Frederick turned toward the wall.  “I won’t come,” he snapped, “I am sick.”

“But you must come,” gasped John; “he said I must bring you back.”

Frederick laughed scornfully.  “I’d like to see you!”

“Let him alone; he can’t,” sighed Margaret; “you see how it is.”  She went out for a few minutes; when she returned, Frederick was already dressed.  “What are you thinking of?” she cried.  “You cannot, you shall not go!”

“What must be, must,” he replied, and was gone through the door with John.

“Oh, God,” sobbed the mother, “when children are small they trample our laps, and when they are grown, our hearts!”

The judicial investigation had begun, the deed was as clear as day; but the evidence concerning the perpetrator was so scanty that, although all circumstances pointed strongly towards the “Blue Smocks,” nothing but conjectures could be risked.  One clue seemed to throw some light upon the matter; there were reasons, however, why but little dependence could be placed on it.  The absence of the owner of the estate had made it necessary for the clerk of the court to start the case himself.  He was sitting at his table; the room was crowded with peasants, partly those who came out of curiosity, and partly those from whom the court hoped to receive some information, since actual witnesses were lacking—­shepherds who had been watching their flocks that night, laborers who had been working in near-by fields; all stood erect and firm,, with their hands in their pockets, as if thus silently manifesting their intention not to interfere.

Eight forest officers were heard; their evidence was entirely identical.  Brandes, on the tenth day of the month, had ordered them to go the rounds because he had evidently secured information concerning a plan of the “Blue Smocks”; he had, however, expressed himself but vaguely regarding the matter.  At about two o’clock at night they had gone out and had come upon many traces of destruction, which put the head-forester in a very bad humor; otherwise, everything had been quiet.  About four o’clock Brandes had said, “We have been led astray; let us go home.”  When they had come around Bremer mountain and the wind had changed at the same time, they had distinctly heard chopping in the Mast forest and concluded from the quick succession of the strokes that the “Blue Smocks” were at work.  They had deliberated a while whether it were practical to attack the bold band with such a small force, and then had slowly approached the source of the sound without any fixed determination.  Then followed the scene with Frederick.  Finally, after Brandes had sent them away without instructions they had gone forward a while and then, when they noticed that the noise in the woods, still rather far away, had entirely ceased, they had stopped to wait for the head-forester.