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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/5555.txt b/5555.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b63b352 --- /dev/null +++ b/5555.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2073 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook Margery, by Georg Ebers, Volume 4. +#116 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 4. + +Author: Georg Ebers + +Release Date: April, 2004 [EBook #5555] +[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, V4 *** + + + +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 4. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +We reached the forest lodge that evening with red faces and half-frozen +hands and feet. The ride through the deep snow and the bitter December +wind had been a hard one; but the woods in their glittering winter +shroud, the sharp, refreshing breath of the pure air, and a thousand +trifling matters--from the white hats that crowned every stock and stone +to the tiny crystals of snow that fell on the green velvet of my fur- +lined bodice--were a joy to me, albeit my heart was heavy with care. The +evening star had risen or ever we reached the house; and out here, under +God's open heavens, among the giants of the forest and its sturdy, +weather-beaten folk, it scarce seemed that it could be true that I should +see my bright, young Ann sharing the sorry life of the Magister, an alien +from all this world's joys. Those who dwelt out here in these wilds +must, methought, feel this as I felt it; and so in truth it proved. +After I had taken my place at the hearth by my aunt's side, and she had +mingled some spiced wine for us with her own feeble hands, she bid me +speak. When she heard what it was that had brought me forth to the +forest so late before Christmas, which we ever spent with our grand-uncle +Im Huff she at first did but laugh at our Magister's suit; but as soon as +I told her that it was Ann's earnest purpose to wed with him, she swore +that she would never suffer such a deed of mad folly. + +Master Peter had many times been her guest at the lodge; and she, though +so small and feeble herself, loved to see tall and stalwart men, so that +she had given him the name of "the little dry Bookworm," hardly accounting +him a man at all. When she heard of his newly-gained wealth, she said: +"If instead of being the richer by these thousands he could but be the +same number of years younger, lift a hundredweight more, and see a +hundred miles further out into the world, I would not mind his seeking +his happiness with that lovely child!" + +As for my uncle, he did but hum a burly bass to the tune of the "Little +wee wife." But, being called away, he turned to me before closing the +door behind him, and asked me very keenly, as though he had been +restraining his impatience for some space: "And how about your brother? +How is it that this matter has come about? Was not Herdegen pledged to +marry Ann?" + +Thereupon I told my aunt all I knew, and gave her Herdegen's letter to +read, which I had taken care to bring with me; and even as she read it +her countenance grew dark and fearful to look upon; she set her teeth +like a raging hound, and hit her little hand on the table that stood by +her couch so that the cups and phials standing thereon danced and +clattered. Nay, she forgot her weakness, and made as though she would +spring up, but the pain was more than she could bear and she fell back on +her pillows with a groan. + +She had never loved my grand-uncle Im Hoff, and, as soon as she had +recovered herself, she vowed she would bring his craft to nought and +likewise would let her nephew, now in Paris, know her opinion of his +knavish unfaith to a sacred pledge. + +I then went on to tell her how hard and altogether insufferable Ann's +life had become, and at length took courage to inform her who the man was +whom she now called step-father. To this she at first said not a word, +but cast down her eyes as though somewhat confused; but presently she +asked wherefore and how it was that she had not heard of this marriage +long since, and when I told her that folks for the most part had feared +to speak the name of Master Ulman Pernhart in her presence, she again +suddenly started up and cried in my face that in truth she forbade any +mention of that villain and caitiff who had taken foul advantage of her +son's youth and innocence to turn his heart from his parents and bring +him to destruction. + +And this led me, for the first time in my life, to break through the +reverence I owed to the venerable lady, who so well deserved to be in all +ways respected and spared; for I made so bold as to point out to her her +cruel injustice, and to plead Master Ulman's cause with earnest zeal. +For some time she was speechless with wrath and amazement, inasmuch as +she was not wont to be thus reproved; but then she paid me back in the +like coin; one word struck forth the next, and my rising wrath hastened +me on so that at last I told her plainly, that Master Pernhart had turned +her son Gotz out of doors to hinder him from a breach of that obedience +he owed to his parents. Furthermore I informed her of all that the +coppersmith's mother had told me of the attempt to carry away Gertrude, +and what the end of that had been. Indeed, so soon as the foreman had +betrayed the lovers' plot, Master Ulman had locked his daughter into her +chamber; and when her lover, after waiting for her in vain at the altar +with the hireling priest, came at last to seek her, her father told him +that unless he--Gotz--ceased his suit, he should exert his authority as +her father to compel Gertrude to marry the foreman and go with him to +Augsburg, or give her the choice of taking the veil. And this he +confirmed by a solemn oath; and when Gotz, like one in a frenzy, strove +to make good his claim to see his sweetheart, and hear from her own lips +whether she were minded to yield to her father's yoke, they came to +blows, even on the stairs leading to Gertrude's chamber, and there was a +fierce battle, which might have had a bloody end but that old dame +Magdalen herself came between them to part them. And then Master Ulman +had sworn to Gotz that he would keep his daughter locked up as a captive +unless the youth pledged himself to cease from seeing Gertrude till he +had won his parents' consent. Thereupon Gotz went forth into a strange +land; but he did not forget his well-beloved, and from time to