his pockets. "The
cunning man wanted a quantity of documenta