The betrothed couple now came up also, and saw with surprise the earnest zeal with which Martina’s father was discussing something, they knew not what, with the singer on whose account they had had their first quarrel.  The lover had condemned Barbara’s unprecedented arrogance during the dance so severely that Martina found it unendurable to listen longer.

Frau Sabina, too, did not know how to interpret Barbara’s presence; but one thing was certain in her kindly heart—­this was no place for such conversation.  How wet the poor girl must be!  The wrong which Barbara had done her child was not taken into consideration under these circumstances and, with maternal solicitude, she followed her husband’s example, and earnestly entreated Barbara to change her clothes in her house and warm herself with a glass of hot black currant wine.  But Barbara could not be induced to do so, and hurriedly explained to the syndic what he lacked the clew to understand.

In a few minutes she had made him acquainted with everything that it was necessary for him to know.  Dr. Hiltner, turning to his wife, and mean while looking his future son-in-law steadily in the eye, exclaimed, “We are all, let me tell you, greatly indebted to this brave girl.”

Frau Sabina’s heart swelled with joy, and to Martina, too, the praise which her father bestowed on Barbara was a precious gift.  The mother and daughter had always espoused her cause, and now it again proved that they had done well.

“So I was right, after all,” whispered the young girl to her lover.

“And will prove so often,” he answered gaily.  But when, a short time after, he proposed to Barbara’s warm advocate to accompany the singer home, Martina preferred to detain him, and invited him to stay in the house with her a little while longer.

These incidents had occupied only a brief period, and Dr. Hiltner undertook to escort the young girl himself.  To save time, he questioned her about everything which he still desired to know, but left her before she turned into the lane leading to the little castle, because he was aware that she, who belonged to the Emperor’s household, might he misjudged if she were seen in his company.

Shortly after, he had freed Erasmus from imprisonment and sent him, in charge of one of the Council’s halberdiers, beyond the gate.  He was to remain concealed outside the city until the syndic recalled him.

The young theologian willingly submitted, after confessing to his foster-father how strongly love for Barbara had taken possession of him.

This act might arouse strong hostility to the syndic, but he did not fear it.  Moreover, the Emperor had showed at the festival plainly enough his withdrawal of the good opinion which he had formerly testified upon many an occasion.  This was on account of his religion, and where that was concerned there was no yielding or dissimulation on either side.