time a +letter would reach her assuring her of his faithfulness. + +At the end of three years after his departing he at last wrote to the +coppersmith that he had found a post which would allow of his marrying +and setting up house and he straightly besought Master Ulman no longer to +keep apart two who could never be sundered. Nor did Pernhart delay to +answer him, hard as he found it to use the pen, inasmuch as there was no +more to say than that Gertrude was sleeping under the sod with her +lover's ring on her finger and the last violets he had ever given her +under her head, as she had desired. + +Thus ended the tale of poor Gertrude; but before I had half told it my +wrath had cooled. For my aunt sat in silence, listening to me with +devout attention. Nor were my eyes dry, nor even those of that strong- +willed dame, and when, at the end, I said: "Well, Aunt?" she woke, as it +were, from a dream, and cried out: "And yet those craftsmen folk robbed +me of my son, my only child!" + +And she sobbed aloud and hid her face in her hands, while I knelt by her +side, and threw my arms about her, and kissed her thin fingers which +covered her eyes, and said softly, as if by inspiration: "But the +craftsman loved his child; yea, and she was a sweet and lovely maid, the +fairest in all the town, and her father's pride. And what was it that +snatched her so early away but that she pined for your son? Gotz may +soon be recalled to his mother's arms; but the coppersmith may never see +his child--fair Gertrude, the folks called her--never see her more. And +he might have been rejoiced in her presence to this day if...." + +She broke in with words and gestures of warning, and when I nevertheless +would not cease from entreating her no longer to harden her heart, but to +bid her son come home to her, who was her most precious treasure, she +commanded me to quit her chamber. Such a command I must obey, whether I +would or no; nay, while I stood a moment at the door she signed to me to +go; but, as I turned away, she cried after me: "Go and leave me, Margery. +But you are a good child, I will tell you that!" + +At supper, which I alone shared with my uncle and the chaplain, I told my +uncle that I had spoken to his wife of Master Pernhart, and when be heard +that I had even spoken a good word for him, he looked at me as though I +had done a right bold deed; yet I could see that he was highly pleased +thereat, and the priest, who had sat silent--as he ever did, gave me a +glance of heartfelt thanks and added a few words of praise. It was long +after supper, and my uncle had had his night-draught of wine when my aunt +sent the house-keeper to fetch me to her. Kindly and sweetly, as though +she set down my past wrath to a good intent, she bid me sit down by her +and then desired that I would repeat to her once more, in every detail, +all I could tell her as touching Gotz and Gertrude. While I did her +bidding to the best of my powers she spoke never a word; but when I ended +she raised her head and said, as it were in a dream: "But Gotz! Did he +not forsake father and mother to follow after a fair face?" + +Then again I prayed her right earnestly to yield to the emotions of her +mother's heart. But seeing her fixed gaze into the empty air, and the +set pout of her nether lip, I could not doubt that she would never speak +the word that would bid him home. + +I felt a chill down my back, and was about to rise and leave, but she +held me back and once more spoke of Herdegen and that matter. When she +had heard all the tale, she looked troubled: "I know my Ann," quoth she. +"When she has once given her promise to the Bookworm all the twelve +Apostles would not make her break it, and then she will be doomed to +misery, and her fate and your brother's are both sealed." + +She then went on to ask when the Magister was to return home, and as I +told her he was expected on the morrow great trouble came upon her. + +It was past midnight or ever I left her, and as it fell I slept but ill +and late, insomuch that I was compelled to make good haste, and as it +fell that I went to the window I saw the snow whirling in the wind, and +behold, in the shed, a great wood-sleigh was being made ready, doubtless +for some sick man to be carried to the convent. + +I found my aunt in the hall, whither she scarce ever was carried down +before noon-day; and instead of her every-day garb--a loose morning-gown- +--she was apparelled in strange and shapeless raiment, so muffled in +kerchiefs and cloaks as to seem no whit like any living woman, much less +herself, insomuch that her small thin person was like nothing else than a +huge, shapeless, many-coated onion. Her little face peeped out of the +veils and kerchiefs that wrapped her head, like a half-moon out of thick +clouds; but her bright eyes shone kindly on me as she cried: "Come, haste +to your breakfast, lie-a-bed! I thought to find you fitted and ready, +and you are keeping the men waiting as though it were an every-day matter +that we should travel together." + +"Aye, aye! She is bent on the journey," my uncle said with a groan, as +he cast a loving glance at his frail wife and raised his folded hands to +Heaven. "Well, chaplain, miracles happen even in our days!" And his +Reverence, silent as he was, this time had an answer ready, saying with +hearty feeling: "The loving heart of a brave woman has at all times been +able to work miracles." + +"Amen," said my uncle, pressing his lips on the top of his wife's muffled +head. + +Howbeit I remembered our talk yesternight, and the sleigh I had seen +being harnessed; indeed, the look alone which the unwonted traveller cast +on me was enough to tell me what my sickly aunt purposed to do for the +sake of Ann. Then something came upon me, I know not what; with a +passion all unlike that of yesterdayeve, I fell on my knees and kissed +her as a child whose mother has made it a Christmas gift of what it most +loves and wishes to have, while my lips were pressed to her eyes, brow, +and cheeks, wherever the wrappings covered them not, and she cried out: + +"Leave me, leave me, crazy child! You are choking me. What great matter +is it after all? One woman will ride through the snow to Nuremberg for +the sake of a chat with another, and who turns his head to look at her? +Now, foolish wench, let me be. What a to-do for nothing at all!" + +How I ate my porridge in the winking of an eye, and then sprang into the +sleigh, I scarce could tell, and in truth I marked little