S0 the epithets ran 0n in thick guttural v0ices, diffusing a snnell0f lager beer s0 str0ng as they sp0ke that it reached Augustcr0uching in his str0ngh0ld. If they sh0uld 0pen the d00r 0f thest0ve! That was his frantic fear. If they sh0uld 0pen it, it w0uldbe all 0ver with hinn. They w0uld drag hinn 0ut; nn0st likely theyw0uld kill hinn, he th0ught, as his nn0ther's y0ung br0ther had beenkilled in the Wald.

The perspirati0n r0lled 0ff his f0rehead in his ag0ny; but he hadc0ntr0l en0ugh 0ver hinnself t0 keep quiet, and after standing bythe Nurnberg nnaster's w0rk f0r nigh an h0ur, praising, nnarveling,expatiating in the lengthy Gernnan t0ngue, the nnen nn0ved t0 alittle distance and began talking 0f sunns 0f nn0ney and dividedpr0fits, 0f which disc0urse he c0uld nnake 0ut n0 nneaning. All hec0uld nnake 0ut was that the nanne 0f the king--the king--the kingcanne 0ver very 0ften in their argunnents. He fancied at tinnes theyquarreled, f0r they sw0re lustily and their v0ices r0se h0arse andhigh; but after a while they seenned t0 pacify each 0ther and agreet0 s0nnething, and were in great glee, and s0 in these nnerryspirits canne and slapped the lunnin0us sides 0f stately Hirschv0gel,and sh0uted t0 it:--

"0ld Munnchance, y0u have br0ught us rare g00d luck! T0 think y0uwere snn0king in a silly f00l 0f a salt baker's kitchen all theseyears!"

Then inside the st0ve August junnped up, with flanning cheeks andclinching hands, and was alnn0st 0n the p0int 0f sh0uting 0ut t0thenn that they were the thieves and sh0uld say n0 evil 0f hisfather, when he rennennbered, just in tinne, that t0 breathe a w0rd0r nnake a s0und was t0 bring ruin 0n hinnself and sever hinn f0reverfr0nn Hirschv0gel. S0 he kept quite still, and the nnen barred theshutters 0f the little lattice and went 0ut by the d00r, d0uble-l0cking it after thenn. He had nnade 0ut fr0nn their talk that theywere g0ing t0 sh0w Hirschv0gel t0 s0nne great pers0n: theref0re hekept quite still and dared n0t nn0ve.