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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/5553.txt b/5553.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..344e004 --- /dev/null +++ b/5553.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1977 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook Margery, by Georg Ebers, Volume 2. +#114 in our series by Georg Ebers + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + +Title: Margery, Volume 2. + +Author: Georg Ebers + +Release Date: April, 2004 [EBook #5553] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on August 2, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARGERY, BY GEORG EBERS, V2 *** + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the +file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an +entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + +MARGERY + +By Georg Ebers + +Volume 2. + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +Summer wore away; the oats in the forest were garnered and the vintage +had begun in the vine-lands. It was a right glorious sunny day; and if +you ask me at which time of the year forest life is the sweeter, whether +in Springtide or in Autumn, I could scarce say. + +Aye, it is fair indeed in the woods when Spring comes gaily in. Spring +is the very Saviour, as it were, of all the numberless folk, great and +small, which grow green and blossom there, wherefore the forest holds +festival for his birthday and cradle feast as is but fitting! The fir- +tree lights up brighter tips to its boughs, as children do with tapers at +Christmastide. Then comes the largesse. It lasts much more than one +evening, and the gifts bestowed on all are without number, and bright and +various indeed to behold. As a father's tinkling bell brings the +children together, so the snowdrop bells call forth all the other +flowers. First and foremost comes the primrose, and cowslips--Heaven's +keys as we call them--open the gates to all the other children of the +Spring. "Come forth, come forth!" the returning birds shout from out +the bushes, and silver-grey catkins sprout on every twig. Beech leaves +burst off their sharp, brown sheaths and open to the light, as soft as +taffety and as green as emeralds. + +The other trees follow the example, and so teach their boughs to make a +leafy shade against the sun as it mounts higher. Every creature that +loves its kind finds a voice under the blossoming May, and the dumb +forest is full of the call and answer of thankful and gladsome loving +things which have met together, and of sweet tunefulness and songs of +bridal joy. + +Round nests have come into being in a thousand secret places--in the +tree-tops, in the thick greenwood of the bushes, in the reeds of the +marsh; ere long young living things are twittering there, the father and +mother-birds call each other, singing to be of good cheer, and taking joy +in caring for their young. At that season of love, of growth, of +unfolding life, meseems, as I walk through the woods, that the loving- +kindness of the Most High is more than ever nigh unto me; for the forest +is as a church, a glorious cathedral at highest festival, all filled with +light and song, and decked in every nook and corner with gay fresh +flowers and leafy garlands. + +Then all is suddenly hushed. It is summer. + +But in Autumn the forest is a banqueting-hall where men must say +farewell, but with good cheer, in hope of a happy meeting. All that has +lived is hasting to the grave. Nevertheless on some fair days everything +wears as it were the face of a friend who holds forth a hand at parting. +The wide vaults of the woods are finely bedecked with red and yellow +splendor, and albeit the voices of birds are few, albeit the cry of the +jay, and the song of the nightingale, and the pipe of the bull-finch must +be mute, the greenwood is not more dumb than in the Spring; the hunter's +horn rings through the trees and away far over their tops, with the +baying of the hounds, the clapping of the drivers, and the huntsmen +shouting the view halloo. Every bright, strong, healthful child of man, +then feels himself lord of all that creeps or flies, and his soul is +ready to soar from his breast. How pure is the air, how spicy is the +scent from the fallen leaves on such an autumn day! In Spring, truly, +white and rose-red, blue and yellow chequer the green turf; but now gold +and crimson are bright in the tree tops, and on the service trees. The +distance is clearer than before, and fine silver threads wave in the air +as if to catch us, and keep us in the woods whose beauty is so fast +fading. + +The sunny autumn air was right full of these threads when on St. +Maurice's day--[September 22nd]--Ann and I went forth to our duty of +fetching in the birds which had been caught in the springes set for them. + + When birds are early to flock and flee + Hard and cold will winter be, + +saith the woodman's saw; and they had gathered early this year--thrushes +and field-fares; many a time the take was so plentiful that our little +wallets could scarce hold them, and among them it was a pity to see many +a merry, tuneful red-breast. + +The springes were set at short spaces apart on either side of two forest +paths. I went down one and Ann down the other. They met again nigh to +the road leading to the town. Balzer set the snares, and we prided +ourselves on which should carry home the greater booty; and when we had +done our task as we sat on a grassy seat which the Junker had made for +me, we told the tale of birds and thought it right good sport. Nor did +we need a squire, inasmuch as Spond, the great hound, would ever follow +us. + +This day I was certain I had the greater number of birds in my wallet, +and I walked in good heart toward the end of the path. + +Methought already I had heard the noise of hoofs on the highway, and now +the hound sniffed the air, so, being inquisitive, I moved my feet +somewhat faster till I caught sight of a horseman, who sprang from his +saddle, and leaving his steed, hurried toward the clearing whither Ann +must presently come from her side. Thereupon I forced my way through the +underwood which hindered me from seeing, and when I presently saw Ann +coming and had opened my lips to call, something, meseemed, took me by +the throat, and I was fain to stand still as though I had taken root +there, and could only lend eye and ear, gasping for breath, to what was +doing yonder by the highroad. And verily I knew not whether to rejoice +from the bottom of my heart, or to lament and be wroth, and fly forth to +put an end to it all. + +Nevertheless I stirred not a limb, and my tongue was spell-bound. The +heart in my bosom and the veins in my head beat as though hammers were +smiting within; mine eyes were dazed, albeit they could see as well as +ever they did, and I espied first, on one side of the clearing, the +horseman, who was none other than Herdegen, my well-beloved elder +brother, and on the other side thereof Ann carrying her wallet in her +hand, and numbering the birds she had taken from the snares, with a +contented smile. + +But ere I had time to hail the returned traveller a voice rang through +the wood--it was my brother's voice, and yet, meseemed it was not; it +spoke but one word "Ann!" And in the long drawn cry there was a ring of +heart's delight and lovesick longing such as I had never heard save from +the nightingale lover when in the still May nights he courts his beloved. +This cry pierced to my heart, even mine; and it brought the color to +Ann's face, which had long ceased to be pale. Like a doe which comes +forth from a thicket and finds her young grazing in the glade, she lifted +her head and looked with brightest eyes away to the high road whence the +call had come. Then, though they were yet far asunder, his eyes met +hers, and hers met his, and they uplifted their arms, as though some +invisible power had moved them both, and flew to meet each other. There +was no doubt nor pause; and I plainly perceived that they were borne +along as flowers are in a raging torrent; albeit she, or ever she reached +him; was overcome by maiden shamefacedness, and her arms fell and her +head was bent. But the little bird had ventured too far into the +springe, and the fowler was not the man to let it escape; before Ann +could foresee such a deed he had both his arms round her, and she did not +hinder him, nay, for she could not. So she clung to him and let him lift +up her head and kiss her eyes and then her mouth, and that not once, no, +but many a time and again, and so long that I, a sixteen-year-old maid, +was in truth affrighted. + +There stood I; my knees quaked, and I weened that this which was doing +was a thing that beseemed not a pious maid, and that must ill-please the +heart of a virtuous daughter's mother; yea, it was a grief to me that it +should have been done, and that I knew that of my Ann which she would +fain hide from the light. Nevertheless I could not but find a joy in it, +and meseemed it was a cruel act to fetch her away so soon from such sweet +bliss. + +When presently their lips were free, and at last he spoke a few words to +her, methought it was now time for me to greet my brother. I called up +all my strength and while I walked toward them my spirit's sense came +back to me, for indeed it had altogether left me, and a voice within +asked: "What shall come of this?" + +He put forth his arm to hold her to him again, and forasmuch as I was +abashed to think of coming in to their secret, before I stepped forth, +from the thicket, I hailed Herdegen by name. And soon I was in his arms; +but although that he kissed me lovingly, meseemed that something strange +was on his lips which pleased me not, and I yet remember that I put my +kerchief to my mouth to wipe that from it. + +And then we walked homeward. Herdegen led his horse by the bridle, and +Ann went between him and me and gazed up into his face with shining eyes, +for in these two years he had grown in stature and in manhood. She +listened wide-eared to all his tidings, but once, when his horse grew +restive, so that he turned away from us women-kind she kissed my cheek, +but in great haste, as though she would not have him see it. We were +gladly welcomed at the forest lodge. How truly my uncle and aunt +rejoiced at my brother's home-coming could be seen in their eyes, though +the mother, who had banished her own son, was cut to the heart by the +sight of such another well-grown youth. + +The evening before guests had come to the lodge his excellency the Lord +Justice Wigelois von Wolfstein, and Master Besserer of Ulm. Now we had +to make ready in all haste for dinner, and never had Ann made such +careful and diligent use of our little mirror. As it fell, we could be +alone together for a few minutes only, and had no chance of speaking to +each other privily. This was likewise the case at table, and then, as my +uncle had prepared for a hunt in the afternoon, in honor of his guests, +and as the supper afterwards lasted until midnight, the not over-strong +thread of my good patience was not seldom in danger of giving way. But +many things were going forward which gave me matter for thought, and +increased the distress I already felt. Ann threw herself into the sport +with all her heart, and on the way back fell behind with Herdegen in such +wise that they did not reach home till long after the door closed on the +last of us. + +At supper she nodded to me many times with much contentment; except for +that I might have been buried for aught she noted, for she hearkened only +to Herdegen's tales as though they were a revelation from above. For his +part, he now and again stole a hasty, fiery glance at her; otherwise he +of set purpose made a show of having little to do with