before her mind, and she imagined that she again heard the first cry of
longing with which he clasped her in his arms, and without further
thought or consideration she kissed her hand to the image, extinguished
the little lamp, and hurried as fast as the darkness permitted into the
entry and down the stairs.

Outside the house Wolf returned to her memory a moment.

How faithfully he loved her!

Yet was it not difficult to understand how she could even think of the
poor fellow at all while hastening to the illustrious sovereign whose
heart was hers, and who had taught her with what impetuous power true
love seizes upon the soul. Barbara threw her head back proudly, and,
drawing a long breath, opened the door of the house. Outside she was
received by Quijada with a silent bend of the head; but she remembered
the far more profound bows with which he greeted the monarch, and,
to show him of how lofty a nature was also the woman whom the Emperor
Charles deemed worthy of his love, she walked with queenly dignity
through the darkness at her aristocratic companion's side without
vouchsafing him a single glance.

Two hours later old Ursula was sitting sleepless in her bed in the second
story of the cantor house. A slight noise was heard on the stairs, and
the one-eyed maid-servant who was watching beside her exclaimed: "There
it is again! just as it was striking two I said that the rats were coming
up from the cellar into the house."

"The rats," repeated the old woman incredulously; and then, without
moving her lips, thought: "Rats that shut the door behind them? My poor