Erastus had heard right. The knocking, boring and hammering betokened
an attempt at a rescue. In spite of all Frau Belier's remonstrances
Felix had insisted that he must at least provide Erastus with the
chance of escaping. Even if the Counsellor declined his proposition, he
would have shown Klytia that he was a true friend even in the hour of
need, and the consolation which the poor girl might derive from that
was worthy of any danger or exertion on his part. This last argument
had forced from the brave little Frenchwoman a certain amount of
approval, though she refused to aid in any undertaking which might as
easily damage as advantage Erastus. But in order to get rid of him, she
declared to Felix that if he should bring the fugitives to their house,
her chivalrous husband would never refuse to shelter them. The father
and daughter could then avail themselves of the transport of
merchandise forwarded by the rich merchant and easily reach the Rhine,
and from thence proceed to either Bale or Holland as might seem fit to
Erastus. The next thing for Felix to do was to find out in which of the
dungeons of the Tower Erastus was imprisoned. With an air of simulated
indifference although this was not his usual custom at that time of the
evening he ascended the scaffolding, which already reached half the
height, and leaning against one of the windows of the young Countess'
apartments, he examined closely the Tower opposite. The windows with
curtains might be those of Erastus, in case the physician had been
treated according to his deserts. But above those he saw a man's figure
leaning close to the cross-bars; could that be the Counsellor? Besides
who could vouch for the fact of his having been placed on that side?
Moreover it was too dark to distinguish any one plainly. Nothing was
left for him but to boldly ask which was Erastus' cell, though he could
not do so, without exciting suspicion against himself. As Felix was
preparing to descend, a gentleman stepped forward from the back part of
the room to the window, and said as if he had been watching him for
some time: "Yes, my dear friend, I also mourn the fate of the man, who
has ever been so faithful a friend to the Italians, and quite conceive
your anxiety about the innocent Lydia."
"Oh! in that case the Madonna sends you to my aid," answered the
artist, "Pray, noble Sir, which is Erastus' room?"
Pigavetta's pale face appeared at the window and as his sharp teeth
approached the artist's ear, he resembled more than ever a beast of
prey. "You wish to rescue her?" he whispered.
"I only wish to know in which room the father of my affianced bride is
confined?"
"Quite right, I forgot that Lydia was yours, the poor child." He
naturally wishes to free them both, he thought, which accounts for his
stealing round the Witches' Tower the whole afternoon. The artist
passionately assured him of his utter conviction of Lydia's innocence.
"Who indeed could believe her to be guilty?" said Pigavetta in an
absent manner. "It would be well for me to make use of this favorable
opportunity," thought the old Jesuit to himself. "No particular
importance is set on the punishment of the old scoundrel, and he must
always be an unpleasant witness. Should the old sinner escape then
everything is just as it should be. Listen to me, my young friend," he
said in a cordial tone, "we are countrymen, let us not beat about the
bush. Erastus' life is for me a matter in which I am at heart
interested, for I owe him much, and I have wept this very day bitter
tears over his child's fate. Confide in me, I will save them, do you
also wish this?"
"_Sanguinaccio di Dio_, whether I wish it?" answered Felix excitedly.
"Good, my friend. Erastus' cell is yonder where you see a light. It is
the same in which Sylvanus sat before being transported to Mannheim,
where the intermittent fever is killing the poor man. How you are to
reach that window is your own affair. It will be my business to see
that the sentries sleep well to-morrow night. You must hurry about it,
as sentence will be pronounced on Erastus in a few days."
Felix wished to thank Pigavetta, but he had already hurried off to an
adjoining room, and the sound of loud voices approaching likewise
caused Felix to retire. Now that he knew whereabouts Erastus was
confined, the rest did not trouble him much. All the plans of the
castle were in his hands, and he had but to fashion for himself an easy
path through garret and loft to the high gables which immediately
adjoined the window pointed out by Pigavetta. Since his wild excitement
had been allayed, the Italian was again the cool determined architect
who calculated every impediment. It was of immediate importance to
obtain possession of the keys to the secret passage, which led from the
western wall down into the town. Well acquainted with the porter's
habits, he took the keys away, whilst the good man was devouring his
supper, from the board on which they hung, and placed the man's heavy
cloth cap on the vacant space. Part of that night and of the following
morning he employed in rendering his rope ladder more manageable, and
stronger, so that Lydia should not in the end become the victim of his
attempted rescue. When the midday hour had summoned the inhabitants of
the castle from their work, he furnished himself with a strong wire and
a few instruments. Then he quietly ascended the steps of the
Ruprechtsbau, till he came to a garret-door. He shaped the wire into a
hook, and thus opened the door. Nobody was to be found up here under
the garret roof which glowed through the heat of the noon sun. A dim
bluish light prevailed in the spacious room and the atoms danced in the
beams, which forced their way straight through the cracks, like a host
of stars. The artist crossed the dark garret till he came to a
staircase, which led through an opening in the roof to a larger loft.
