"No, no," said Klytia trembling, "he has learnt it from the Evil one."
"But I assure you, that he calls out the name at least twenty times a day. He is always proud of a new accomplishment. What could the good architect have to do with this matter? Or are you thinking of his brother?"
Lydia remained silent with a sad look on her face. This aroused the curiosity, or as she preferred to term it, them otherly interest of the Frenchwoman. "Why do you think evil of Master Laurenzano?" asked she, fixing her kindly brown eyes on the face of the maiden.
"He acted in a wrong manner toward me," sobbed Lydia, and she felt as if the places kissed by Laurenzano more than hour since, still burnt her face. The words had escaped the lips of the excited maiden involuntarily, but concealment was no longer possible. The sharp woman asked and crossquestioned so long that Klytia had to make a full confession. When she hesitated, the indiscreet Frenchwoman supplied the rest in a manner best pleasing to herself. "He made appointments with thee, followed after thee, etc.," so that the poor child had to disclose her secret in order that the matter should not appear in a worse light than it really was.
The fiery little woman stamped her foot angrily. "He is in truth an abominable wolf in sheep's clothing, a seducer, a secret papist, a spy, perhaps even a Jesuit."
"Filou, filou" cried out the bird.
"But you promise not to say a word of this to my father," said Lydia beseechingly.
"I betray you, foi de Bayard! I a Frenchwoman, tell women's secrets to men? What do you think of me? But you must place yourself under my surveillance, you little rogue," she added kindly. "We shall soon be quits with that black gentleman. Come and see me to-morrow again, and we shall take counsel together," and she kissed Lydia with so much emphasis both on cheeks and forehead, that the child began to smile once more.
When Erastus returned together with the master of the house, he looked sad and stern. He told the ladies, that the Kurfürst had suddenly sent orders from Speyer to have the clergyman at Freudenheim, the Deacon at Lautern, and the Inspector at Ladenburg arrested, and their papers to be sequestered. Neuser had been warned against the same fate in a few Latin words by a student, who had been requested by the prisoners as they were being hurried off to put him on his guard. They had also from their car called out to the Parson of Neuenheim "tell this to Neuser." He could not be far off, as he had hardly left his house, when the Police-magistrate Hartmann Hartmanni appeared. A horrible pamphlet against the doctrine of the Trinity had been found among Sylvan's papers. The Amtmann came in just as Neuser's wife was setting fire to his papers. The brave woman had however thus become an accomplice in vain, for hidden among her husbands books a singular and blasphemous letter was found addressed to the Sultan of Turkey, in which Selim II. was invited to unite himself with a large party in Germany who wished to overthrow the antichristian dogma of the Trinity and introduce the pure doctrine of the Koran of the One God. Neuser must have been either drunk or mad when he composed such an insane letter; moreover he had written on the blank side, "potest omitti," which means, need not be sent on. But that it was not being sent on was the worst for him, for it had been inserted among the other documents, and if read in Court would bring the heaviest punishments with it. "How intentionally the opposition party is spreading the scandal," added Erastus sighing, "is proved by the fact, that the Clergy read out during evening service Neuser's letter to their congregations, and dozens of copies have already been spread about the town. Probus has lent me his, here read the abominable nonsense," and he handed Belier a paper, which he had stuck in his belt.
The Huguenot stepped to the low round-paned window and read amidst exclamations of horror the paper lent to him. "That is in truth high treason," cried he. "Listen, Fanchon, to what the wretch writes to the sultan: 'On that account if Your Majesty wishes to bring the heretical Christians to acknowledge the One God, wishes to extend your empire, and to spread in the world the worship of the only true God, now is the time, whilst the Priests and Pastors of the Christians are at variance, and the common people are beginning to doubt the Faith. The Bishops and Authorities oppress and persecute the poor to such an extent, that Your Majesty's arrival is openly desired, so that Your Majesty may take possession of the German empire and thus free the poor.'"