"I thank you from my heart," whispered Mrs. Struvelius, taking out her purse from her pocket. "If there is only sufficient," she said, anxiously drawing the strings. "Let us see quickly how much we have." "God forbid!" cried Laura, hastily. "It is full of gold." "I have turned everything that I could into money," replied Mrs. Struvelius hurriedly; "everything else is of little value." Ilse took the purses out of the hands of both ladies and said firmly: "That is far too much. We ought not to offer him such sums; we do not know whether we should not thus be exposing the poor man to the temptation of doing wrong. If we offer him money we embark in a transaction which we do not thoroughly understand." The others disputed this, and there was much whispered consultation. At last Laura decided: "He shall have two pieces of gold, that is settled." Laura hastened out to bring back the prisoner. When the Magister entered, Mrs. Struvelius looked so imploringly at Ilse, that the latter made up her mind to carry on the negotiation. "Magister, we have set our hearts upon having this bit of manuscript with which the professors have been so much occupied, and as you know about it, we request your help to obtain it." A submissive smile played over the lips of Magister Knips. "We wish to buy it," interposed Mrs. Struvelius; "and we beg of you to undertake the purchase. You shall have the money necessary for it." Forgetting her agreement in their intense anxiety, she put her hand into her purse and counted one louis d'or after another on the table, till Laura sprang up, terrified, and tugged at her shawl from behind. Knips again laid his head on his shoulder, and fixed his eyes upon the small fingers of the Professor's wife, from which fell one gold piece after another. "This, and still more, shall be yours," cried Mrs. Struvelius, "if you will procure me the parchment." The Magister fumbled in his pocket for his handkerchief, and wiped his forehead. "It must be well known to the ladies," he said, plaintively, "that I have to read many proof-sheets, and to work late into the night before I can earn the tenth portion of what you lay before me. It is a great temptation to me; but I do not believe that I can obtain the strip of parchment; and if I should succeed I fear it will only be upon condition that it shall not get into the hands of any of the professors, but be destroyed here in your presence. "Go out again, Magister Knips," cried Laura, springing up, "and leave your hat here that you may not escape us." The Magister disappeared for the second time. Again the women put their heads together. "He has the parchment, and he can produce it; we know that now," exclaimed Laura. "We cannot agree to his offer," said Ilse. "It is not right for us to take possession of the parchment; it must be examined by our husbands, and then returned to the Magister."