"Look at this crowd, dear child," she said. "Did you ever before see Heidelberg in such a state of excitement?"
"I wished to hear the news from you, Herr Belier," answered Erastus. "Let us go over to the Hirsch, there we can certainly ascertain."
"I do not visit taverns," said Belier with a polite but negative motion of the hand.
"Good, then I will take that sin on myself," laughed Erastus, "take care of my child, I shall soon be back."
Whilst Herr Belier accompanied Erastus downstairs and then returned to his study, Lydia remained at the window with the lively Frenchwoman. She felt very sad, and would have wished to be alone so as to have a good cry. All this misery had been caused by the horrid man, who had wished to drag her to destruction, and against whom she nevertheless felt herself to be defenceless.
"Who has been the cause of all this trouble?" asked the little Frenchwoman with a sigh.
"Laurenzano," called out a screechy voice, "_filou Laurenzano_."
Lydia turned pale, and looked around her in terror. Frau Belier laughed. "Be quiet, Papchen," she said to a bird, which Lydia now noticed for the first time. "You scare people." Lydia clung terrified to Frau Belier's arm.
"There is witchcraft in this," she said trembling, "The bird is right. Oh, how frightened I am!"
"Be sensible, child, the name of our architect is Laurenzano, and as his name is mentioned daily in connection with the new building my husband is undertaking, the parrot has picked up his name."
"No, no," said Klytia trembling, "he has learnt it from the Evil one."
"But I assure you, that he calls out the name at least twenty times a day. He is always proud of a new accomplishment. What could the good architect have to do with this matter? Or are you thinking of his brother?"
Lydia remained silent with a sad look on her face. This aroused the curiosity, or as she preferred to term it, them otherly interest of the Frenchwoman. "Why do you think evil of Master Laurenzano?" asked she, fixing her kindly brown eyes on the face of the maiden.
"He acted in a wrong manner toward me," sobbed Lydia, and she felt as if the places kissed by Laurenzano more than hour since, still burnt her face. The words had escaped the lips of the excited maiden involuntarily, but concealment was no longer possible. The sharp woman asked and crossquestioned so long that Klytia had to make a full confession. When she hesitated, the indiscreet Frenchwoman supplied the rest in a manner best pleasing to herself. "He made appointments with thee, followed after thee, etc.," so that the poor child had to disclose her secret in order that the matter should not appear in a worse light than it really was.