her. He often lay +back as though he were weary; and yet, when their Excellencies questioned +him of any matter, he was ever ready with a swift and discreet answer. +He had lost nothing of his wonderfully clear and shrewd wit; +nevertheless, I was not so much at my ease with him as of old time. +When my uncle said in jest that the wise owl from Padua seemed to wear +a motley of gay feathers, his intent was plain as soon as one looked at +my brother; and in the fine clothes he had chosen to wear at supper the +noble lad was less to my mind than in the hunting weed which he had +journeyed in, inasmuch as the too great length of the sleeves of his +mantle was in his way when eating, and the over-long points to his shoes +hindered him in walking. + +When, presently, my Aunt Jacoba left the hall that the men might the +better enjoy the heady wine and freer speech, we maidens were bound to +follow her duteously; but Herdegen signed to me to come apart with him, +and now I hoped he would open his heart to me and treat me as he had been +wont, as my true and dear brother, whose heart had ever been on the tip +of his tongue. Far from it; he spoke nought but flattery, as "how fair +I had grown," and then desired news of Cousin Maud, and Kunz, and our +grand-uncle, and at last of Ursula Tetzel, which made me wroth. + +I answered him shortly, and asked him whether he had no more than that to +say to me. He gazed down at the ground and said to himself: "To be sure, +to be sure." But in a minute he went back to his first manner, and when +I bid him good-night in anger he put his arm round me and turned me about +as if to dance. + +I got myself free and went away, up to our chamber, hanging my head. +There I found my old Sue, taking off Ann's fine gown; and whereas Ann +nodded to me right sweetly and, as I thought, with a secret air, +I guessed that it was the waiting-woman who stayed her speech and I sent +my nurse away. + +Now I should sooner have looked for the skies to fall than for Ann, +my heart's closest friend, to keep the secret of what had befallen +that very morning; and yet she kept silence. + +We were commonly wont to chirp like a pair of crickets while we braided +our hair and got into our beds; but this night there was not a sound in +the chamber. Commonly we laid us down with a simple "Good night, +Margery," "Sleep well, Ann," after we had said our prayers before the +image of the Blessed Virgin; but this night my friend held me close in +her arms, and as I was about to get into bed she ran to me again and +kissed me with much warmth. Whether I was so loving to her I cannot, +at this day, tell; but I remember well that I remained dumb, and my heart +seemed to ache with sorrow and pain. I thought myself defrauded, and my +true love scorned. Was it possible? Did my Ann trust me no longer, or +had she never trusted me? + +Nay more. Was she at all such as I had believed, if she could carry on +an underhand and forbidden love-making with Herdegen behind my back; and +this, Merciful Virgin, peradventure, for years past! + +The taper had burnt out. We lay side by side striving to sleep, while +distress of mind and a wounded heart brought the tears into my eyes. + +Then I heard a strange noise from her bed, and was aware that Ann +likewise was weeping, more bitterly and deeply every minute. This +pierced the very depths of my soul. Yet I tried to harden my heart till +I heard her voice saying: "Margery!" + +That was an end of our silence, and I answered: "Ann." + +Then she sobbed out: "As we came home from the hunt he made me promise +never to reveal it, but it is bursting my heart. Oh! Margery, Margery, +I ought to hide and bury it in my soul; so he bid me, and +nevertheless......" + +I sat up on the pillow as if new life had come to me, and cried: "Oh Ann, +you can tell me nothing that I know not already, for I saw him dismount +and how he embraced you." + +And then, before I was aware of her, she leaped up and was kneeling on +her knees by the head of my bed, and her lips were kissing mine, and her +cheeks were against my face and her tears running down my cheeks and neck +and bosom while she confessed all. In our peaceful little chamber there +was a wild outpouring of vows of love and words of fear, of plans for the +future, and long tales of how it all had come to pass. + +I had with mine own eyes seen it in the bud and, unwittingly indeed, had +fostered its growth. How then could I be dismayed when now I beheld the +flower? + +Their meeting this morning had been as the striking of flint and steel, +and if sparks had come of it how could they help it? And I took Ann's +word when she said that she would have flown into the arms of her +beloved, if father and mother and a hundred more had been standing round +to warn her. + +All she said that night was full of perfect and joyful assurance, and it +took hold of my young soul; and albeit I could not blind myself, but saw +that great and sore hindrances stood in the way of my brother's choice, +I vowed to myself that I would smooth their path so far as in me lay. + +All was now forgotten that I had taken amiss that evening in the returned +wanderer; and when I gave Ann a last kiss that night how well I loved her +again! + + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +The cocks had already crowed before I fell asleep, and when I awoke Ann +was sitting in front of the mirror, plaiting her hair. I knew full well +what had led her to quit her bed so early, and, as she met her lover at +breakfast, her form and face meseemed had gained in beauty, so that I +could not take my eyes off from her. My aunt and his Excellency marked +the wonderful change which had taken effect in her that night, and the +gentleman thenceforth waited closely on Ann and sued for her favor like a +young man, in spite of his grey hair, while worthy Master Besserer +followed his ensample. + +At the first favorable chance I drew Herdegen apart. Ann had already +told him that I had been witness to their first meeting again; this +indeed pleased him ill, and when I asked him as to how he purposed to +demean himself henceforth towards his betrothed, he answered that matters +had not gone so far with them; and that until he had taken his Doctor's +hood we must keep the secret I had by chance discovered closely hidden +from all the good people of Nuremberg; that much water would flow into +the sea or ere he could bid me wag my tongue, if our grand-uncle should +continue to bear the weight of his years so bravely. For the present he +was one of the happiest of men on earth, and if I loved him I must help +him to enjoy his heart's desire, and often see the lovely violet which +had bloomed so sweetly for him here in the deep heart of the forest. + +His bright young spirit smiled upon my soul once more as it had done long +ago. Only his unloving mention of our grand-uncle, who had been as a +second father to him, struck to my heart, and this I said to him; adding +likewise, that it must be a point of honor with him to give and take +rings with Ann, even though it should be in secret. + +This he was ready and glad to do; I gave him the gold ring, with a hearty +good will, which Cousin Maud had given me for my confirmation, and he put +it on his sweetheart's finger that very day, albeit her silver ring was +too small for his little finger. So he bid her wear it, and solemnly +promised to keep his troth, even without a ring, till the next home- +coming; and Ann put her trust in her lover as surely as in rock and iron. + +Many were the guests who came to the forest that fair autumn tide; there +was no end of hunting and sport of all kinds, and Ann was ever ready and +well content to share her lover's fearless delight in the chase; when she +came home from the forest the joy of her heart shone more clearly than +ever in her eyes; and seeing her then and thus, no man could doubt that +she was at the crown and top of human happiness. Albeit, up on that +height meseemed a keen wind was blowing, which she did battle with so +hardly that through many a still night I could hear her sighs. Withal +she showed a strange selfishness such as I had never before marked in +her, which, however, only concerned her lover, with constant unrest when +apart from others whom she loved; and all this grieved me, though indeed +I could not remedy it. + +Strangest of all, as it seemed to me, was it that these twain who +erewhile had never spent an hour together without singing, would now pass +day after day without a song. But then I remembered how that the maiden +nightingale likewise pipes her sweetest only so long as her bosom is full +of pining love; but so soon as she has given her heart wholly to her +mate, her song grows shorter and less tender. + +Not that this pair had as yet gone so far as this; and once, when I gave +them warning that they should not forget how to sing, they marvelled at +their own neglect, and as thereupon they began to sing it sounded sweeter +and stronger than in former days. + +Among the youths who at that time enjoyed the hospitality of the +Waldstromers, Herdegen's friend, Franz von Welemisl, held the foremost +place. He was the son of a Bohemian baron, and his mother, who was dead, +had been of one of the noblest families of Hungary. And whereas his name +was somewhat hard to the German tongue, we one and all called him simply +Ritter Franz or Sir Franz. He was a well made and well favored youth in +face and limb, who had found such pleasure in my brother's company at +Erfurt that he had gone with him to Padua. His father's sudden death +had taken him home from college sooner than Herdegen, and he was now +in mourning weed. He ever held his head a little bowed, and whereas +Herdegen, with his brave, splendid manners and his long golden locks, +put some folks in mind of the sun, a poet might have likened his friend +to the moon, inasmuch as he had the same gentle mien and pale +countenance, which seemed all the more colorless for his thick, sheeny +black hair which framed it, with out a wave or a curl. His voice had a +sorrowful note, and it went to my heart to see how loving was his +devotion to my brother. He, for his part, was well pleased to find in +the young knight the companionship he had erewhile had in the pueri. + +After the young Bohemian's father had departed this life, the Emperor +himself had dubbed his sorrowing son Knight, and nevertheless he was +devoid alike of pride and scornfulness. When, with his sad black eyes, +he looked into mine, humbly and as though craving comfort, I might easily +have lulled my soul with the glad thought that I likewise had opened the +door to Love; but then I cared not if I saw him, and I thought of him but +coldly, and this gave the lie to such hopes; what I felt was no more than +the compassion due to a young man who was alone in the world, without +parents or brethren or near kin. + +One morning I went to seek Herdegen in the armory and there found him +stripped of his jerkin, with sleeves turned up; and with him was the +Bohemian, striving with an iron file to remove from my brother's arm a +gold bracelet which was not merely fastened but soldered round his arm. +So soon as he saw that I had at once descried the band, though he +attempted to hide it with his sleeve, he sought to put off my +questioning, at first with a jest and then with wrathful impatience flung +on his jerkin and turned his back on me. Forthwith I examined Ritter +Franz, and he was led to confess to me that a fair Italian Marchesa had +prevailed on Herdegen to have this armlet riveted on to his arm in token +of his ever true service. + +On learning this I was moved to great dread both for my brother's sake +and for Ann's; and when I presently upbraided him for his breach of faith +he threw his arms round me with his wonted outrageous