Els was glad to know that she was occupied; it was better that her sister
should be spared many of the duties which she was obliged to perform.
Whilst arranging with the coffin-maker and the "Hegelein," the sexton and
upholsterer, ordering a large number of candles and everything else
requisite at the funeral of the mistress of an aristocratic household,
she also found time to look after her father and Countess Cordula, who
was better. Yet she did not forget her own affairs.

Biberli had returned. He had much to relate; but when forced to admit
that nothing was urgent, she requested him to defer it until later, and
only commissioned him to go to the castle, greet Wolff in her name, and
announce her mother's death; Katterle would accompany him, in order to
obtain admittance through her countryman, the Swiss warder.

Els might have sent one of the Ortlieb servants; but, in the first place,
the fugitive's refuge must be concealed, and then she told herself that
Biberli, who had witnessed the occurrence of the previous evening, could
best inform Wolff of the real course of events. But when she gave him
permission to tell her betrothed husband all that he had seen and heard
the day before at the Ortlieb mansion, Biberli replied that a better
person than he had undertaken to do so. As he left his master, Sir Heinz
was just going to seek her lover. When she learned all that had befallen
the knight, she would understand that he was no longer himself. Els,
however, had no time to listen, and promised to hear his story when he
returned; but he was too full of the recent experience to leave it
untold, and briefly related how wonderfully Heaven had preserved his
master's life. Then he also told her hurriedly that the trouble which
had come upon her through Sir Heinz's fault burdened his soul. Therefore
he would not let the night pass without at least showing her betrothed