nursed, harsh voices, interrupted at times by the angry oaths of some
patient roused from sleep, or the watchman's command to keep quiet,
reached them in a loud uproar.

A narrow passage dimly lighted by a lantern led to the women's quarters,
where Eva had remained. The magistrate entered the men's dormitory to
make an inspection, while his wife, needing no guidance, passed on to the
women, meeting no one on her way except a Sister of Charity and two men-
servants who, under the guidance of a sleepy Dominican monk, were bearing
out the corpse of some one who had just passed away.

Sister Hildegard, who was sitting at the door of the dormitory, half
asleep, started up as Frau Christine crossed the threshold.

The knight's widow, a vigorous matron, whose hair had long been grey,
pointed with the rosary in her hand to the end of the long, dimly lighted
apartment, and said in a low tone: "The sick woman seems to be asleep
now. The prior sent the old Dominican to whom Eva is talking. He is
said to be the most learned and eloquent member of the order. If I am
right, he came here to appeal to your niece's conscience. At least his
first question was for her, and you see how eagerly he is speaking. When
yonder sick woman seemed to be drawing near her end she asked for the
sacrament, which was administered by the Dominican. It was a sorrowful
farewell on account of her children, but the barber thinks we may perhaps
save her yet. Father Benedictus, the old Minorite, who was found on the
road and brought to us, seems, on the other hand, to be dying. We will
gladly keep him in the Beguines home until the angel summons him.
Unfortunately, yonder poor woman's third day will end tomorrow. We are
not permitted to shelter her here any longer, and if we turn her out--"