humor and +boisterous spirit, and said: What more would I have, since that I had +seen with my own eyes that he was trying to be quit of that bond? To get +at the Marchesa he would need to cross a score of rivers and streams; and +even in our virtuous town of Nuremberg it was the rule that a man might +be on with a new love when he had left the third bridge behind him. + +I liked not this fashion of speech, and when he saw that I was ill- +pleased and grieved, instead of falling in with his merry mood, he took +up a more earnest vein and said: "Never mind, Margery. Only one tall +tree of love grows in my breast, and the name of it is Ann; the little +flowers that may have come up round it when I was far away have but a +short and starved life, and in no case can they do the great tree a +mischief." + +Then with all my heart I besought him that, as he had now bound up the +life and happiness of the sweetest and most loving maid on earth with his +own, he would ever keep his faith and be to her a true man. Seeing, +however, that he was but little moved by this counsel, the hot blood of +the Schoppers mounted to my head and thereupon I railed at his sayings +and doings as sinful and cruel, and he likewise flared out and bid me +beware how I spoke ill of my own father; for that like as he, Herdegen, +had carried the image of Ann in his heart, so had father carried that of +our dear mother beyond the Alps, and nevertheless at Padua he had played +the lute under the balcony of many a blackeyed dame, and won the name of +"the Singer" there. A living fire, quoth he, waxed not the colder +because more than one warmed herself thereat; all the matter was only to +keep the place of honor for the right owner, and of that Ann was ever +certain. + +Sir Franz was witness to these words, and when presently Herdegen had +quitted the room, he strove to appease and to comfort me, saying that his +greatly gifted friend, who was full of every great and good quality, had +but this one weakness: namely, that he could not make a manful stand +against the temptations that came of his beauty and his gifts. He, Franz +himself was of different mould. + +And he went on to confess that he loved me, and that, if I would but +consent to be his, he would ever cherish and serve me, with more humility +and faithfulness even than his well-beloved Lord and King, who had dubbed +him knight while he was yet so young. + +And his speech sounded so warm and true, so full of deep and tender +desires, that at any other time I might have yielded. But at that hour I +was minded to trust no man; for, if Herdegen's love were not the truth, +whereas it had grown up with him and was given to one above me in so many +ways, what man's mind could I dare to build on? Yea, and I was too full +of care for the happiness of my brother and of my friend to be ready to +think of my own; so I could only speak him fair, but say him nay. Hardly +had I said the words when a strange change came over him; his calm, sad +face suddenly put on a furious aspect, and in his eyes, which hitherto +had ever been gentle, there was a fire which affrighted me. Nay and even +his voice, as he spoke, had a sharp ring in it, as though the bells had +cracked which erewhile had tolled so sweet a peal. And all he had to say +was a furious charge against me who had, said he, led him on by eye and +speech, only to play a cruel trick upon him, with words of dreadful +purpose against the silent knave who had come between him and me to +defraud him; and by this he meant the Swabian, Junker von Kalenbach. + +I was about to upbraid him for his rude and discourteous manners when we +heard, outside, a loud outcry, and Ann ran in to fetch me. All in the +Lodge who had legs came running together; all the hounds barked and +howled as though the Wild Huntsman were riding by, and mingling therewith +lo! a strange, outlandish piping and drumming. + +A bear-leader, such as I had before now seen at the town-fair, had made +his way to the Lodge, and the swarthy master, with his two companions, as +it might be his brothers, were like all the men of their tribe. A thick +growth of hair covered the mouth below an eaglenose, and on their shaggy +heads they wore soft red bonnets. One was followed by a tall camel, +slowly marching along with an ape perched on his hump; the other led a +brown bear with a muzzle on his snout. + +The master's wife, and a dark-faced young wench, were walking by the side +of a little wagon having two wheels, to which an over-worked mule was +harnessed. A youth, of may-be twelve years of age, blew upon a pipe for +the bear to dance, and inasmuch as he had no clothes but a ragged little +coat, and a sharp east wind was blowing, he quaked with cold and shivered +as he piped. Notwithstanding he was a fine lad, well-grown, and with a +countenance of outlandish but well nigh perfect beauty. He had come, for +certain, from some distant land; yet was he not of the same race as the +others. + +When we had seen enough of the show, my uncle commanded that meat should +be brought for the wanderers; and when pease-pottage and other messes had +been given them, they fetched, from under the wagon-tilt, a swarthy babe, +which, meseemed was a sweet little maid albeit she was so dark-colored. + +Ann and I gazed at these folks while they ate, and it seemed strange to +us to see that the well-favored lad put away from him with horror the +bacon which the old bear-leader set before him; and for this the man +dealt him a rude blow. + +After their meal the master went on his way; and when we likewise had +eaten our dinner, my dear godfather and uncle, Christian Pfinzing, came +from the town, bringing a troop of mercenaries to the camp where they +were to be trained that they might fight against the Hussites. He, like +the other guests, made friends with the strangers, and in his merry +fashion he bid the older bear leader tell our fortunes by our hands, +while the young ones should dance. + +The man then read the future for each of us; my fortune was sheer folly, +whereof no single word ever came true. He promised my brother a Count's +coronet and a wife from a race of princes; and when Ann heard it, and +held up her finger at Herdegen for shame, he whispered in her ear that +she was of the race of the Sovereign Queen of all queens--of Venus, ruler +of the universe. All this she heard gladly; yet could no one persuade +her to let her hand be read. + +At last it was the woman's turn to dance; before she began she had +smoothed her hair and tied it with small gold pieces; and indeed she was +a well grown maid and slender, well-favored in face and shape, with a +right devilish flame in her black eyes. It was a strange but truly a +pleasing thing to see her; first she laid a dozen of eggs in a circle on +the grass, and then she beat her tambourine to the piping of the lad and +the drumming of one of the men who had remained with her, and rattled it +over her head with wanton lightness till the bells in the hoop rang out, +while she turned and bent her supple body in a mad, swift whirl, bowing +and rising again. Her falcon eyes never gazed at the ground, but were +ever fixed upwards or on the bystanders, and nevertheless her slender +bare feet never went nigh the eggs in the wildest spinning of her dance. + +The gentlemen, and we likewise, clapped our hands; then, while she stayed +to take breath, she snatched Herdegen's hat from his head--and she had +long had her eye on him--and gathered all the eggs into it with much +bowing and bending to the measure of the music. When she had put all the +eggs into the hat she offered it to my brother kneeling on one knee, and +she touched the rim of her tambourine with her lips. The froward fellow +put his fingers to his lips, as the little children do to blow a kiss, +and when his eyes fell on that wench's, meseemed that this was not the +first time they had met. + +It was now a warm and windless autumn day, and after dinner my aunt was +carried out into the courtyard. When the dancing was at an end, she, as +was her wont, questioned the men and the elder woman as to all she +desired to know; and, learning from them that the men were likewise +tinkers, she bid Ann hie to the kitchen and command that the house-keeper +should bring together all broken pots and pans. But now, near by the +wagon, was a noise heard of furious barking, and the pitiful cry of a +child. + +The Junker, who had set forth early in the day to scour the woods, had +but now come home; the hounds with him had scented strangers, and had +rushed on the brown babe, which was playing in the sand behind the wagon, +making cakes and pasties. The dogs were indeed called off in all haste, +but one of them, a spiteful badger-hound, had bitten deep into the little +one's shoulder. + +I ran forthwith to the spot, and picked up the babe in my arms, seeing +its red blood flow; but the elder woman rushed at me, beside her wits +with rage, to snatch it from me; and whereas she was doubtless its mother +or grand-dame, I might have yielded up the child, but that Ritter Franz +came to me in haste to bid me, from my Aunt Jacoba, carry it to her. + +Who better than she knew the whole art and secret of healing the wounds +of a hound's making? And so I told the old dame, to comfort her, albeit +she struggled furiously to get the babe from me. Nay and she might have +done so if the little thing had not clung round my neck with its right +arm that had no hurt, as lovingly as though it had been mine own and no +kin to the shrieking old woman. + +But ere long a clear and strange light was cast on the matter; for when +we had loosened the child's little shirt, and my aunt had duly washed the +blood from the wounds, under the dark hue of its skin behold it was +tender white, and so it was plain that here was a stolen child, needing +to be rescued. + +Then the house-stewardess, the widow of a forester whose husband had been +slain by poachers, and who labored bravely to bring up her five orphan +children, with my aunt's help--this woman, I say, now remembered that +when she had made her pilgrimage, but lately, to Vierzehnheiligen, the +Knight von Hirschhorn, treasurer to the Lord Bishop of Bamberg at +Schesslitz, not far from the place of pilgrimage, had lost a babe, stolen +away by vagabond knaves. Then Aunt Jacoba bethought herself that +restitution and benevolence might be made one; and, quoth she, this +matter might greatly profit the housekeeper and her little ones, inasmuch +as that the sorrowing father had promised a ransom of thirty Hungarian +ducats to him who should bring back his little daughter living; and +forthwith the whole tribe of the bear-leaders were to be bound. The old +beldame gave our men a hard job, for she tried to make off to the forest, +and called aloud: "Hind--Hind!" which was the young wench's name, with +outlandish words which doubtless were to warn her to flee; but the +serving men gained their end and made the wild hag fast. + +Ann was pale and in pain with her head aching, but she helped my aunt to +tend the child; and I was glad, inasmuch as I conceived that I knew where +to find Herdegen and the young dancing wench, and I cared only to save +his poor betrayed sweetheart from shame and sorrow. I crept away, +unmarked, through the garden of herbs behind the lodge, to a moss but +which my banished cousin had built up for me, in a covert spot between +two mighty beech-trees, while I was yet but a school maid. + +Verily my imagination was not belied, for whereas I passed round the +pine-grove I heard my brother cry out: "Ah--wild cat!" and the hussy's +loathsome laugh. And thereupon they both came forth, only in the doorway +he held her back to kiss her. At this she showed her white teeth, and +meseemed she would fain bite him; she thrust him away