"I did not impute it--I merely asked you," the old man interposed quickly. "You have become too pale, Herr Baron, for us not to observe your discomfiture."
"Condemned out of his own mouth, unhappy man," murmured Herr Merckel, senior, with a sigh.
The Schrandeners, in the renewed hope of being allowed to spring at his throat, set up a fearful howl, and pressed forward once more.
Then above all the din there was distinctly heard from the yard a shriek of anguish that caused Boleslav's marrow to freeze in his bones. There could be no mistake now. That was Regina!
"Regina!" he cried, and rushed to the window that opened on the yard. There the mad chase was in full cry. A crew of furious dishevelled women were dashing over hedges, ditches, waggons, barrels, and frozen dunghills, followed by boys armed with clubs. The air was thick with flying stones.
"Help! help!" shrieked Regina's voice. But she herself was not visible.
But as he wrenched open the back door she flew like a wounded bird into the dark corridor, followed closely by her would-be assassins whooping and panting.
He pulled her with a powerful movement of his arm into the room, and shut the door on the furies in pursuit.
She sank on the floor at his feet and pressed her face against the hem of his coat.
Her hands relaxed their cramped grasp on two splintered pieces of wood--all that was left of her tub, the shield with which she had been in the habit of warding off assaults. Her hair was loose, her dress torn, the pretty fur-trimming that she had been so proud of, hanging about her in tatters.