This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust anddrops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
The marquise had not yet left her litter. The wind had extinguished twoof the torches. One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and thegale blew the smoking flame aside. But, ere she had reached the gate,a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path steppedforward to meet her. She started back and, as he called her by name, sherecognised the young Wittenberg theologian, Erasmus Eckhart. Sincerelyindignant, she ordered him to go away at once, but her first words wereinterrupted by the shrill voice of the marquise, who had now left herlitter, and with loud shrieks ordered the steward to seize the burglar.
Erasmus, however, trusted to his strength and nimbleness and, instead ofpromptly taking flight, entreated Barbara to listen to him a moment. Notuntil, far from allowing herself to be softened, she, too, threatenedhim, did he attempt to escape, but both litters were in his way, and whenhe had successfully passed around them the gardener, suddenly emergingfrom the darkness, seized him. But the sturdy young fellow knew how todefend his liberty, and had already released himself from his assailantwhen other servants grasped him.
Above the roar of the storm now rose the shrieks of the marquise, theshouts of "Stop thief!" from the men, and Erasmus's protestations that hewas no robber, coupled with an appeal to Jungfrau Blomberg, who knew him.
Barbara now stated that he was the son of a respectable family, and hadby no means come here to steal the property of others; but the marquise,though she probably correctly interpreted the handsome young fellow'slate visit, vehemently insisted upon his arrest. She treated Barbara'sremonstrance with bitter contempt; and when Cassian, the almoner'sservant, appeared and declared that he had already caught this rascalmore than once strolling in a suspicious manner near the castle, and thathe himself was here so late only because his beloved bride, in hermistress's absence, was afraid of the robber and his companions,Barbara's entreaties and commands were disregarded, and Erasmus's handswere bound.
By degrees the noise drew most of the inmates of the castle out of doors,and among them Frau Lerch. Lastly, several halberdiers, who were comingfrom the Lindenplatz and had heard the screams in the garden, appeared,chained the prisoner, and took him to the Prebrunn jail.
But scarcely had Erasmus been led away when the priests of the householdalso came out and asked what had happened. In doing this Barbara'scaution in not calling Erasmus by name proved to have been futile, forCassian had recognised him, and told the ecclesiastics what he knew.The chaplain then asserted that, as the property of the Prince Abbotof Berchtesgaden, the house and garden were under ecclesiasticaljurisdiction, and committed the further disposal of the burglar's fateto the Dominican whom the almoner had placed there. For the present hemight remain in secular custody. Early the following morning he must bebrought before the Spanish Dominicans who had come with the Emperor, andfrom whom greater severity might be expected than from the Rat