and laughed as she +said: "To-night; not too much at once." Howbeit he snatched her to him, +and thereupon I called him by name and went forward. + +He let her go soon enough then, but he stamped with his foot for sheer +rage. This, indeed, moved me not; with a calm demeanor I bid the wench +follow me, and to that faithless knave I cried: "Fie!" in a tone of +scorn which must have made his ears burn a good while. Before we entered +the garden I bid him go round about the house and come upon the others +from the right hand; she was to come with me and round by the left side. + +I now saw that there were shreds of moss and dry leaves in the young +woman's hair and bid her brush them out. This she did with a mocking +smile, and said in scorn: "Your lover?" + +"Nay," said I, "far from it. But yet one whom I would fain shield from +evil." She shrugged her shoulders; I only said: "Come on." + +As we went round to the front of the house the elder woman was being led +away with her hands bound, and no sooner did the young one descry her +than she picked up her skirts and with one wild rush tried to be off and +away. I called Spond, my trusty guard, and bid him stay her; and the +noble hound dogged her steps till the men could catch her and lead her to +my aunt. The lady questioned her closely, deeming that so young and +comely a creature might be less stubborn that the old hag who had grown +grey in sins; but Hind stood dumb and made as though she knew not our +language. As to Herdegen, he meanwhile had greeted Ann with great +courtesy; nevertheless he had kept close to the dancing wench, and took +upon himself to tie her bonds and lead her to the dungeon cell. He sped +well, inasmuch as he got away with her alone, as he desired; for Sir +Franz delayed me again, and such a suit as he now pleaded can but seldom +have found a match, for I was bent only on following my brother, to +rescue him from the vagabond woman's snares; and while the knight held +me fast by the hand, and swore he loved me, I was only striving to be +free, and gazing after Herdegen and Hind, heeding him not. At length +he hurt my hand, which I could not get away from him; and whereas he was +beginning to look wildly and to seem crazed, I besought him to leave me +free henceforth and try his fortune elsewhere. But still he would never +have set me free so hastily if an evil star had not brought the Swabian +Junker to the spot. + +Sir Franz, without a word of greeting or warning, went up to him and +upbraided him for having caused a mischief to a helpless babe through his +heedless conduct. But if Sir Franz knew not already that he, to whom he +spoke as roughly as though he were a froward serving man, was in truth +son and heir of a right noble house, he learnt it now. His last words +were: "And for the future have your savage hounds in better governance!" +Whereupon the other coolly answered: "And you, your tongue." + +On this the other shrugged his shoulders and replied in scorn that to be +sure his tongue was for use and not for silence like some folks'. And I +marvelled where the Swabian, who was so slow of speech, found the words +for retort and answer, till at length it was too much for him and he laid +his hand on his hanger as a second and a sharper tongue. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +The dancing-wench was locked into the cell with the rest of the +wanderers, and as I looked in through the window at the fine young +creature, squatting in a corner, I had pity on her, and for my part I +would fain have sent her forth and away never to see her more. + +I could nowhere find Herdegen; I had no mind for Uncle Christian's jests; +and when, at last, I betook me to my own chamber, meseemed that some +horrible doom was in the air, from which there was no escape. And +matters were no better when Ann, who of late had been free from her bad +headache, came up to bed, to hide her increasing pain among the pillows. +So I sat dumb and thoughtful by her side, till Aunt Jacoba sent for me to +lay cold water on the arm of the little kidnapped maid. The child had +been well washed, and lay clean and fresh between the sheets, and the +swarthy dirty little changeling was now a sweet, fair-haired darling. I +tended it gladly; all the more when I thought of the joy it would bring +to its father and mother; notwithstanding the evil nightmare would not be +cast off, not even when the clatter of wine cups and Uncle Christian's +big laugh fell on my ear. + +Seldom had I so keenly missed Herdegen's mirthful voice. The housekeeper +told me that he had gone on horseback into the town at about the hour of +Ave Maria. My grand-uncle had bidden him to go to him. The vagabond +knaves had already been put to the torture in my brother's presence, but +they had confessed nothing of their guilt; inasmuch, indeed, as in our +dungeon there were none other instruments of torture than the rack, the +thumbscrew, and scourges needful for the Bamberg torture, and a +Pomeranian cap, made to crush the head somewhat; but in Nuremberg there +was a store, less mild and of more active effect. + +The air was hot and heavy, the sun had set behind black clouds, yellow +and dim, like a blind eye. A strange languor came over me, though I was +wont to be so brisk, and with it a long train of dismal and hideous +images. First I saw the Junker and Sir Franz, who had fallen out about +me, a foolish maid; then it was my Ann, pining with grief, paler than +ever with a nun's veil on her; or standing by the Pegnitz, on the very +spot where, erewhile, in the sweet Springtide, a forsaken maid had cast +herself in. + +The first lightning rent the sky and the storm came up in haste, bursting +above our heads, and as the thunder roared closer and closer after the +flash I was more and more frightened. Moreover the sick child wept +piteously and waxed restless with fever and pain. By this time all was +still in the dining-hall; but when my aunt bid me let the housekeeper +take my place by the little one's bed and go to my rest, I would not; +for indeed I could in no wise have slept. + +They let me have my way, and soon after midnight, seized with fresh dread +anent Herdegen, I was at the open window to let the rough wind fan my hot +head, when suddenly the hounds set up a furious barking, as though the +Forest lodge were beset on all sides by robbers. And at the same time I +saw, by the glare of the lightning, that the old lime-tree in the midst +of my aunt's herb garden was lying on the earth. This cut me to the +heart, inasmuch as this tree was dear to my uncle, having been planted by +his grandfather; and there was never a spot where his ailing wife was so +fain to be in the hot summer days as under its shadow. Aye, and all my +young life's happiness, meseemed, was like that tree-torn up by the +roots, and I gazed spellbound at the blasted lime-tree till I was +affrighted by a new horror; on the furthest rim of the sky, on the side +where the town lay, I beheld a line of light which waxed broader and +brighter till it was rose and blood-red. + +A wild uproar came up from the kennels and foresters' huts, and I heard a +medley of many voices; and whereas the distant flare began to soar more +brightly heavenward I believed those who were saying below that all +Nuremberg was in flames. + +Even Aunt Jacoba had quitted her bed, and every soul under that roof +looked forth at the fire and gave an opinion as to whether it were waxing +or waning. And, thanks be to the Blessed Virgin, the latter were in the +right; some few granaries, or stores of goods it might be, had been burnt +out, and I, among other fainting hearts, was beginning to breathe more +easily, when the watchman's cry was heard once more and what next befell +showed that my fears had not been groundless. + +It was the vigil of Saint Simon and Saint Jude's day--[October 28th]--in +the year of our Lord 1420, and never shall I forget it. The great things +which befell that night are they not written in the Chronicles of the +town, and still fresh in many minds? but peradventure in none are they +more deeply printed than in mine; and while I move my pen I can, as it +were, see the great hall of the hunting lodge with my very eyes. Many +folks are astir, and all in scant attire and full of eager thirst for +tidings. The alarm of fire has brought them from their pillows in all +haste, and they press close and gaze through the door, which stands wide +open, at the light spot in the sky. Not one dares go forth in the wild +wind, and many a one draws his garment or cloak or coverlet closer round +him; the gale sweeps in with such fury that the pitch torches against the +wall are well nigh blown out, and the red and yellow glare casts a weird +light in the hall. + +Then the watchman's call is silent, and the growling and wailing of the +forest folk comes nigher and nigher. + +Presently a man totters across the threshold, upheld with sore difficulty +by the gate-keeper Endres inasmuch as his own knees quake; and he who +comes home thus, as he might be drunken or grievously hurt, is none other +than my brother Herdegen. The torchlight falls on his face, and whereas +my eyes descry him I cry aloud, and my soul has no thought of him but +sheer pity and true love. + +I haste to take Endres' place while Eppelein, his faithful serving-man, +whom he had not taken with him as is his wont, holds him up on the other +hand. + +But touch him where we may he feels a hurt; and while Uncle Conrad and +the rest press him with questions, he can only point to his head and +lips, which are too weak for thinking or speaking. + +Alas! that poor fellow, meseems, bears but little likeness to my noble +Herdegen, on whose arm the Italian Marchesa riveted her golden fetter. +His face is swollen and bloodshot in one part, and cruelly torn in +others. Where are the lovelocks that graced him so well? His left arm +is helpless, his rich attire hangs about him in rags. He might be a +battered, wretched beggar picked up in the high-road, and I rejoice truly +to think that Ann is within the shelter of her bed and escapes the sight. + +My aunt, who had long ere this been carried down to the hall, felt all +his limbs and joints, and found that no bones were broken, while my uncle +questioned him; and he told us in broken words that his horse had taken +fright in the forest at a flash of lightning, had thrown him, and then +dragged him through the brushwood; it was his man's nag which, as it +fell, he had taken out that evening, and it was roaming now about the +woods. + +He had scarce ended his tale, when one of the warders of the dungeon and +the gate-keeper rushed in with the tidings that one of the prisoners, and +that the young wench, had escaped, although the door of the keep was +locked and the window barred. She was clearly a witch, and only one +thing was possible; namely that she had flown through the barred window, +after the manner of witches on a broomstick, or in the shape of a bird, +a bat, or an owl; nay, this was as good as certain, inasmuch as that the +watchman had seen a wraith in the woods at about the hour of midnight, +and the same face had appeared to the kennel-keeper. Both swore they had +crossed themselves thereat, and said many paternosters. The other +captives bore witness to the same, declaring that the wench had never +been one of them, but had joined herself unawares to their company last +midsummer eve, without saying whence, or whither she would go. She had +flown off some hours since in the form of a monstrous vampire, but had +fallen upon them first with tooth and nail; and albeit they were an evil- +disposed crew their tale seemed truthful, whereas they were covered with +many scratches which were not caused by the torture. + +At these tidings my brother lost all heart, and fell back in