Hæc.—"What crime wast thou suspected of, girl, to be condemned to so terrible a death?"
Illa.—"She had a lover named Albert, who followed her everywhere, but as she would not listen to him he hated her, and pretended that she had given him a love-drink."
Here Sidonia laughed aloud, and asked if she knew how to brew the love-drink?
Illa.—"Yes; she learned from her elder sister how to make it, but had never tried it with any one, and was perfectly innocent of all they charged her with."
Here Clara shook her head, and wished to get rid of the witch-girl; for she thought, truly if Sidonia learns the brewing secret, she will poison and destroy the whole castleful, and we shall have the devil bodily with us in earnest. So she pushed away the girl, who still clung to her, weeping and lamenting. Hereupon Sidonia grew quite grave and pious all of a sudden, and said—
"See the hypocrite she is! She first sets before me the example of Christ, and then treats this poor sinner with nothing but cross thorns! Has not Christ said, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy'? But only see how this bigot can have Christ on her tongue, but not in her heart!"
The pious Clara grew quite ashamed at such talk, and raising up the wretch who had again fallen on her knees, said—
"Well, thou mayest remain; so get thee to my maid, and she will give thee food. I shall also write to my father for thy pardon, and meanwhile ask leave from her Grace to allow thee to remain here until it arrives; but if thou art guilty, I cannot promise thee my protection any longer, and thou wilt be burned here, in place of at Daber."
So the witch-girl was content, and importuned them no further.