He knew that he was now above that part of the Burg whose gable
adjoined the Tower, and led through the narrow staircase to the secret
passage. A plain door showed where this staircase began. It was tightly
shut, but the architect took a chisel out of his pocket and quietly
loosened all the screws. In the course of half an hour the work was
completed, and after taking the door off its hinges, he ascended a
small wooden staircase which led him to a room with thick walls and
small barred windows. The iron rings in the walls showed him that he
was now in one of the secret prisons. A niche with an iron chain which
passed over a wheel told him of private executions in this still room,
from whence no sound could penetrate into the Courtyard beneath. "Thou
mightest also be placed on this bench," thought Felix, "and the chain
adjusted to thy neck, and then the wheel twirled and the iron noose
tightened and the victim strangled." He shuddered. How many state
prisoners like Erastus may have perhaps breathed in the dread silence
their last sigh? Another staircase led him past similar cells. The
artist only cast a hurried look into them, and saw to his comfort how
none but large rats tumbled about to their satisfaction in the
uninhabited rooms. He next came to a heavy iron door whose lock he was
unable to pick. Even the rusty screws resisted his attempts. Nothing
was left for him to do but to retrace the whole way to his room and
provide himself with oil and stronger instruments. Then only was he
able to unhinge the door. It led to a strong stone winding staircase,
at the head of which was a lantern with a tallow candle. The artist
lighted this and descended about three hundred steps. He had with him
the key of the heavy lock of the lowest door. He opened it and found
himself in a long dark passage, which finally led to a small court near
to the wall of the Zwinger. He gently opened this small secret door
which separated the court from the street, and then remeasured his
steps, leaving the whole of the doors behind him almost closed. Once
arrived in the upper gable rooms, he considered, how he could make an
easy passage from Erastus' window to the opposite gable end? The safest
means to preserve Lydia from any danger appeared to the artist to be,
to make a ladder, and then to break a sufficiently large hole in the
gable of the roof. His rope ladder must aid in getting from the window
of the tower to this opening. After concealing his instruments among
the rafters, he turned back to the various garrets thinking to himself
how it might be possible to bring thither a tall ladder in the day
time? He had now reached the upper floor of the Ruprechtsbau, assigned
as rooms to the servants, when he was startled by a voice. An old
housekeeper stood before him, on whose angry features he could plainly
read the question, what did the Italian gentleman require up here.
Felix smiled on her as pleasantly as he could, made her a sign to keep
silent and then quietly descended the stairs. The woman looked
viciously after him: "He also has learnt that red-headed Frances
receives visits. But this very week shall this too amorous wench quit
my service," and she went into her room, banging the door after her.
After this adventure Felix thought it advisable not to let himself be
seen again before the night time. Only when all slept did he repair to
the gable rooms, and after having scientifically removed four rows of
tiles and smoothed the rafters with his planes, he placed with great
trouble but in a thoroughly secure position a ladder, by means of which
the poor child could ascend and descend through the opened windows.
After he had made for himself a safe position on the roof by removing
more tiles, he noiselessly bored holes in the round wall of the tower
and inserted hooks to enable him to reach the window which lay some
twelve feet above his head. The insertion of the upper iron, which he
was obliged to accomplish standing on his rope ladder was not without
danger. The wind came howling and whistling round the tower and
hindered his work though at the same time it drowned the noise of the
hammering. He managed to insert the last hook and the rest was easy
work, for he could now fasten the end of his rope to the bars of the
window and did not require to entrust Lydia's precious life to the
insecure iron, up which he himself had climbed. After he had knotted
the rope, he passed his arms around the bars and trembling with
excitement tapped at Erastus' window with his wearied hand. He was
about to tap a second time when the window was opened from within. "Is
it you, Erastus?" asked Felix in a low tone. "Yes," was the answer
spoken equally low. "Is Lydia with you?"
"She sleeps."
"Take these steel saws and this bottle of corrosive acid, and cut
through the bars on this side. But not here, as here hangs my ladder.
The opening thus made will be large enough to let you and Lydia pass
through."
Saws and bottle quickly disappeared within the room. "In the mean time
I shall go down, in order to loosen the end of the ladder, so that you
can draw it up higher and fasten it tighter. But by the eyes of the
Madonna be careful, one false step precipitates you into the yard
below. Only awake Lydia when you are ready, it is not necessary to
protract the exciting moments for her."
Even whilst descending Felix heard a strong hand beginning to cut
through the iron. He therefore hurried back to the garret, measured
carefully the whole of the way over which he must lead father and
daughter; and moreover lit some lights which he had brought with him to
show the path more distinctly. Then he returned to the gable from
whence he could hear Erastus working away untiringly, whilst the iron
splinters rattled around his own head. The work was now at an end, the
bar sawn through wrenched up with a powerful effort and placed within
the room. The ladder was now drawn up. Felix saw two strong hands
fastening it tightly. "He is surely certain to send Lydia down first,"
thought the excited artist, "so as to be able to help her from above."
