The butler had imbibed a goodly share of the noble wine.  His fat cheeks glowed, and at the magistrate’s last remark he laughed softly:  “If we wait for the folk upstairs to agree we shall stay here till the Pegnitz flows up the valley.  Just listen to their state of harmony, sir!”

In fact the shrill, angry accents of a woman’s loud voice, with which mingled deeper tones that were very familiar to Herr Berthold, echoed down into the entry.  It certainly looked ill for the concord of the women of the house; yet the magistrate could not permit the unprincipled servant’s insolence to pass unpunished, so he answered quietly: 

“You are right, fellow.  One can put a stop to this shameful conduct more quickly than several, and by virtue of my office I will therefore be the one to command here.  You will leave this house and service to-morrow.”

But when the angry butler, with the hoarse tones of a drunkard, declared that in Nuremberg none save rascals were turned out of doors directly after a discharge, the magistrate, with grave dignity, cut him short by remarking that he would do better not to bring before the magistrates the question of what beseemed the servant who wasted the valuable property entrusted to his care, as had been done here.

With these words he pointed to the spot where the jug of wine which he had plainly seen was only half concealed, and the threat silenced the man, whose conscience reproached him far more than Herr Pfinzing could imagine.

Meanwhile quiet had not been restored upstairs.  Frau Christine had released Els from a store-room in which the old countess, after persuading her daughter to this spiteful and childish trick, had locked her.  A serious discussion amongst the women followed, which was closed only by the interposition of the magistrate.  Perhaps this might have been accomplished less quickly had not the leech Otto appeared as a welcome aid.

Frau Rosalinde penitently besought forgiveness, her mother was again forbidden to come to the lower story, and threatened, if she approached the sick-room, with immediate removal from the house.

This strictness was necessary to render it possible for Els to maintain her difficult position.

The day had been filled with painful incidents and shameful humiliations.  The old countess had summoned two relatives, both elderly canonesses, to aid her in her assault upon the intruder, and perhaps they were the persons who advised locking up Sir Casper’s nurse, to whom they denied the right of still calling herself the bride of the young master of the house.

Frau Christine had arrived at the right time.  Els was beginning to lose courage.  She had found nothing which could aid her to sustain it.

Since Biberli had been deprived of his liberty she had rarely heard from Wolff, and his invalid father, for whose sake she remained in the house, seemed to view her with dislike.  At first he had tried neither to speak to nor look at her, but that morning, while raising a refreshing cup to his parched lips, he had cast at her from the one eye whose lid still moved a glance whose enmity still haunted her.