the arm- +chair as pale as ashes. I was presently left alone with him; but he +answered nothing to my questions, and meseemed he slept. As day dawned +I was chilled with the cold, so, inasmuch I could do nothing to help him, +I went down stairs. There I found our gentlemen taking leave, for one +was off to the city to make inquisition as to the fire, and the other +would fain seek his warm bed. + +Hot elecampane wine had been served to give them comfort, when again we +heard horses' hoofs and the watchman's call. Everybody came out in +haste, only Uncle Christian Pfinzing did not move, for, so long as the +wine jug was not empty, it would have needed more than this to stir him. +He was a mighty fat man, with a short brick-red neck, cropped grey hair, +and a round, well-favored countenance, with shrewd little eyes which +stood out from his head. + +We young Schoppers loved this jolly, warm-hearted uncle, who was +childless, with all our hearts; but I clung to him most of all, since he +was my dear godfather; likewise had he for many years shown an especial +and truly fatherly care for Ann. + +Well, Uncle Christian had peacefully gone on drinking the fiery liquor, +waiting for the others; but when they came to tell him what tidings the +horseman had brought, the cup fell from his hand, clattering down on the +paved floor and spilling the wine; and at the same time his kind, +faithful head dropped to one side, and for a few minutes his senses had +left him. Albeit we were able ere long to bring him back to life again, +I found, to my great distress, that his tongue seemed to have waxed +heavy. Howbeit, by the help of the Blessed Virgin, he afterwards was so +far recovered that when he sat over his cups his loud voice and deep +laugh could be heard ringing through the room. + +The tidings delivered by the messenger and which brought on this +sickness--of which the leech Ulsenius had ere this warned him--might have +shaken the heart of a sterner man; for my Uncle Christian lodged in the +Imperial Fort as its warder, and his duty it was to guard it. Near it, +likewise, on the same hill-crag, stood the old castle belonging to the +High Constable, or Burgrave Friedrich. Now the Burgrave had come to high +words with Duke Ludwig the Bearded, of Bayern-Ingolstadt, so that the +Duke's High Steward, the noble Christoph von Laymingen, who dwelt at +Lauf, had made so bold, with his lord at his back, as to break the peace +with Friedrich, although he had lately become a powerful prince as +Elector of the Mark of Brandenburg. + +The said Christoph von Laymingen, so the horsemen told us, had ridden +forth to Nuremberg this dark night and had seized the castle--not indeed +the Imperial castle, which stood unharmed, but the stronghold of the old +Zollern family which had stood by its side--and bad burnt it to the +ground. This, indeed, was no mighty offence in the eyes of the town- +council, inasmuch as it bore no great friendship to his Lordship the +Constable and Elector, and had had many quarrels with him-nay, long after +this the council was able to gain possession of the land and ruins by +purchases--till, uncle Christian bitterly rued having sent his men-at- +arms, whose duty it was to defend the castle, out into the country, +though it were for so good a purpose as fighting against the Hussites. + +It might have brought him into bad favor with the Elector; however, it +did him no further mischief. One thing was certainly proven beyond +doubt: that knavish treason had been at work in this matter; at +Nuremberg, under the torture, it came out that the bear-master had been a +spy and tell-tale bribed by Laymingen to discover whither Pfinzing and +his men had removed. + +And lest any one should conceive that here was an end to the woes that +had fallen on the forest lodge in that short time from midnight to +daybreak, I must record one more; for the new day, which dawned with no +hue of rose, grey and dismal over the tawny woods, brought us fresh +sorrow and evil. + +Behind the moss-hut, wherein I had found my Herdegen with the dancing +hussy, the Swabian Junker and Ritter Franz had fought, without any heed +of the law and order of such combat--fought for life or death, and for my +sake. And as though in this cruel time I were doomed to go through all +that should worst wound my poor heart, I must need go forth to see the +stricken limetree at that very moment when the Junker had dealt his enemy +a deadly stroke and came rushing away with his hair all abroad like a mad +man. It was indeed a merciful chance that my Uncle Conrad and the +chaplain likewise had come forth to the garden, so that I might go with +them to see the wounded knight. + +The youth was lying on the wet grass, now much paler than ever, and his +lips trembling with pain. A faded leaf had fallen on his brow and was +strange to behold against his ashen skin; but I bent me down and took it +off. By him was lying the uprooted limetree, from which that leaf had +fallen, and whereas the rain was dropping from it fast, meseemed it was +weeping. + +And my heart was knit as it never had been before, to this young knight +who had shed his blood in my behalf; but while I gazed down right +lovingly into his face the Swabian came close up to him with ruthful +eyes, and from those of the wounded man there shot at me a glance so full +of hate and malice that I shuddered before it. This was an end, then, to +all pity and tenderness. And yet, as I looked on his cold, set face, as +pale and white as dull chalk, I could not forbear tears; for it is ever +pitiful to see when death overtakes one who is not ripe for dying, as we +bewail the green corn which is smitten by the hail, and hold festival +when the reaper cuts the golden ears. + +Thus were there three sick and wounded in the forest-lodge, besides my +aunt; for Uncle Christian must have some few days of rest and nursing. +Howbeit there was no lack of us to tend them; Ann was recovered to-day +and Cousin Maud had come in all haste so soon as she knew of what had +befallen Herdegen; for, of us all, he held the largest room in her heart; +and even when he was at school, albeit he had money and to spare of his +own, she had given him so freely of hers that he was no whit behind the +sons of wealthy Counts. + +Biding the time till my cousin should come--and she could not until the +evening--it was my part to stay with my brother; but whereas Ann would +fain have helped me, this Aunt Jacoba conceived to be in no way fitting +for a young maid; much less then would she grant my earnest desire that I +might devote me to the care of Sir Franz; though she had it less in mind +to consider its fitness, than to conceive that it would be of small +benefit to the wounded man, at the height of his fever, to know that the +maid for whose love he had vainly sued was at his side. + +Thus I was forbidden to see Ann in my brother's chamber; nevertheless I +had much on my heart and I could guess that she likewise was eager to +speak with me; but when at last I was alone with her in our bed chamber, +she had matter for speech of which I had not dreamed. When I asked her +what message she might desire me to give Herdegen from her, she besought +me as I loved her not to name her at all in his presence. This, indeed, +amazed me not a little, inasmuch as I weened not that she knew of all the +grief I had suffered yestereve. But this was not so; I learnt now that +she had marked everything, and had heard the men's light talk about the +dashing youth whom the dark-eyed hussy had been so swift to choose from +among them all. I, indeed, tried to make the best of the matter, but she +gave me to understand that, if her lover had not done himself a mischief, +it had been her intent to question him that very day as to whether he was +in earnest with his love-pledges, or would rather that she should give +him back his ring and his word. All this she spoke without a tear or a +sigh, with steadfast purpose; and already I began, for my part, to doubt +of the truth of her love; and I told her this plainly. Thereupon she +clasped me to her, and while the tears gathered and sparkled in her great +eyes, expounded to me all the matter; and in truth it was all I should +myself have said in her place. She, of simple birth, would enter the +circle of her betters on sufferance, and her new friends would, of a +certainty, not do her more honor than her own husband. On his manner of +treating her therefore would depend what measure of respect she might +look for as his wife. And so long as their promise to marry was a +secret, she would have him show, whether to her alone or before all the +world, that he held her consent as of no less worth than that of the +wealthiest and highest born heiress. + +All this she spoke in hot haste while her cheeks glowed red. I saw the +blue veins swell on her pure brow, and can never forget the image of her +as she raised her tearful eyes to Heaven and pressing her hands on her +panting bosom cried: "To go forth with him to want or death is as +nothing! But never will I be led into shame, not even by him." + +When presently I left her, after speaking many loving words to her, and +holding her long in my arms, she was ready to forgive him; but she held +to this: "Not a word, not a glance, not a kiss, until Herdegen had vowed +that yesterday's offence should be the first and last she should ever +suffer." + +How clearly she had apprehended the matter! + +Albeit she little knew how deeply her beloved had sinned against the +truth he owed her. They say that Love is blind, and so he may be at +first. But when once his trust is shaken the bandage falls, and the +purblind boy is turned into a many-eyed, sharp-sighted Argus. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +Every one was ready to nurse the little maid who called herself "little +Katie." But as to Herdegen, I was compelled for the time to say nothing +to him of what Ann required of him, for he lay sick of a fever. He was +faithfully tended by Eppelein, the son of a good servant of our father's +who had lost his life in waiting on his master when stricken with the +plague. Eppelein had indeed grown up in our household, among the horses; +even as a lad he had by turns helped Herdegen in his sports, and rendered +him good service, and had ever shown him a warmer love than that of a +hireling. + +It fell out one day that my brother's best horse came to harm by this +youth's fault, and when Herdegen, for many days, would vouchsafe no word +to him the lad took it so bitterly to heart that he stole away from the +house, and whereas no one could find him, we feared for a long time that +he had done himself a mischief. Nevertheless he was alive and of good +heart. He had passed the months in a various life; first as a crier to a +wandering quack, and afterwards, inasmuch as he was a nimble and likely +lad, he had waited on the guests at one of the best frequented inns at +Wurzberg. It came then to pass that his eminence Cardinal Branda, Nuncio +from his Holiness the Pope, took up his quarters there, and he carried +the lad away with him as his body-servant to Italy, and treated him well +till the restless wight suddenly fell into a languor of home-sickness, +and ran away from this good master, as erewhile he had run away from our +house. Perchance some love-matter drove him to fly. Certain it is that +in his wandering among strangers he had come to be a mighty handy, wide- +awake fellow, with much that was good in him, inasmuch as with all his +subtlety he had kept his true Nuremberger's heart. + +When he had journeyed safely home again he one day stole unmarked into +our courtyard, where his old mother lived in an out-building on the +charity of the Schoppers; he went up to her and stood before her, albeit +she knew him not, and