A dark figure appeared on the ladder. "Lydia first," called out the
excited artist, but the heavy man came down the wall without stopping
for a moment, he now stood on the gable and hurried over the steps to
the window, Felix helped him in. The lucky fugitive now turned and
Felix saw before him the Reverend Neuser's fat, red face. His first
inclination was to seize the hated Parson and with one blow to hurl him
into the depths beneath.
"_Corpo di Baccho_!" he called out in a rage, "why did you lie to me
and tell me you were Erastus?"
"Ah! Signer Italiano," said Neuser puffing, "it is to you I am indebted
for my delivery!" and without losing a minute he sprang on to the floor
of the garret.
"_Birbante_!" hissed Felix, "_coglione_!"
"My dear Sir," said the Parson calmly, wiping away the perspiration
from his brow, "did not your brother at the Hirsch teach me that
deception was a virtue, as is everything, which gives man power over
his fellow-men? Tell this pious man, that Parson Neuser thanks him much
for this useful truism."
Felix gnashed his teeth with rage, but Neuser continued good-naturedly:
"How could you suppose, my dear Sir, that I would let myself be
beheaded, whilst a little imprisonment does not mean the life of the
worthy Counsellor."
"You have acted like a German," said Felix in his rage. "You surrender
an innocent maiden to be tried for witchcraft so long as you can save
your greasy hide."
"Gently, Signer Italiano," said Neuser calmly, "this small plot would
be much too round for my square schwabian skull. Your countryman
Pigavetta taught me that."
"Pigavetta!" cried the astonished Felix, "he pointed out your window to
me."
"You see, my dear Sir. I had returned at an inconvenient moment for
your countryman, as he had found a quantity of letters among the papers
of the fugitive clergyman, which the latter knew nothing of. He
therefore offered to pay my expenses and a free pass, if I only would
disappear." The Parson jingled a few loose thalers in his pockets. "The
cunning man wanted a quantity of documentary evidence from me which
would fit in with his indictment, but I did not trust him and told him
I should send it to him when free. Can you now tell me, I ought to have
acted otherwise? But do not look so dejected. Climb through my window.
If you can undo the bolt you will find Erastus in the third room to the
left. I saw him yesterday through the key-hole. Then you can bring him
out by the same way that I came. Now how must I go?"
"To yonder light, then to the right, where you see other lights," said
Felix thoroughly discouraged.
"My best thanks," replied Neuser heartily. "Greet that beloved man of
God Olevianus and tell him, that if he lusts after my head, he must
write to Constantinople for it. I have had almost too much of Church
Councillors and Magistrates, I shall go in for Muphtis and Kadis."
Felix next heard him groping along the rafters, and after a time
stealing through the secret passage beneath.
"I must follow the Parson's advice," said Felix in a wearied tone. He
had to restrain himself otherwise he would have wept through
disappointment and grief. "I will endeavor to reach Erastus through
Neuser's cell, and break the bolt if necessary." Undaunted the wearied
man climbed the walls once again, and pushed himself through the
opening made by the sawn bars. "If the prison fare had not made the
reverend gentleman much thinner, he never could have come through this
way," he involuntarily thought. He felt about in the dark for the door.
Finally he found it and examined the locks. But he soon saw that none
of his tools were suitable for breaking these strong bolts asunder. A
streak of light behind the Koenigstuhl announced the approach of day. He
rolled up his ladder and descended the wall by means of the hooks he
had inserted. Wearied to death, he had nevertheless to retrace his
steps through the entire secret passage. He stuck the key on the
outside of the lock of the door giving on to the street, so as to make
it appear as if aid had been given from outside, the lights he took
away, he replaced the doors on their hinges, and after having effaced
any suspicious traces he returned to his room utterly wearied. He first
carefully concealed the objects he had made use of, in a secret place,
and then already more than half asleep hastened to his bed. When he
awoke, Bachmann the court servant stood over him anxious to inquire
about his wound. Felix willingly let him apply a fresh bandage and
remained in bed to enjoy another sleep. Whilst occupied the old man
related with ill-concealed joy, that Parson Neuser had in the most
wonderful manner escaped from prison. The small door of the secret
passage had been found open, and the Keeper had been arrested for
having lost the key. Neuser had many friends in the town and it was not
astonishing that aid had been given him. But the Kurfuerst saw in this a
proof, that the Arian conspiracy still existed, and it was reported
that in his anger he had ordered the Amtmann for this cause to execute
the sentence of death on Sylvanus and his colleagues Vehe and Suter.
"May their bones bleach on the gallows," said Felix coldly, as he
turned his face to the wall, and calmly continued his slumbers.