Paul Laurenzano was brought to the house on the marketplace in order to recover under the tender care of Erastus and Frau Belier from his severe wounds. "The burns," said the physician to Herr Belier, after that the patient had been put to bed in a room high above all noise from the street, "are bad but not mortal. When two thirds of the skin as in this case are uninjured the patient usually recovers. The joints are wrenched but not torn. He is young and will survive, still he must be a burden on you for some time, if he is not to suffer from the consequences for the rest of his life."
"No Huguenot ever considers one unjustly persecuted as a burden," said the Frenchman. "We know from experience what our duty requires."
Frau Belier cast the first kindly look at Felix since the melancholy death of her parrot and said: "We shall soon have the poor young man up on his legs again."
"I shall have time to aid you, noble lady," replied the young Maestro, "I have been turned away from my work in the Castle."
"What! How ungrateful," cried Frau Belier and the others in one breath.
"The Kurfürst must have been told to whom the reverend Parson Neuser owed through a lucky qui pro quo his escape. He paid me off and ordered me at the same time to give up the plans of the Castle, I also received a hint that in consequence of suspicious proceedings in connection with Neuser's flight all foreigners had to leave the castle."
"I cannot blame the noble gentleman," said Erastus. "He is naturally of a mild disposition; spring cannot be milder. He would only have punished Vehe and Suter by banishment, and he would have even forgiven Neuser; it is quite proper that he should not permit any interference in his affairs. It may be presumed that our friend would have had to pay dearer for his gymnastics, were it not that the kind-hearted man is weary of punishing, so that the daring brother escapes through Paul's sufferings."
"It is the same with him as with me," replied Felix with a smiling side glance at the plump hostess. "Had I not slaked my Neapolitan thirst for blood on the parrot, neither this Hartmanni, nor Master Ulrich, nor Pigavetta would have lived longer."
"Private justice is not necessary in this country, my dear friend," said Erastus. "Pigavetta will be prosecuted by law. The Magistrate is ab officio suspended, and punishment will be meted out to the other wretches for their misdeeds."
"Would that Paul could only get the use of his limbs again by this means," said Felix sighing.