A short pause ensued; the light faded into smoke. Blanden groped for the door. Then he heard Kätchen's voice from the bed; it sounded quite changed--ghostly and hollow--
"Yes, none of them shall have you; none, none--only I alone! Ha-ha, I save no one--whosoever seeks death may have it--there will be room, there will be room. May they all die, all-- Hark! the sea rises--come into my boat, come, come!"
Blanden had reached the door; he had begun to feel it gruesome with the love-mad girl.
In his haste to escape he had not thought of the obstacles which would impede him; now here, now there, knocking against them he felt for the stairs, down which he stumbled in the dark without caring that he had hurt his foot by frequent false steps.
Below in the witches' kitchen the kettle was simmering as before; but Mother Hecht, her elbows planted on her hips, stood surrounded once more with her unoccupied subordinate witches and a new troop of students who had arrived, gazing at the spectacle which was afforded them, the hero being once again none other than the Italian, only that this time he could not display himself to the crowd in the elevated consciousness of having performed a daring deed.
On the contrary, he appeared very dejected and disconsolate before the officer of justice, who, in all the pride of his position, laid his hand upon the man's shoulder.
"At last I have you, my Herr! It has cost me trouble enough, and my night's rest also. Böller and Co. knew that the time for the bill had run out; why did you make our task harder and let yourself be sought for everywhere!"
"I will pay to-morrow, or the day after."
"It is too late! You follow me to the debtor's prison. No resistance! You know the laws!"
The students felt pity for the victim of the laws concerning bills of exchange.