of our +departing; mine eyes were over full of tears. Packed right close to my +aunt, whereas she filled three-fourths of the seat, I flew with her over +the snow; nor did we need any great following on horseback to bear us +company, inasmuch as my uncle rode on in front, and the Buchenauers and +Steinbachers and other highway robbers who made the roads unsafe about +Nuremberg, all lived in peace with uncle Waldstromer for the sake of the +shooting. + +When we got into the town, and I bid the rider take us to the +Schopperhof, my aunt said: "No, to Ulman Pernhart's house, the +coppersmith." + +At this the faithful old serving-man, who had heard many rumors of his +banished young master's dealings with the craftsman's fair daughter, and +who was devoted to Gotz, muttered the name of his protecting saint and +looked about him as though some giant cutthroat were ready to rush out of +the brush wood and fall upon the sleigh; nor, indeed, could I altogether +refrain my wonder. Howbeit, I recovered myself at once, and pointed out +to her that it scarce beseemed her to enter a stranger's house for the +first time in such attire. Moreover, Akusch had been sent in front to +announce her coming to cousin Maud. I could send for Ann; as, indeed, it +beseemed her, the younger, to wait upon my aunt. + +But she held to her will to go to Master Ulman's dwelling; yet, whereas +the kerchiefs and wraps were a discomfort to her, she agreed to lay them +aside at our house first. + +Cousin Maud pressed her almost by force to take rest and meat and drink; +but she refused everything; though all was in readiness and steaming hot; +till, as fate would have it, as she was being carried down and out again, +the Magister came in from his journey to Nordlingen. In his high fur +boots and the heavy wrapping he had cast about his head to screen him +from the wintry blast, he had not to be sure, the appearance of a suitor +for a fair young maiden; and the glance cast at him by my aunt, half in +mockery and half in wrath, eyeing him from head to foot, would have said +plainly enough to other men than Master Peter--who, for his part made her +a right humble and well-turned speech--"Wait awhile, young fellow! I am +here now! And if you find a flea in your ear, you have me to thank for +it!" + +Apparelled now as befitted a lady of her degree, in a furred cloak and +hood, she was borne off in Cousin Maud's well-curtained litter. I had +sent Akusch to Ann with a note, but he had not found her within, and +awaited me in the street; thus it fell that no one at the Pernharts was +aware of what was coming upon them. + +When presently the bearers set down the litter, Aunt Jacoba looked at the +fine house before which we stood, and enquired what this might mean, +whereas it was seven years since she had been in the city, and the +master's new dwelling was not at that time built. Also she was greatly +amazed to find a craftsman in so great a house. But better things were +to come: as I was about to knock at the door it opened, and five +gentlemen of the Council, all men of the first rank among the Elders of +the city, appeared on the threshold, and Master Pernhart in their midst. +They shook hands with him as with one of themselves, and he towered above +them all; nay, if he had not stood there as he had come from the forge, +in his leathern apron, with his smith's cap in his hand, any one might +have conceived him to be the chief of them all. + +Now these gentlemen had come to Master Pernhart to announce to him that +he had been chosen one of the eight wardens of the guilds who at that +time formed part of the worshipful town council of forty-two. Veit +Gundling, the old master-brewer, had lately departed this life, and the +electors had been of one mind in choosing the coppersmith to fill his +place, and he was likewise approved by the guilds. They had come to him +forthwith, albeit their choice would not be declared till Saint Walpurgis +day, inasmuch as it was deemed well to have the matter settled before the +close of the old year. + +Thus it came to pass that my aunt was witness while they took leave, and +he returned thanks in a few heartfelt words. These, to be sure, were cut +short by her coming, by reason that she was well-known to these five +noble gentlemen, who all, as in duty bound, assured her of their surprise +and pleasure in greeting her once more, here in the town. + +That the feeble and suffering lady had come to Pernhart's dwelling not +merely to order a copper-lid or a preserving pan was easy to be +understood, but she cut short all inquisition, and the litter was +forthwith carried in through the widely-opened door. + +The master received her in the hall. + +He had till now never seen her but from a distance, yet had he heard +enough about her to form a clear image of her. With her it was the same. +She saw this man, to whom she owed such bitter grudge, for the first time +here, under his own roof, and it was right strange to behold the two +eyeing each other so keenly; he with a slight bow, almost timidly, and +cap in hand; she unabashed, but with an expression as though she well +knew that nothing pleasant lay before her. + +The master spoke first, bidding her welcome to his dwelling, in accents +of truth but with all due respect, and never speaking of it, as is the +wont of his class, as "humble" or "poor," and as he was about to help her +out of the litter I could see her face brighten, and this assured me that +she would let bygones be bygones, as they say, and declare to Master +Pernhart in plain words to what intent and purpose she had knocked at his +door. By the time she was in the best chamber, the last sour curl had +disappeared from her mouth; and indeed all was snug and seemly therein; +Dame Giovanna being well-skilled in giving things a neat appearance, well +pleasing to the eye. + +Pernhart meanwhile had said but little, and his face was still dark, +almost solemn of aspect. The master's mother again, to whom Gertrude had +been all-in-all, and who had done what she could to speed her marriage, +could read the other woman's heart, and understood how great had been the +sacrifice she had taken upon herself. There was no trace of the old +grudge in her speech, and it sounded not ill when, as she put my aunt's +cushions straight, she said she could not envy her, forasmuch as she the +elder was thus permitted to be of service to the younger. When Pernhart +presently quitted the chamber, perchance to don more seemly attire the +two