‘I told you of the steward, poor Kraut, did I not, child?’ inquired Aunt Lisbeth, quietly clearing her throat.

‘Many times!’ said Margarita, and went on humming over her knee

’Her love was a Baron,
A Baron so bold;
She loved him for love,
He loved her for gold.’

‘He must see for himself, and be satisfied,’ continued Aunt Lisbeth; ’and Holy Thomas to warn him for an example!  Poor Kraut!’

‘Poor Kraut!’ echoed Margarita.

’The King loved wine, and the Knight loved wine,
And they loved the summer weather: 
They might have loved each other well,
But for one they loved together.’

‘You may say, poor Kraut, child!’ said Aunt Lisbeth.  ’Well! his face was before that as red as this dragon’s jaw, and ever after he went about as white as a pullet’s egg.  That was something wonderful!’ ‘That was it!’ chimed Margarita.

’O the King he loved his lawful wife,
The Knight a lawless lady: 
And ten on one-made ringing strife,
Beneath the forest shady.’

‘Fifty to one, child!’ said Aunt Lisbeth:  ’You forget the story.  They made Kraut sit with them at the jabbering feast, the only mortal there.  The walls were full of eye-sockets without eyes, but phosphorus instead, burning blue and damp.’

‘Not to-night, aunty dear!  It frightens me so,’ pleaded Margarita, for she saw the dolor coming.

’Night! when it’s broad mid-day, thou timid one!  Good heaven take pity on such as thou!  The dish was seven feet in length by four broad.  Kraut measured it with his eye, and never forgot it.  Not he!  When the dish-cover was lifted, there he saw himself lying, boiled!

“’I did not feel uncomfortable then,” Kraut told us.  “It seemed natural.”

’His face, as it lay there, he says, was quite calm, only a little wrinkled, and piggish-looking-like.  There was the mole on his chin, and the pucker under his left eyelid.  Well! the Baron carved.  All the guests were greedy for a piece of him.  Some cried out for breast; some for toes.  It was shuddering cold to sit and hear that!  The Baroness said, “Cheek!"’

‘Ah!’ shrieked Margarita, ’that can I not bear!  I will not hear it, aunt; I will not!’

‘Cheek!’ Aunt Lisbeth reiterated, nodding to the floor.

Margarita put her fingers to her ears.

’Still, Kraut says, even then he felt nothing odd.  Of course he was horrified to be sitting with spectres as you and I should be; but the first tremble of it was over.  He had plunged into the bath of horrors, and there he was.  I ’ve heard that you must pronounce the names of the Virgin and Trinity, sprinkling water round you all the while for three minutes; and if you do this without interruption, everything shall disappear.  So they say.  “Oh! dear heaven of mercy!” says Kraut, “what I felt when the Baron laid his long hunting-knife across my left cheek!"’