The blood mounted into his pale cheeks; he came close up to me, and set his teeth, and said wrathfully that I must and I should save him, and with him my own brother, if I did but clearly understand the sense and purpose of his entreaty.  And he began with a flood of speech to tell me how near he was to his end, with a number of outlandish, magical words such as “the great Magisterium,” “the Red Lion,” “the Red Tincture,” and the like, till meseemed my brain reeled with the sinful gibberish; notwithstanding, to this day I believe that in all truth he was nigh attaining his purpose; and he might have done so at last were it not that, a short space after this, he was choked by the vapor from an alembic which burst.

But whence might I at that day procure the means to succor him?

Again and again I strove to check his fiery zeal, but in vain, till I told him plainly that I had not at my command three pounds of brass farthings, much less three pounds of gold, and that he must apply elsewhere and no longer keep me tarrying.

And I gave him my hand to bid him farewell; howbeit he seized it with both of his, and wrung and shook my arm till it ached; and being beside him self with rage, he admonished me with threatening words and gestures not to ruin his life’s work, and him, and those dear to me, by my base avarice.  When I had got over my first fear I snatched myself free from the miserable little man, and turned my back upon him; but he leaped in front of me, spread forth his arms to bar the doorway, and shrieked, foaming with fury: 

“Away, away, down to the depths!  Away with us all!  Woe unto thee, mean, blind fool that thou art!  Woe unto us all!  Take away that hand!  Verily even if my mouth were gagged, yet shouldst thou hear what is coming upon thee and all thy race!  I could have hindered it, and I would have hindered it; but now it shall be fulfilled.  Oh, it was not for nothing that we were young together!  I read thy horoscope and that arrogant brawler thy brother’s long ago, and when I interpret it to thee, if the blood does not curdle in thy veins. . . .”

Hereupon the blood of the Schoppers surged up; I laid hands on the mad wight, whose strength was scarce greater than mine, but he hit and stamped about like one bereft, crying:  “Your planets stand over the houses of Death, Captivity, and Despair.  The fulfilment thereof began on Saint Lazarus’ day, and on this day it falls first on thee; and thus the doom shall run its course till it hath an end on Saint John’s eve, by reason that ye will then have nought left to lose!”

Here Abenberger’s raving came to a sudden end.  His outcry had brought up Cousin Maud, and when she opened the door behind him and saw a man standing in my way, she clutched him from behind, throwing her arms about him, and dragged him out of the chamber.  Meanwhile she shrieked aloud “Fire!” and “Murder!” and again “Fire!” and all the men and wenches ran up in hot haste and had the gold-maker down the stairs fast enough.