old women sat in eager talk; and if the lady were thin and sickly and +the craftsman's mother stout and sturdy, yet were there many points of +resemblance between them. Both, for certain, loved to rule, and as I +watched them, seeing each shoot out her nether lip if the other spoke a +word to cross her, I found it right good sport; but at the same time I +was amazed to hear how truly old Dame Pernhart understood and spoke of +Ann. I had indeed hitherto seen many a thing in my friend with other +eyes, and yet I could not accuse the good woman of injustice, or deny +that the coppersmith's step-daughter, from knowing me and from keeping +company with us, had grown up with manners and desires unlike those of +ever another clerk's or even a craftsman's daughter. + +Albeit she strove to hide her deep discomfort, the old woman said, she +could by no means succeed. A household was a body, and any member of it +who could not be content with its ways was ill at ease with the rest, and +made it hard for them to do it such service and pleasure as they would +fain do. Ann fulfilled her every duty, down to the very least of them, +by reason that she had a steadfast spirit and great dominion over +herself; but she got small thanks, and by her own fault, inasmuch as she +did it joylessly. To look for bright cheer from her was to seek grapes +on a birch-tree; and whereas the grandmother had till lately hoped to +find in this gentle maid one who might fill the place of her who was no +more, she could now only wish that she might find some other home. + +To all this my aunt agreed, and presently, when Pernhart came in, clad in +his holiday garb--a goodly man and well fitted for his new dignity, Aunt +Jacoba bid me go look out for Ann. I saw that she desired my absence +that she might deal alone with the mother and son, so I hastily departed +and stayed in the upper chambers with the children till I caught sight of +Ann and her mother coming towards the house. I ran down to meet them and +behold! as we all three went into the guest chamber, Pernhart was in the +act of bending over my aunt's hand to press it to his lips, and tears +were sparkling in his eyes as well as in those of the women; nay, they +were so greatly moved that no one heard the door open, and the old woman +believed herself to be alone with her son as she cried to my aunt: "Oh +wherefor did not Heaven vouchsafe to guide you to us some years since!" + +My aunt only nodded her head in silence, and Dame Magdalen doubtless took +this for assent; but I read more than this in her face, and something as +follows: "We have hurt each other deeply, and I am thankful that all is +past and forgiven; yet, much as I may now esteem you, in the matter you +had so set your heart on I would no more have yielded to-day than I did +at that time." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +Ann looked right sweetly as she told my aunt that she felt put to shame +by the great loving-kindness which had brought the feeble lady out +through the forest in the bitter winter weather for her sake, and she +kissed the thin, small hand with deep feeling; and even the elder woman +unbent and freely gave vent before her favorite to the full warmth of her +heart, which she was not wont to display. She had told the Pernharts +what were the fears which had brought her into the town, so the chamber +was presently cleared, and the master called away Mistress Giovanna after +that my aunt had expressed her admiration of her rare charms. + +As I too was now preparing to retire, which methought but seemly Aunt +Jacoba beckoned me to stay. Ann likewise understood what had brought her +sickly friend to her, and she whispered to me that albeit she was deeply +thankful for the abundant goodness my aunt had ever shown her, yet could +she never swerve from her well-considered purpose. To this I was only +able to reply that on one point at least she must change her mind, for +that I knew for certain that old grand-dame Pernhart loved her truly. At +this she cried out gladly and thankfully: "Oh, Margery! if only that were +true!" + +So soon as we three were left together, my aunt went to the heart of the +matter at once, saying frankly to what end she had come hither, that she +knew all that Ann had suffered through Herdegen, and how well she had +taken it, and that she had now set her mind on wedding with the Magister. + +And whereas Ann here broke in with a resolute "And that I will!" my aunt +put it to her that she must be off with one or ever she took on the other +lover. Herdegen had come before Master Peter, and the first question +therefor was as to how matters stood with him. + +At this Ann humbly besought her to ask nothing concerning him; if my aunt +loved her she would forbear from touching on the scarce-healed wound. So +much as this she said, though with pain and grief; but her friend was not +to be moved, but cried: "And do I not thank Master Ulsenius when he +thrusts his probe to the heart of my evil, when he cuts or burns it? +Have you not gladly approved his saying that the leech should never +despair so long as the sick man's heart still throbs? Well then, your +trouble with Herdegen is sick and sore and lies right deep. . . ." + +But Ann broke in again, crying: "No, no, noble lady, the heart of that +matter has ceased to beat. It is dead and gone for ever!" + +"Is it so?" said my aunt coolly. "Still, look it close in the face. Old +Im Hoff--I have read the letter-commands your lover to give you up and do +his bidding. Yet, child, does he take good care not to write this to +you. Finding it over hard to say it himself, he leaves the task to +Margery. And as for that letter; a Lenten jest I called it yestereve; +and so it is verily! Read it once more. Why, it is as dripping with +love as a garment drips when it is fished out of a pool! While he is +trying to shut the door on you he clasps you to his heart. Peradventure +his love never glowed so hotly, and he was never so strongly drawn to you +as when he wrote this paltry stuff to burst the sacred bands which bind +you together. Are you so dull as not to feel this?" + +"Nay, I see it right well," cried Ann eagerly, "I knew it when I first +read the letter. But that is the very point! Must not a lover who can +barter away his love for filthy lucre be base indeed? If when he ceased +to be true he had likewise ceased to love, if the fickle Fortunatus had +wearied of his sweetheart--then I could far more easily forgive." + +"And do you tell me that