"There stands the traitor," now cried with furious gestures the other prisoner. Deacon Vehe, "he overheard us in the Hirsch," A cold smile passed over Paul's pale face.
"Take heed of him," now cried Sylvan, "and warn Neuser." With that the sad cavalcade passed on, as the riders whipped up the horses, so as to prevent any further remarks being exchanged. Horrified Erastus gazed at Laurenzano's cold stony face, whilst Lydia burst into tears. It suddenly became clear to her that the Magister was still treading the same dark paths, and as he had hurried to their destruction these men, friends of her father, so had she almost become his victim. She immediately depicted him to herself as wearing the cowl, from under which his demoniacal eyes gleamed at her, as her own had terrified her at that time from under the "Mirror of remembrance."
"Why have you accused those two men?" asked Erastus hoarsely of the Italian.
Laurenzano contemptuously shrugged his shoulders. "I know not what the good people mean. They took out in the Hirsch all kinds of papers and whispered together, whilst my brother Felix was relating his adventures to me, then they suddenly arose, cast an angry look at us and left without greeting. Had they forbidden secrets, it was not necessary for them to mention them in a tavern."
Erastus looked in silence at the Italian, but Paul continued calmly in a tone of slight reproof: "Moreover I only went to these evening gatherings because you advised me not to hold myself aloof from the country clergy. After my experience of to-day I shall deny myself that pleasure."
"Pardon me," answered Erastus with a feeling of shame, holding out his hand to Paul, "in that case the matter will be cleared up. And you have no idea of the contents of these papers?"
"I heard the names Transylvania, and that of the Woywode mentioned several times, but the secrets of these vulgar men did not seem to me worth listening to."
Erastus shook his head thoughtfully. "They wished to emigrate, so said Sylvan.... To Transylvania, therefore to the Unitarians, Sylvan's old idea. That may turn out badly," and he became buried in deep thought.
Lydia was not so easily appeased as her father. Her woman's instinct told her that Paul was guilty. That said by the prisoners agreed but too well with what she knew of the cowled monk, of his efforts for papistry, of his secret masses and exercitia, and with what the good Abbess had said to her. It was clear he was the same man to-day that he had ever been, and the heartless monk had wished to carry on a bold game with her. Angrily rejecting any attempted approach made by Paul she walked on hastily before them. Thus even the Magister was pleased when they separated at the head of the Bridge.
When father and daughter entered the town they found it in a state of great excitement. "They wanted to make Turks of us," called out an old woman as she descended the steps of the Heiligengeist. "They would betray the empire to the Sultan! The Church Counsellor has just told us so from the pulpit!"