“This is your hour, and the power of darkness.”—S. Luke xxii. 53.
CONCLUDED.
CHAPTER III.
JESUIT AND NEW PROTESTANT.
Early the next morning, the count was awakened suddenly from his slumber. The three bells of the church-tower gave forth sorrowful tones. The peasants assembled from all parts. Von Scharfenstein opened a window, and looked in vain for the rising smoke, in order to discover the whereabouts of the fire; but neither flame nor smoke was to be seen. And yet all the inhabitants, men, women, and children, were moving in the same direction, so that there must have been some cause for the alarm.
“Where is the fire?” he asked of an aged man, who could hardly walk even with the aid of his cane. “Where is the fire, good man?”
“There is no fire; the gendarmes are here to arrest our pastor.”
Von Scharfenstein closed the window.
“This is too much,” said he angrily. “The Freemasons, who are ordinarily cunning enough, have this time committed a great mistake. If the sons of the cross are not more prudent than the sons of the trowel, there will be bloodshed in this case. The peasants will defend their priest with scythes and axes.”
Meanwhile, the police commissioner who had come from the city with two gendarmes endeavored to put a stop to the ringing of the bells. Before going to the church, he had foolishly stationed the gendarmes upon the high step of the pastoral residence, so that the Jesuit should not escape.