For, by the Lord God of all Righteous Judgment, I will have no mercy!" I saw the eyes of the Lady Ysolinde glitter like those of the snake in her belt as thus my father delivered Helene over to me.
But my father had yet more to say.
"And if any," he went on, in a deep, still voice, keeping his hand upon the downcast head of the Little Playmate--"if any, great or small, prince or pauper, harm so much as a hair of this fair head, by the great God who wields His Axe over the universe and sits in the highest Halls of Judgment, whose servant I am--I, Gottfried Gottfried, swear that he shall taste the vengeance of the Red Axe and drink to the dregs the cup of agony in his own blood!" So saying, he kissed Helene and stalked out without turning his head or making any further obeisance or farewell.
We sat mazed and confounded after his departure.
The Lady Ysolinde it was who first recovered herself.

She put out a kindly hand to Helene, who stood wet-eyed and drooping by the window, looking out upon the roofs of Thorn, though well I wot she saw nothing of spire, roof, or pinnacle.
"God do so to me and more also," she said, in a low, solemn voice, "if I too keep not this charge." And I think for the moment she meant it.

The trouble was that the Lady Ysolinde could not mean one thing for very long at a time.

As, indeed, shall afterwards appear.
So it was arranged that within the week Helene and I should say our farewells to the Red Tower which had sheltered us so long, as well as to Gottfried Gottfried, who had ever been my kind father, and to the little Helene more than any father.
But in spite of all we wearied day by day to be gone.

For, indeed, Gottfried Gottfried said right.