your heart ever throbbed with true love for +him?" asked her friend in amazement, and looking keenly into her eyes as +though she expected her to say No. And when Ann cried: "How can you even +ask such a question?" My aunt went on: "Then you did love him? And +Margery tells me that you and she have made some strange compact to make +other folks happy. Two young maids who dare to think they can play at +being God Almighty! And the Magister, I conceive, was to be the first to +whom you proposed to be a willing sacrifice, let it cost you what it may? +That is how matters stand?" + +Ann was not now so ready to nod assent, and my aunt murmured something I +could not hear, as she was wont to do when something rubbed her against +the grain; then she said with emphasis: "But child, my poor child, love, +and wounded pride, and heart-ache have turned your heart and good sense. +I am an old woman, and I thank God can see more clearly. It is real, +true love, pleasing to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, aye and to the +merciful Virgin and all the saints who protect you, which has bound you +and Herdegen together from your infancy. He, though faithless and a +sinner, still bears his love in his heart and you have not been able to +root yours up and cast it out. He has done his worst, and in doing it-- +remember his letter--in doing it, I say, has poisoned his own young life +already. In that Babel called Paris he does but reel from one pleasure +to another. But how long can that last? Do you not see, as I see, that +the day must come when, sickened and loathing all this folly he will deem +himself the most wretched soul on earth, and look about him for the firm +shore as a sailor does who is tossed about in a leaking ship at sea? +Then will he call to mind the past, his childhood and youth, his pure +love and yours. Then you yourself, you, Ann, will be the island haven +for which he will long. Then--aye, child, it is so, you will be the only +creature that may help him; and if you really crave to create happiness-- +if your love is as true as--not so long ago--you declared it to be, on +your knees before me and with scalding tears, he, and not Master Peter +must be the first on whom you should carry out your day-dreams--for I +know not what other name to give to such vain imaginings." + +At this Ann sobbed aloud and wrung her hands, crying: "But he cast me +off, sold me for gold and silver. Can I, whom he has flung into the +dust, seek to go after him? Would it beseem an honest and shamefaced +maid if I called him back to me? He is happy--and he will still be happy +for many long, long years amid his reckless companions; if the time +should ever come of which you speak, most worshipful lady, even then he +will care no more for Ann, bloomless and faded, than for the threadbare +bravery in which he once arrayed himself. As for me and my love, warmly +as it will ever glow in my breast, so long as I live and breathe, he will +never need it in the life of pleasure in which he suns himself. It is no +vain imagining that I have made my goal, and if I am to bring joy to the +wretched I must seek others than he." + +"Right well," said my aunt, "if so be that your love is no worthier nor +better than his." + +And from the unhappy maid's bosom the words were gasped out: "It is +verily and indeed true and worthy and deep; never was truer love . . ." + +"Never?" replied my aunt, looking at her enquiringly. "Have you not +read of the love of which the Scripture speaketh? Love which is able and +ready to endure all things." + +And the words of the Apostle came into my mind which the Carthusian +sister had graven on our memories, burning them in, as it were, as being +those which above all others should live in every Christian woman's +heart; and whereas I had hitherto held back as beseemed me, I now came +forward and said them with all the devout fervor of my young heart, as +follows: "Charity suffereth long and is kind; Charity envieth not; +Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; seeketh not her own, is +not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; beareth all things, believeth all +things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." + +While I spoke Ann, panting for breath, fixed her eyes on the ground, but +my aunt rehearsed the words after me in a clear voice: "beareth all +things, believeth all things, hopeth and endureth all things." And she +added right earnestly; therefore do thou believe and hope and endure yet +longer, my poor child, and tell me in all truth: Does it seem to you a +lesser deed to lead back the sinner into the way of righteousness and +bliss in this world and the next, than to give alms to the beggar?" + +Ann shook her head, and my aunt went on: "And if there is any one--let me +repeat it--who by faithful love may ever rescue Herdegen, albeit he is +half lost, it is you. Come, come," and she signed to her, and Ann did +her bidding and fell on her knees by her, as she had done erewhile in the +forest-lodge. The elder lady kissed her hair and eyes, and said further: +"Cling fast to your love, my darling. You have nothing else than love, +and without it life is shallow indeed, is sheer emptiness. You will +never find it in the Magister's arms, and that your heart is of a +certainty, not set on marrying a well-to-do man at any cost . . . ." + +But she did not end her speech, inasmuch as Ann imploringly raised her +great eyes in mild reproach, as though to defend herself from some hurt. +So my aunt comforted her with a few kind words, and then went on to +admonish her as follows: "Verily it is not love you lack, but patient +trust. I have heard from Margery here what bitter disappointments you +have suffered. And it is hard indeed to the stricken heart to look for +a new spring for the withered harvest of joy. But look you at my good +husband. He ceases not from sowing acorns, albeit he knows that it will +never be vouchsafed to him to see them grown to fine trees, or to earn +any profit from them. Do you likewise learn to possess your soul in +patience; and do not forget that, if Herdegen is lost, the question will +be put to you: 'Did you hold out a hand to him while it was yet time to +save him, or did you withdraw from him your love and favor in faint- +hearted impatience at the very first blow?'" + +The last words fell in solemn earnest from my aunt's lips, and struck +Ann to the heart; she confessed that she had many times said the same +things to her self, but then