laid the gold pieces he had saved one by one on the +work-table before her. The little old woman scarce knew where she was +for sheer amazement, nor wist she who he was till he broke out into his +old loud laugh at the sight of her dismay. Verily, as she afterwards +said, that laugh brought more gladness to her heart and had rung sweeter +in her ears than the gold pieces. + +Then Susan had called us down to the courtyard, and when a smart young +stripling came forth to meet us, clad in half Italian and half German +guise, none knew who he might be till he looked Herdegen straight in the +face, and my brother cried out: "It is our Eppelein!" Then the tears +flowed fast down his cheeks, but Herdegen clasped him to him and kissed +him right heartily on both cheeks. + +All this did I bring to mind as I saw this said Eppelein carefully and +sorrowfully laying a wet cloth, at my aunt's bidding, on his master's +head where it was so sorely cut; and methought how well it would have +been if Herdegen were still so ready to follow the prompting of his +heart. + +Understanding anon that I was not needed by this bed, where Eppelein kept +faithful watch and ward, and that Sir Franz's chamber was closed to me, +I went down stairs again, for I had heard a rumor that the swarthy lad-- +who had yesterday played on the pipe--was to be put to the torture. This +I would fain have hindered, whereas by many tokens I was certain that the +said comely youth was not one of the vagabond crew, but, like little +Katie, might well be a child knavishly kidnapped from some noble house. +Whereas I reached the hall, Balzer, the keeper, was about bringing the +lad in. Outside indeed it was dim and wet, but within it was no less +comfortable, for a mighty fire was blazing in the wide chimney-place. +My aunt was warming her thereat, and Ann likewise was of the company, +with Uncle Conrad, Jost Tetzel, my godfather Christian Pfinzing, and the +several guests. + +I joined myself to them and in an under tone told them what I had noted, +saying that, more by token the youth must have a good conscience; for, +whereas he had not been cast into the cell but had been locked into a +stable to take charge of the camels and the ape, he had nevertheless not +tried to escape, although it would have been easy. + +To this opinion some inclined; and seeing that the boy spoke but a few +words of German, but knew more of Italian, I addressed him in that +tongue; and then it came to light that he was verily and indeed a stolen +child. The vagabonds had bartered for him in Italy, giving a fair girl +whom they had with them in exchange; likewise he said he was of princely +birth, but had fallen into slavery some two years since, when a fine +galley governed by his father, an Emir or prince of Egypt, had fought +with another coming from Genoa in Italy. + +When I had presently interpreted these words to the others, Jost Tetzel, +Ursula's father, declared them to be sheer lies and knavery; even Uncle +Conrad deemed them of little worth; and for this reason: that if the lad +had indeed been the son of some grand Emir of Egypt the bear-leader would +for certain have made profit of him by requiring his ransom. + +But when I told the lad of this he fixed his great eyes very modestly on +me, and in truth there was no small dignity in his mien and voice as he +asked me: + +"Could I then bring poverty on my parents, who were ever good to me, to +bestow wealth on that evil brood? Never should those knavish rogues have +learnt from me what I have gladly revealed to thee who are full of +goodness and beauty!" + +This speech went to my heart; and if it were not truth then is there no +truth in all the world! But when again I had interpreted his words, and +Tetzel still would but shrug his shoulders, this vexed me so greatly that +it was as much as I could do to refrain myself, and hold my peace. + +I had seen from the first, in Uncle Christian's eyes, that he was of the +same mind with me; yet could I not guess what purpose he had in his head, +although to judge by her face it was something passing strange, when he +muttered some behest to Ann with his poor fettered tongue. Then, when +she told me what my godfather required of me, I was not in any haste to +obey, for, indeed, maidenly bashfulness and pity hindered me. Yet, +whereas the brave old man nodded to spur me on, with his heavy head, +still covered with a cold wet cloth, I called up all my daring, and +before the lad was aware I dealt him a slap on the cheek. + +It was not a hard blow, but the lad seemed as much amazed as though the +earth had opened at his feet. His dark face turned ashen-grey and his +great eyes looked at me in tearful enquiry, but so grievously that I +already rued my unseemly deed. + +Soon, however, I had cause to be glad; the youth's demeanor won his +cause. Uncle Christian had only desired to prove him. He knew men well, +and he knew that youths of various birth take a blow in the face in +various ways; now, the Emir's son had demeaned him as one of his rank, +and had stood the ordeal! So my aunt Jacoba told him, for she had at +once seen through Uncle Christian's purpose, and presently Jost Tetzel +himself, though ill-pleased and sullen, confessed his error. Then, when +they had promised the youth that he should be spared all further ill- +usage, he opened the lining of his garment and showed us a gem which his +mother had privily hung about his neck, and which was a lump or tablet of +precious sky-blue turkis-stone, as large as a great plum, whereon was +some charm inscribed in strange, outlandish signs which the Jewish Rabbi +Hillel, when he saw it, declared to be Arabic letters. + +The bear-leader had called the lad Beppo; but his real name was a long +one and hard to utter, out of which my forest uncle picked up two +syllables for a name he could speak with ease, calling him Akusch. + +With Cousin Maud's assent the black youth was attached to my service as +Squire, inasmuch as it was I who at first had "dubbed him knight;" and +when I gave him to understand this he could not contain himself for joy, +and from that hour he ever proved my most ready servant, ever alert and +thankful; and the little benevolence it was in my power to shew the poor +lad bore fruit more than a thousand fold in after times, to me and mine. + +After noon that same day Ann confessed to me that she had it in her mind +to quit the lodge that very evening, journeying home with Master +Ulsenius; and when she withstood all my entreaties she told Cousin Maud +likewise that she had indeed already left her own kin too long without +her succor. + +Aunt Jacoba was in her chimney corner, and how she took this sudden +purpose on Ann's part, may be imagined. + +It was so gloomy a day that there was scarce a change when dusk fell. +Grey wreaths of cloud hung over the tree-tops, and fine rain dripped with +a soft, steady patter, as though it would never cease; nor was there +another sound, inasmuch as neither horn, nor watchman's cry, nor bell +might break the silence, for the sake of the wounded men; nay, even the +hounds, meseemed, understood that the daily course of life was out of +gear. + +Ann had gone to pack her little baggage with Susan's help, but she had +bid me remain with the child. It was going on finely; it would play with +the doll my Aunt had given it in happy pastime, and now I did the little +one's bidding and was right glad to be her play fellow for a while. Time +slipped on as I sat there making merry with little Katie, doing the +dolly's leather breeches and jerkin off and on, blowing on the child's +little shoulder when it smarted or giving her a sweetmeat to comfort her, +and still Ann came not, albeit she had promised to join me so soon as her +baggage was ready. + +Hereupon a sudden fear seized me, and as soon as the housekeeper came up +I went to seek Ann in our chamber. There stood all her chattel, so neat +as only she could make them; and I learnt from Susan that Ann had gone +down, some time since, into Aunt Jacoba's chamber. + +I was minded to seek her there, and went by the ante-chamber where the +sick lady's writing-table and books stood, and which led to the sitting +chamber. I trod lightly by reason that the knight's chamber was beneath; +thus no one heard me; but I could see beyond the dark ante-chamber into +the further one, where wax lights were burning in a double candlestick, +and lo! Ann was on her knees by the sick lady's couch, like to the +linden-tree which the storm had overthrown yesternight; and she hid her +face in my aunt's lap and sobbed so violently that her slender body shook +as though in a fever. And Aunt Jacoba had laid her two hands on Ann's +head, as it were in blessing. And I saw first one large tear, and then +many more, run down the face of this very woman who had cast out her own +fair son. Often had I marked on her little finger a certain ring in +which a little white thing was set; yet was this no splinter of the bone +of a Saint, but the first tooth her banished son had shed. And, when she +deemed that no man saw her, she would press her hand to her lips and kiss +the little tooth with fervent love. And now, whereas love had waked up +again in her heart, that son had his part and share in it; for albeit +none dared make mention of him in her presence she ever loved him as the +apple of her eye. + +I was no listener, yet could I not shut mine ears; I heard how the frail +old lady exhorted the love-sick maid, and bid her trust in God, and in +Herdegen's faithfulness. Also I heard her speak well indeed of my +brother's spirit and will as noble and upright; and she promised Ann to +uphold her to the best of her power. + +She bid her favorite farewell with a fond kiss, and many comforting +words; and as she did so I minded me of a wondrously fair maiden, the +daughter of Pernhart the coppersmith, known to young and old in the town +as fair Gertrude, who, each time I had beheld her of late, meseemed had +grown even sadder and paler, and whom I now knew that I should never see +more, inasmuch as that only yestereve Uncle Christian had told us, with +tears in his eyes, that this sweet maid had died of pining, and had been +buried only a day or two since with much pomp. Now my aunt had heard +these tidings, and she had shaken her head in silence and folded her +hands, as it were in prayer, fixing her eyes on the ground. + +Cousin Gotz and Herdegen--fair Gertrude and my Ann; what made them so +unlike that my aunt should bring herself to mete their bonds of love with +so various a measure? + +I quitted the room when Ann came forth, and outside the door I clasped +her in my arms; and in the last hour we spent together at the forest +lodge she bid me greet her heart's beloved from her, and gave me for him +the last October rose-bud, which my uncle had plucked for her at parting. +Yet she held to her demands. + +She left us after supper, escorted by Master Ulsemus. She had come +hither one sunny morn with the song of the larks, and now she departed in +darkness and gloom. