About eleven o’clock in the morning
At first she thought little of them , but when at last the cold light of the autumn morning dawned she went to a mirror and examined herself , and there upon her neck she found a hard red swelling of the size of a nut . Then Lysbeth knew that she had caught the plague from the Vrouw Jansen , and laughed aloud , a dreary little laugh , since if all she loved were to die , it seemed to her good that she should die also . Elsa was abed prostrated with grief , and , shutting herself in her room , Lysbeth suffered none to come near her except one woman who she knew had recovered from the plague in past years , but even to her she said nothing of her sickness . About eleven o'clock in the morning this woman rushed into her chamber crying , `` They have escaped ! They have escaped ! '' `` Who ? '' gasped Lysbeth , springing from her chair .