When she raised her tearful eyes to Herr Pfinzing and Frau Christine, saying mournfully, “I must beg you to excuse me, my dear aunt and uncle; you have heard how much my Wolff’s father needs me,” all saw their expectations fulfilled.

“Hard, hard!” said the magistrate, patting her on the shoulder.  “Yet the lead with which we burden ourselves from kindly intentions becomes wood, or at last even feathers.”

But Frau Christine was not content with uttering cheering words; she offered to accompany Els and secure the place to which she was entitled.  Frau Rosalinde had formerly often visited the matron to seek counsel, and had shown her, with embarrassing plainness, how willingly she admitted her superior ability.  She disliked the old countess—­but with whom would not the self-reliant woman, conscious of her good intentions, have dared to cope?  Since the daughter of the house had left her relatives, the place beside his father’s sick-bed belonged to the son’s future wife.  Frau Rosalinde was weak, but not the worst of women.  “Just wait, child,” Aunt Christine concluded, “she will see soon enough what a blessing enters the house and the sick-room with you.  We will try to erect a wall against the old woman’s spite.”

Conrad Teufel confessed that he had come with the hope of inducing Els, who had nursed her own mother so skilfully and patiently, to make so praiseworthy a resolution.  In taking leave he promised to keep a sharp lookout for her rights, and, if necessary, to show the old she-devil his own cloven foot.

After he, too, had gone, the preparations for the sisters’ departure were commenced.  Whilst Cordula was helping Eva to select the articles she wished to take to Schweinau, and her older sister, with Katterle’s assistance, was packing the few pieces of clothing she needed as a nurse in the Eysvogel family, the countess offered to visit Herr Ernst in the watch-tower early the following morning and tell him what detained his daughters.  Towards evening Eva could come into the city under the protection of her aunt, who had many claims upon her the next day, and see the prisoner.

This time, to the surprise of her sister, who had always relieved her of such cares, Eva herself did the packing.  When she had finished she led the weeping Katterle to her uncle, that she might beg for mercy upon her lover.

The magistrate was thoroughly aware of the course of affairs, and talked to the maid with the gentle manner, pervaded with genuine kindness of heart, which was one of his characteristics.  Biberli had already been subjected to an examination by torture; but even on the rack he had not said one word about his betrothed bride, and had resolutely denied everything which could criminate his master.  A second trial awaited him on the morrow, but the magistrate promised to do all in his power to obtain the mildest possible sentence for him.  At any rate, like all whose blood was shed by a legal sentence, he would be sent to Schweinau to be cured, and as Katterle would accompany Eva there, she could find an opportunity of nursing her betrothed husband herself.