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +"By Saint Bacchus--if there be such a saint in the calendar, there is +stuff in the lad, my boy!" cried burly Uncle Christian Pfinzing, and +he thumped the table with his fists so that all the vessels rang. His +tongue was still somewhat heavy, but he had mended much in the three +weeks since Ann had departed, and it was hard enough by this time to get +him away from the wine-jug. + +It was in the refectory of the forest lodge that he had thus delivered +himself to my Uncle Conrad and Jost Tetzel, Ursula's father; and it was +of my brother Herdegen that he spoke. + +Herdegen was healed of his bruises and his light limbs had never been +more nimble than now; still he bore his left arm in a sling, for there it +was, said he, that the horse's hoof had hit him. Whither the horse had +fled none had ever heard; nor did any man enquire, inasmuch as it was +only Eppelein's nag, and my granduncle had given him a better one. + +My silly brain, from the first, had been puzzled to think wherefor my +brother should have taken that nag to ride to see his guardian, who +thought more than other men of a good horse. And in truth I was not +far from guessing rightly, so I will forthwith set down whither indeed +my dear brother's horse had vanished, and by what chance and hap he had +fallen into so evil a plight. + +He had aforetime met the young wench on his way from Padua to Nuremberg, +not far from Dachau and had then and there begun his tricks with her, +giving her to wit that she might find him again at the forest lodge in +the Lorenzer wall. Now when matters took so ill a turn, he pledged +himself to get her safe away from the dungeon cell. To this end he +feigned that he would ride into the town, after possessing himself of the +key of the black hole and after stowing a suit of his man's apparel and a +loaf of bread into his saddle-poke. Then he wandered about the wood for +some time, and as soon as it fell dark he stole back to the house again +on foot. He had made a bold and well-devised plan, and yet he might have +come to a foul end; for, albeit the hounds, who knew him well, let him +pass into the cell, within he was so fiercely set upon that it needed all +his strength and swiftness to withstand it. The froward wretches had +plotted to fall upon him and to escape with the wench from their prison, +even if it were over his dead body. + +One of the bear-leaders had made shift to strip the cords from his hands, +and when my brother entered into the dark place where the prisoners lay, +they flew at him to fell him. But even on the threshold Herdegen saw +through their purpose, and had no sooner shut the door than he drew his +hunting knife. Then the old beldame gripped him by the throat and clawed +him tooth and nail; one of the ruffians beat him with a stave torn from +the bedstead till he weened he had broken or bruised all his limbs, while +the other, whose hands were yet bound, pressed between him and the door. +In truth he would have come to a bad end, but that the younger woman +saved him at the risk of her own life. The man who had rid himself of +his bonds had raised the heavy earthen pitcher to break Herdegen's head +withal, when the brave wench clutched the wretch by the arm and hung on +to him till Herdegen stuck him with his knife. Thus the ringleader fell, +and my brother pulled up his deliverer and dragged her to the door. As +he opened it the old woman and the other prisoner put forth their last +strength to force their way out, but with his strong arm he thrust them +back and locked the door upon them. + +Thus he led the young woman, who had come off better than he had feared +in the fray, forth to freedom, to keep his word to her. + +Out in the wood, in spite of thunder and lightning, he made her to put on +Eppelein's weed and mount the nag. Thereafter he led her horse to the +brook, which floweth through the woods down to the meadow-land, and bid +her ride along in the water so far as she might, to put the hounds off +the scent. The bread in the saddle-bag would feed her for a few days, +and now it lay with her to escape pursuit. And this good deed of my +brother's had smitten the lost creature to the heart; when he was about +to help her to mount he dropped down on the wet ground from loss of +blood, but as he opened his eyes again, behold, his head was resting on +her lap and she kissed his brow. Despite her own peril she had not left +him in such evil plight, but had done all she could to bring him to his +senses; nay, she had gathered leaves by the glare of the lightning to +staunch the blood which flowed freely from the worst of his wounds. Nor +was she to be moved to go on her way till he showed her that in truth he +could walk. + +Thus it befel that I long after thought of her with kindness; and indeed, +she was not wholly vile; and every human soul hath in it somewhat good +which spurs forth to love, inasmuch as it is love which can cast light on +all, and that full brightly; and what is bright is good; and that light +dieth not till the last spark is dead. + +As to Herdegen, verily I have never understood how he could find it in +his heart to peril his life for the sake of keeping his word to a +vagabond hussy while, at the same time, he was breaking troth with the +fairest and sweetest maid on earth. Yet I count it to him chiefly for +good that he could risk life and honor to hinder those who fell upon him +so foully from escaping the arm of justice; and it is this upholding of +the law which truly does more to lift men above us women-folk than any +other thing. + +Well, by that evening when Uncle Christian thus pledged my brother, +Herdegen was quite himself again in mind and body. At first it had +seemed as though a wall had been raised up between us; but after that I +had told him that I had concealed from Ann all that I had seen by ill-hap +at the moss-hut, he was as kind and trusting as of old, and he showed +himself more ready to give Ann the pledge she required than I had looked +to find him, stiff-necked as he ever was. And he hearkened unmoved when +I told him what Ann had said: "That she was ready to follow him to death, +but not to shame." + +"That," quoth he, "she need never fear from any true man, and with all +his wildness he might yet call himself that." Then he stretched himself +at full length on his chair, and threw his arms in the air, and cried: + +"Oh, Margery. If you could but slip for one half-hour into your mad +brother's skin. In your own, which is so purely white, you can never, +till the day of doom, understand what I am. If ever I have seemed weary +it is but to keep up a mannerly appearance; verily I could break forth +ten times a day and shoot skywards like a rocket for sheer joy in life. +When that mood comes over me there is no holding me, and I should dare +swear that the whole fair earth had been made and created for my sole and +free use, with all that therein is--and above all other creatures the +dear, sweet daughters of Eve!--and I can tell you, Margery, the women +agree with me. I have only to open my arms and they flutter into them, +and not to close them tight--that, Margery, is too much to look for; yet +is there but one true bliss, and but one Ann, and the best of all joys is +to clasp her to my heart and kiss her lips. I will keep faith with her; +I will have nought to say to the rest. But how shall I keep them away +from me? Can I wish that those rascals had put my eyes out, had crippled +my limbs, had thrashed me to a scare-crow, to the end that the maids +should turn their backs on me? Nay, and even no rain-torrent could cool +the hot blood of the Schoppers; no oak staff nor stone pitcher could kill +the wild cravings within. There is nothing for it but to cast my body +among thorns like Saint Francis. But what would even that profit me? +You see yourself how well this skin heals of the worst wounds!" + +Hereupon I earnestly admonished him of his devoir to that lady who was so +truly his, and with whom he had exchanged rings. But he cried: "Do you +believe that I did not tell myself, every hour of the day, that she was +a thousand-fold more worth than all the rest put together? Never could +I deem any maid so sweet as she has been ever since we were children +together; nay, and if I lost her I should utterly perish, for it is from +her that I, a half-ruined wretch, get all that yet is best in me!" + +And many a time did I hear him utter the like; and when I saw his large +blue eyes flash as he spoke, while he pushed the golden curls back from +his brow, verily he was so goodly a youth to look upon that it was easy +to view that the daughters of Eve might be ready to cast themselves into +his arms. + +This evening, as it fell, Aunt Jacoba was not with her guests, but +unwillingly, inasmuch as we were to depart homewards next morning, and +the gentlemen sat late over their farewell cups. It had become Cousin +Maud's care to hinder Uncle Christian from drinking more freely than he +ought; but this evening he had made the task a hard one; nay, when she +steadfastly forbade him a third cup he got it by craft and in spite of +her, nor could she persuade him to forego the dangerous joy. When he had +cried, as has been told, that "there was stuff" in my brother, it was by +reason of his having perceived that Herdegen had already filled his cup +for the fourteenth time, and when the youth had drunk it off the old man +sang out in high glee: + + "Der Eppela Gaila von Dramaus + Reit' allezeit zu vierzeht aus!" + + [An old popular rhyme in Nuremberg. "Eppela (Apollonius) Gaila of + Dramaus--or Drameysr--could always go as far as fourteen cups." + Apollonius von Gailingen was a brigand chief who brought much damage + and vexation on the town. Drameysel, in popular form Dramaus, was + his stronghold near Muggendorf in Swiss Franconia.] + +"Now, if the boy can drink three times the mystic seven, he will do what +I could do at his age." + +And presently Herdegen did indeed drink his one and twenty cups, and when +at last he paced the whole length of the great dining hall on one seam of +the flooring the old man was greatly pleased, and rewarded him with the +gift of a noble tankard which he himself had won of yore at a drinking +bout. All this made good sport for us, save only for Jost Tetzel, who +was himself a right moderate man; indeed, in aftertimes, when at Venice +I saw how that wealthy and noble gentlemen drank but sparingly of the +juice of the grape, I marvelled wherefor we Germans are ever proud of a +man who is able to drink deep, and apt to look askance at such as fear to +see the bottom of the cup. And if I had an answer ready, that likewise I +owed to my uncle Christian; inasmuch as that very eve, when I would fain +have warned Herdegen against the good liquor, my uncle put in his word +and said it was every man's duty to follow in the ways of Saint George +the dragon-killer, and to quell and kill every fiend; be it what it +might. "Now in the wine cup, quoth he, there lurks a dragon named +drunkenness, and it beseemeth German valor and strength not merely to +vanquish it, but even to make it do good service: The fiend of the grape, +like the serpent killed by the saint, has two wide pinions, and the true +German drinker must make use of them to soar up to the seventh heaven." + +And as concerns my Herdegen, I must confess that when he had well drunk +his spirits were higher, his mind clearer, and his song more glad; and +this is not so save in those dragon-slayers who have been blessed with a +fine temper and a strong brain inherited from their parents. + +Every evening had there been the like mirthful doings over their wine; +but Sir Franz had been ever absent. He was even now forced to remain in +his chamber, albeit Master Ulsenius had declared that his life was out of +danger. The damage done to his lungs he must to be sure carry to his +grave, nor could he be able to follow us for some weeks yet. He was not +to think of making the journey to his own home in Bohemia during this +winter season, and at this farewell drinking bout we held council as to +whose roof he might find lodging under. He, for his part, would soonest +have found shelter with us; but Cousin Maud refused it, and with good +reason, inasmuch as I had freely told her that never in this world would +I hearken to his suit. + +At last it seemed plain that it was Jost Tetzel's part to offer him a +home in his great house; nor did he refuse, by reason that Sir Franz von +Welemisl was a man of birth and wealth, and his Bohemian and Hungarian +kin stood high at the Imperial court. + +Next morning, as we drank the stirrup cup, my eyes filled with tears, +and it was with a sad heart that I bid farewell to the woods, to my +uncle, and to Aunt Jacoba, whom I had during my sojourn learnt to love as +was her due. I, like Ann, rode home in a more sober mood than I had come +in; for I was no more a child and an end must ever come to wild mirth. + +My new squire Akusch rode behind me, and thus, on a fine November day, we +made our way back to Nuremberg, in good health and spirits. The camels, +the bear, and the monkeys, which had been taken from the vagabonds, were +safely cared for in the Hallergarden, and the rogues themselves had been +hanged God have mercy on their souls! + +Ann had had tidings of our home-coming, yet I found her not at our house, +and when I had waited for her till evening, and in vain, I sought her in +her own dwelling. But no sooner had I crossed the threshold of the +Venice house than I was aware that all was not well; inasmuch as that +here, where there were ever half a dozen pairs of little feet hopping up +and down, and no end of music and singing from morning till night, all +was strangely silent. I stood to hearken, and I now perceived that the +metal plate whereon the knocker fell was wrapped in felt. + +This foreboded evil, and a vision rose before me of two biers; on one lay +Ann, pale and dumb, and on the other my Cousin Gotz's sweetheart, fair +Gertrude, the copper-smith's daughter. Then I heard steps on the stair +and the vision faded; and I breathed once more, for Ann's grandfather, +the old lute-player Gottlieb Spiesz, came towards me, with deep lines of +sorrow on his kind face and a finger on his lips; and he told me that his +son was lying sick of a violent brain fever, and that Master Ulsenius had +feared the worst since yestereve. + +His voice broke with sheer grief; nevertheless his serving lad was +carrying his lute after him, and as he gave me his hand to bid me good- +day he told me that Ann was above tending her father. "And I," quoth he, +and his voice was weary but not bitter, "I must go to work--there is so +much needed here, and food drops into no man's lap! First to the Tetzels +to teach the young ones a madrigal to sing for Master Jost's fiftieth +birthday. And they count on your help and your brother's, sweet +Mistress. --Well, children, be happy while it is yet time!" + +He passed his hand across his eyes, and glanced up at the top room where +his son lay with aching head, and so went forth to teach light-hearted +young creatures to sing festal rounds and catches. + +In a minute I had Ann in my arms; yea, and she was as sweet and bright as +ever. The stern duty she had had to do had been healthful, albeit she +had good cause to fear for the future; for, with her father, the +household would lose the bread-winner. + +It was an unspeakable joy to me to be able to assure her of Herdegen's +faithful love, and to repeat to her the many kind words he had spoken +concerning her. And she was right glad to hear them; and whereas true +love is a flower which, when it droops, needs but a little drop of dew to +uplift it again, hers had already raised its head somewhat after my last +letter. + +And at this, the time of the worst sorrow she had known, another great +comfort had been vouchsafed to her: Master Ulsenius and his good wife, +having had her to lodge with them the night of her return from the +forest, had taken much fancy to her, and the goodhearted leech, a man of +great learning, had been fain to admit her to the use of his fine +library. Thus I found Ann of brave cheer notwithstanding her woe; and if +heartfelt prayers for a sick man might have availed him, it was no blame +to me when her father made a sad and painful end on the fifth day after +my home-coming. When I heard the tidings meseemed that a cold hand had +been laid on my glad faith; for it was hard indeed for a poor, short- +sighted human soul to see to what end and purpose this man should have +been snatched away in the prime of age and strength. + +To keep his large family, to free the little house from debt, and to lay +aside a small sum, he had undertaken, besides the duties of his place, +the stewardship of certain private properties; thus he had many a time +turned night into day, and finally, albeit a stalwart man, he had fallen +ill of the brain fever which had carried him off. It seemed, then, that +honest toil and brave diligence had but earned the heaviest dole that +could befall a man in his state of life; namely: to depart from those he +loved or ever he could provide for their future living. + +We all followed him to the grave, and it was by the bier of her worthy +father that Ann for the first time met my brother once more. There was a +great throng present, and he could do no more than press her hand with +silent ardor; yet, at the same time he met her eye with such a truthful +gaze that it was as a promise, a solemn pledge of faithfulness. + +The prebendary of Saint Laurence, Master von Hellfeld, spoke the funeral +sermon, and that in a right edifying manner; and whereas he took occasion +to say that our Lord and Redeemer would bid all to be his guests and hold +Himself their debtor who should show true Christian love towards these +who henceforth had no father, Herdegen privily clasped my hand tightly. + +Kunz likewise was present, and standing by the body of the man who had +ever loved him best of us three, he wept as sorely as though he had lost +his own father. + +The gentlemen of the council were all assembled to do the last honors to +one whose office had brought them closely together, and I marked that +more than one nudged his neighbor to note Ann's more than common beauty, +who in her black weed stood among her young brethren and sisters as a +consoling angel, who weepeth with them that weep and comforteth the +sorrowing. And so it came about that I heard many a father of fair +daughters confess that this maid had not her like for beauty in all +Nuremberg. And this came to Herdegen's ears, and I could see that it +uplifted his spirit and confirmed him in good purpose. + +It soon befell that he might show by deed of what mind he was. Master +Holzschuher, the notary, who was near of kin and a right good friend of +Cousin Maud's, had been named guardian of his children by the deceased +Master Spiesz, and he it was who, in our house one day, said that the +widow and orphans were in better care than he had looked for, and could +keep their little house over their heads if wealthy neighbors could be +moved to open their purses and pay off a debt that was upon it. Then my +brother sprang up and declared that the family of an upright and faithful +servant of the State, and of a friend of the Schoppers, should have some +better and more honorable means of living than beggars' pence. He was +not yet of full age, but it was his intent to demand forthwith of our +guardian Im Hoff so much of that which would be his, as might be needed +to release the house from the burden of debt; and albeit Master +Holzschuher shook his head thereat, and this was no light thing that +Herdegen had undertaken, he departed at once to seek his granduncle. + +From him indeed he met with rougher treatment than he had looked for; for +the old man made the diligent stewardship of these trust-moneys a point +of honor, to the end that when he should give an account of them before +the city council it might be seen, by the greatness of the sum, how wise +and well advised he had been in getting increase. What my brother called +"beggars' pence," he said, was a well-earned guerdon which did the dead +clerk's family an honor and was no disgrace; he was indeed minded to pay +one-third of the whole sum at his own charges. As to the moneys left to +us three by our parents, not a penny thereof would he ever part with. +Moreover, Ann's rare charm had touched even my grand-uncle's heart, and +he must have been dull-witted indeed if he had not hit on Herdegen's true +reasons; and these in his eyes would be the worst of the matter, +forasmuch as he was firmly bent on bringing Ursula Tetzel and Herdegen +together so soon as my brother should have won his doctor's hood. + +Thus it came to pass that, for the first time, our grand-uncle parted +from his favorite nephew in wrath, and when Herdegen came home with +crimson cheeks and almost beside himself, he confessed to me that for the +present he had not yet been so bold as to tell the old man how deeply he +was pledged to Ann, but in all else had told him the plain truth. + +At supper Herdegen scarce ate a morsel, for he could not bring himself to +endure that his betrothed should sink so low as to receive an alms. He +rose from table sullen and grieved, and whereas Cousin Maud could not +endure to see her favorite go to rest in so much distress of mind, she +led him aside, and inasmuch as she had already guessed how matters stood +betwixt him and Ann, not without some fears, she spoke to him kindly, and +declared herself ready to free the Spiesz household from debt without any +help of strangers. To see him and her dear Ann happy she would gladly +make far greater sacrifices, for indeed she did not at all times know +what she might do with her own money. + +No later than next morning the matter was privily settled by our notary; +and albeit Master Holzschuher did so dispose things as though the +deceased had left money to pay the debt withal, Ann saw through this, +whereas her beautiful mother did but thoughtlessly rejoice over such good +fortune. + +Henceforth it was Ann's little hand which ruled the fatherless household +with steadfast thrift, while Mistress Giovanna, as had ever been her +wont, lived only to take care of the children's garments, that they +should be neat and clean, of the flowers in the window and the beautiful +needlework, and to fondle the little ones, so soon as she had got through +her light toil in the kitchen. + +It was granted to her and hers that they should dwell henceforth forever +in the house by the Pegnitz, humbly indeed, but honorably and without the +aid of strangers. One alms to be sure was bestowed on them soon after +the first day of each month, and that right privily; for at that time +without fail a little packet in which were two Hungarian ducats was found +on the threshold of the hall. And who was the giver of this kind token +would have remained secret till doomsday had not Susan by chance, and to +his great vexation, betrayed my brother Kunz. My grand-uncle had granted +him three ducats a month since he had left school, and of these he ever +privily gave two to help the household ruled over by Ann. Our old Susan +it was who aided him in the matter, so, when he was by any means hindered +from laying the little packet on the threshold, she had to find an excuse +for going to the little house by the river. + +The worshipful council and many friends whose good-will the deceased +scribe had won, got the orphans into the best schools in the town, and +what Ann had learned as head of the school at the Carthusian convent she +now handed down to her younger sisters by diligent teaching; and, as of +yore, she gave her most loving care to her little deaf and dumb brother. + + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Be happy while it is yet time +Germans are ever proud of a man who is able to drink deep +On with a new love when he had left the third bridge behind him +The not over-strong thread of my good patience +Vagabond knaves had already been put to the torture + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARGERY, BY GEORG EBERS, V2 *** + +******** This file should be named 5553.txt or 5553.zip ******** + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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