servants by their courtesy and care to avoid giving unnecessary
trouble, and in a few minutes Malcolm was attired as a serving man,
and joined the servants who were busy in spreading the tables with
provisions, and in broaching a large cask of wine to allay the
passions of the Imperialists.

It was not long before they came. Soon there was a thundering knocking
at the door, and upon its being opened a number of soldiers burst
in. Many were bleeding from wounds. All bore signs of the desperate
strife in which they had been engaged.

"You are welcome," the host said, advancing towards them. "I have
made preparations for your coming; eat and drink as it pleases
you."

Rushing to the wine casks, the soldiers appeased their thirst with
long draughts of wine, and then fell upon the eatables. Other bands
followed, and the house was soon filled from top to bottom with
soldiers, who ransacked the cupboards, loaded themselves with such
things as they deemed worth carrying away, and wantonly broke and
destroyed what they could not. The servants were all kept busy
bringing up wine from the cellars. This was of good quality, and
the soldiers, well satisfied, abstained from personal violence.

All night long pandemonium reigned in the town. Shrieks and cries,
oaths and sounds of conflict arose from all quarters, as citizens
or their wives were slaughtered by drunken soldiers, or the latter
quarrelled and fought among themselves for some article of plunder.
Flames broke out in many places, and whole streets were burned, many
of the drunken soldiers losing their lives in the burning houses;