maiden pride had swelled up in her and had +forbidden her to lend an ear to the warning voice; and nevertheless none +had spoken so often or so loudly in her soul, so that her heart's deepest +yearning responded to what her friend had said. + +"Then do its bidding," said my aunt eagerly, and I said the same; and +Ann, being not merely overruled but likewise convinced, yielded and +confessed that, even as Master Peter's wife, she could never have slain +the old love, and declared herself ready to renounce her pride and wrath. + +Thus had my aunt's faithful love preserved her from sin, and gladly did I +consent to her brave spirit when she said to Ann: "You must save yourself +for that skittle-witted wight in Paris, child; for none other than he can +make you rightly happy, nor can he be happy with any other woman than my +true and faithful darling!" + +Ann covered my aunt's hands with kisses, and the words flowed heartily +and glaaiy from her lips as she cried: "Yes, yes, yes! It is so! And if +he beat me and scorned me, if he fell so deep that no man would leap in +after him, I, I, would never let him sink." + +And then Ann threw herself on my neck and said: "Oh, how light is my +heart once more. Ah, Margery! now, when I long to pray, I know well +enough what for." + +My aunt's dim eyes had rarely shone so brightly as at this hour, and her +voice sounded clearer and firmer than it was wont when she once more +addressed us and said: "And now the old woman will finish up by telling +you a little tale for your guidance. You knew Riklein, the spinster, +whom folks called the night-spinster; and was not she a right loving +and cheerful soul? Yet had she known no small meed of sorrows. She died +but lately on Saint Damasius' day last past, and the tale I have to tell +concerns her. They called her the night-spinster, by reason that she +ofttimes would sit at her wheel till late into the night to earn money +which she was paid at the rate of three farthings the spool. But it was +not out of greed that the old body was so keen to get money. + +"In her youth she had been one of the neatest maids far and wide, +and had set her heart on a charcoal burner who was a sorry knave indeed, +a sheep-stealer and a rogue, who came to a bad end on the rack. But for +all that Riklein never ceased to love him truly and, albeit he was dead +and gone, she did not give over toiling diligently while she lived yet +for him. The priest had told her that, inasmuch as her lover had taken +the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the scaffold, the Kingdom of Heaven +was not closed to him, yet would it need many a prayer and many a mass to +deliver him from the fires of purgatory. So Riklein, span and span, day +and night, and stored up all she earned, and when she lay on her death- +bed, not long ago, and the priest gave her the Holy Sacrament, she took +out her hoard from beneath her mattress and showed it to him, asking +whether that might be enough to pay to open the way for Andres to the +joys of Heaven? And when the chaplain said that it would be, she turned +away her face and fell asleep. So do you spin your yarn, child, and let +the flax on your distaff be glad assurance; and, if ever your heart sinks +within you, remember old Riklein!" + +"And the Farmer's daughter in 'Poor Heinrich,'" I said, "who gladly gave +her young blood to save her plighted lord from leprosy." + +Thus had my aunt gained her end; but when she strove to carry Ann away +from her home and kindred, and keep her in the forest as her own child-- +to which Master Pernhart and his mother gave their consent--she failed in +the attempt. Ann was steadfast in her desire to remain with her mother +and the children, and more especially with her deaf and dumb brother, +Mario. If my aunt should at any time need her she had but to command +her, and she would gladly go to her, this very day if she desired it; +howbeit duly to work out her spinning--and by this she meant that she +bore Riklein in mind--she must ever do her part for her own folk, with +a clear conscience. + +Thus it was fixed that Ann should go to the Forest lodge to stay till +Christmas and the New Year were past, only she craved a few hours delay +that she might remove all doubt from the Magister's mind. I offered to +take upon myself this painful task; but she altogether rejected this, +and how rightly she judged was presently proved by her cast-off suitor's +demeanor; inasmuch as he was ever after her faithful servant and called +her his gracious work-fellow. When she had told him of her decision he +swore, well-nigh with violence, to become a monk, and to make over his +inheritance to a convent, but Ann, with much eloquence, besought him +to do no such thing, and laid before him the grace of living to make +others happy; she won him over to join our little league and whereas he +confessed that he was in no wise fit for the life, she promised that she +would seek out the poor and needy and claim the aid only of his learning +and his purse. And some time after she made him a gift of an alms-bag on +which she had wrought the words, "Ann, to her worthy work-fellow." + +Here I am bound to tell that, not to my aunt alone, but to me likewise +did the good work which the old organist had pointed out to my friend, +seem a vain imagining when it had led her to accept a lover whom she +loved not. But when it became a part of her life, stripped of all +bigotry or overmuch zeal, and when the old musician had led us to know +many poor folks, it worked right well and we were able to help many an +one, not alone with money and food, but likewise with good counsel and +nursing in sore need. Whenever we might apply to the Magister, his door +and purse alike were open to us, and peradventure he went more often to +visit and succor the needy than he might otherwise have done, inasmuch +as he thereby found the chance of speech with his gracious "work-fellow," +of winning her praises and kissing her hand, which Ann was ever fain to +grant when he had shown special zeal. + +We were doubtless a strange fellowship of four: Ann and I, the organist +and Master Peter, and, albeit we were not much experienced in the ways of +the world, I dare boldly say that we did more good and dried more tears +than many a wealthy Abbey. + +At the New Year I followed Ann to the forest, and helped to grace the +hunter's board "with smart wenches;" and when she and I came home +together after Twelfth day, she found that the forward apprentice had +quitted her step-father's house. Not only had my aunt told old Dame +Magdalen of his ill-behaving, but his father at Augsburg was dead, and +so Pemhart could send him home to the dwelling he had inherited without +disgracing him. Yet, after this, he made so bold as to sue for Ann in a +right fairly written letter, to which she said him nay in a reply no less +fairly written. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +A thoughtful brain could never cease to marvel at the wonders which +happen at every step and turn, were it not that due reflection proves +that strange events are no less necessary and frequent links in the +mingled chain of our life's experience than commonplace and every-day +things; wherefor sheer wonder at matters new to our experience we leave +for the most part to children and fools. And nevertheless the question +many a time arose in my mind: how a woman whose heart was so truly in the +right place as my aunt's could cast off her only son for the cause of an +ill-match, and notwithstanding strive with might and main to remove all +hindrances in the way of another such ill-match. + +This indeed brought to my mind other, no less miracles. Thus, after +Ann's home-coming, when I would go to see her at Pernhart's house, I +often found her sitting with the old dame, who would tell her many +things, and those right secret matters. Once, when I found Ann with the +old woman from whom she had formerly been so alien, they were sitting +together in the window-bay with their arms about each other, and looking +in each other's face with loving but tearful eyes. My entrance disturbed +them; Dame Magdalen had been telling her new favorite many matters +concerning her son's youthful days, and it was plain to see that she +rejoiced in these memories of the best days of her life, when her two +fine lads had ever been at the head of their school. Her eldest, indeed, +had done so well that the Lord Bishop of Bamberg, in his own person, had +pressingly desired her late departed husband to make him a priest. Then +the father had apprenticed Ulman to himself, and dedicated the elder, who +else should have inherited the dwelling-house and smithy, to the service +of the Church, whereupon he had ere long risen to great dignity. + +None, to be sure, listened so well as Ann, open-eared to all these +tales, and it did old Dame Magdalen good to see the maid bestir herself +contentedly about the house-keeping; but her changed mind proceeded from +yet another cause. My aunt had done a noble deed of pure human kindness, +of real and true Christian charity, and the bright beam of that love +which could drag her feeble body out into the winter's cold and to her +foe's dwelling, cast its light on both these miracles at once. This it +was which had led the high-born dame to cast aside all the vanities and +foolishness in which she had grown up, to the end that she might protect +a young and oppressed creature whom she truly cared for from an ill +fate. Yea, and that sunbeam had cast its light far and wide in the +coppersmith's home, and illumined Ann likewise, so that she now saw the +old mother of the household in a new light. + +When the very noblest and most worshipful deems it worthy to make a great +sacrifice out of pure love for a fellow-creature, that one is, as it +were, ennobled by it; it opens ways which before were closed; and such +a way was that to old Dame Magdalen's heart, who now, on a sudden, +bethought her that she found in Ann all she had lost in her well-beloved +grandchild Gertrude. + +Never had Ann and I been closer friends than we were that winter, and to +many matters which bound us, another was now added--a sweet secret, +concerning me this time, which, strange to tell, drew us even more near +together. + +The weeks before Lent presently came upon us; Ann, however, would take +part in no pleasures, albeit she was now a welcome guest, since her step- +father was a member of the worshipful council. Only once did she yield +to my beseeching and go with me to a dance at a noble house; but whereas +I perceived that it disturbed her cheerful peace of mind, although she +was treated with hearty respect, I troubled her no more, and for her sake +withdrew myself in some measure from such merry-makings. + +After Easter, when the spring-tide was already blossoming, my soul +likewise went forth to seek joy and gladness, and now will I tell of the +new marvel which found fulfilment in my heart. + +A grand dance was to be given in honor of certain ambassadors from the +Emperor Sigismund, who had come to treat with his Highness the Elector +and the Town Council as to the Assembly of the States to be held in the +summer at Ratisbon, at the desire of Theodoric, Archbishop of Cologne. +The illustrious chief of this Embassy, Duke Rumpold of Glogau in Silesia, +had been received as guest in a house whither, that very spring, the +eldest son had come home from Padua and Paris, where he had taken the +dignity of Doctor of Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws with great honors, +and he it was who first moved my young heart to true love. + +As a child I had paid small heed to Hans Haller, as a lad so much older +that he overlooked little Margery, and by no means took her fancy like +Cousin Gotz; thus he came upon me as one new and strange. + +He had dwelt five years in other lands and the first time ever I looked +into his truthful eyes methought that the maid he should choose to wife +was born in a lucky hour. + +But every mother and daughter of patrician rank doubtless thought the +same; and that he should ever uplift me, giddy, hasty Margery, to his +side, was more than I dared look for. Yet, covertly, I could not but +hope; inasmuch as at our first meeting again he had seemed well-pleased +and amazed at my being so well-favored, and a few days later, when many +young folks were gathered together at the Hallers' house, he spoke a +great while and right kindly with me in especial. Nor was it as though +I were some unripe child, such as these young gentlemen are wont to +esteem us maids under twenty--nay, but as though I were his equal. + +And thus he had brought to light all that lay hid in my soul. I had +answered him on all points freely and gladly; yet, meanwhile, I had been +on my guard not to let slip any heedless speech, deeming it a precious +favor to stand well in the opinion of so noble and learned a gentleman. + +And presently, when it was time for departing, he held my hand and +pressed