share and the money
will reach the right hands. You can take your time. We need neither you
nor Katterle. Go back to the house. I will carry your young mistresses
to their father and home again. Where I am you need have no fear that
harm will befall them."

Then she turned again towards the "Hole," and seeing the people yelling
and shouting while awaiting imprisonment, she pointed to them with her
whip, saying, "That's a part of the pack which was set upon you. You
shall hear about it presently. But now come."

As she spoke she went before the girls and urged them to step quickly
into the large, handsome sedan-chair, around which an unusual number
of people had assembled, for she wished to avoid any recognition of the
sisters by the curious spectators. The gilded box, borne between two
powerful Brabant horses in such a way that it hung between the tail of
the first and the head of the second, would have had room for a fourth
occupant.

When it moved forward, swaying from side to side, Cordula pointed to the
curtained windows, and said: "Shameful, isn't it? But it is better so,
children. That arch-rascal Siebenburg robbed the people of the little
sense they possessed, and that cat of a candle-dealer, with her mate,
the tailor, or rather his followers, poisoned the minds of the rest.
How quickly it worked! Goodness, it seems to me, acts more slowly. True,
your hot-tempered father spoiled the old rascal's inclination to
woo pretty Metz for a while; but his male and female gossips, aunts,
cousins, and work-people apparently allowed themselves to be persuaded
by his future mother-in-law to the abominable deed, which caused the
brawling rabble you saw in the Town Hall court to content themselves
with a hard couch in the 'Hole' overnight."

"They have done everything bad concerning us, though I don't know
exactly what," cried Els indignantly.

"Wished to do, Miss Wisdom," replied the countess, patting Els's arm
soothingly. "We kept our eyes open, and I helped to put a stop to their
proceedings. The rabble gathered in front of your house, yelling and
shrieking, and when I stepped into your bow-window there was as great
an outcry as if they were trying to bring down the walls of Jericho a
second time. Some boys even flung at me everything they could find
in the mire of the streets. The most delightful articles! There was
actually a dead rat! I can see its tail flying now! Our village lads
know how to aim better. Before the