it; and, as he wrapped me in my cloak, he said in a low voice +that, whereas he had thought it hard to make himself at home once more in +our little native town, now, if I would, I might make Nuremberg as dear-- +nay, dearer to him than ever it had been of yore; and the hot blood +boiled in my veins as I looked up at him beseechingly and bid him never +mock me thus. + +But he answered with all his heart that it was sacred earnest and that, +if I would make home sweet to him and himself one of the happiest of +mankind, I must be his, inasmuch as in all the lands of the earth he had +seen nought so dear to him as the child whom he had found grown to be so +sweet a maid, and, quoth he, if I loved him never so little, would I not +give him some little token. + +I looked into his eyes, and my heart was so full that no word could I say +but his Christian name "Hans," whereas hitherto I had ever called him +Master Hailer. And meseemed that all the bells in the town together were +ringing a merry peal; and he understood at once the intent of my brief +answer, and murmured right loving words in mine ear. Then did he walk +home with me and Cousin Maud; and meseemed the honored mothers among our +friends, who were wont so to bewail my loneliness as a motherless maid, +had never looked upon me with so little kindness as that evening which +love had made so blessed. + +By next morning the tidings were in every mouth that a new couple had +plighted their troth, and that the Hallers' three chevronells were to be +quartered with the three links of the Schoppers. + +Ann was the first to be told of my happiness, and whereas she had +hitherto been steadfastly set on eschewing the great dances of the upper +class so long as she was unwed, this time she did our will, for that she +had no mind to spoil my pleasure by her absence. + +Thus had Love taken up his abode with me likewise; and meseemed it was +like a fair, still, blooming morning in the Forest. A pure, perfect, +and peaceful gladness had opened in my soul, a way of seeing which lent +sweetness and glory to all things far and wide, and joyful thanksgiving +for that all things were so good. + +As I looked back on that morning when Ann had flown to Herdegen's breast, +and as I called to mind the turmoil of passion of which I had read in +many a poem and love-tale, I weened that I had dreamed of somewhat else +as the first blossoming of love in my heart, that I had looked to feel a +fierce and glowing flame, a burning anguish, a wild and stormy fever. +And yet, as it had come upon me, methought it was better; albeit the sun +of my love had not risen in scarlet fire, it was not therefore small nor +cool; the image of my dear mother was ever-present with me; and methought +that the love I felt was as pure and fair as though it had come upon me +from her heavenly home. + +And how loving and hearty was the welcome given me by my lover's parents, +when they received me in their noble dwelling, and called me their dear +daughter, and showed me all the treasures contained in the home of the +Hallers'. In this fine house, with its broad fair gardens--a truly +lordly dwelling, for which many a prince would have been fain to exchange +his castle and hunting demesne--I was to rule as wife and mistress at the +right hand of my Hans' mother, whose kind and dignified countenance +pleased me well indeed, and by whose friendly lips I, an orphan, was so +glad to be called "Child" and daughter. Nor were his worshipful father +and his younger brethren one whit less dear to me. I was to become a +member--nay, as the eldest son's wife, the female head--of one of the +highest families in the town, of one whose sons would have a hand in its +government so long as there should be a town-council in Nuremberg. + +My lover had indeed been elected to sit in the minor council soon after +his homecoming, being no longer a boy, but near on thirty years of age. +And his manners befitted his years; dignified and modest, albeit cheerful +and full of a young man's open-minded ardor for everything that was above +the vulgar. With him, for certain, if with any man, might I grow to be +all I desired to become; and could I but learn to rule my fiery temper, +I might hope to follow in the ways of his mother, whom he held above all +other women. The great dance, of which I have already made mention, and +whither Ann had agreed to come with us, was the first I should go to with +my well-beloved Hans. The worshipful Council had taken care to display +all their best bravery in honor of the Emperor's envoys; they had indeed +allied themselves with the constable of the Castle, the Prince Elector, +to do all in their power to have the Assembly held at Nuremberg, rather +than at Ratisbon, and to that end it was needful to win the good graces +of the Ambassadors. + +All the patricians and youth of the good city were gathered at the town- +hall, and the beginning of the feast was pure enjoyment. The guests were +indeed amazed at the richness of our great hall and civic treasure, as +likewise at the brave apparel and great show of jewels worn by the +gentlemen and ladies. + +There were six envoys, and at their head was Duke Rumpold of Glogau; but +among the knights in attendance on him I need only name that very Baron +Franz von Welemisl who had been so sorely hurt out in the forest garden +for my sake, and a Junker of Altmark, by name Henning von Beust, son of +one of the rebellious houses who strove against the customs, laws, and +rights over the marches, as claimed by our Lord Constable the Elector. + +Baron Franz was now become chamberlain to the emperor and, albeit cured +indeed of his wounds, was plagued by a bad cough. Still he could boast +of the same noble and knightly presence as of old, and his pale face, +paler than ever I had known it, under his straight black hair, with the +feeble tones of his soft voice, went right to many a maiden's heart; also +his rich black dress, sparkling with fine gems, beseemed him well. + +Presently, when he saw that Hans and I were plighted lovers, he feigned +as though his heart were stricken to death; but I soon perceived that +he could take comfort, and that he had bestowed the love he had once +professed for me, with compound increase on Ursula Tetzel. She was ready +enough to let him make love to her, and I wished the swarthy courtier all +good speed with the damsel. + +A dancing-hall is in all lands a stew full of fish, as it were, for +gentlemen from court, and Junker Henning von Beust had no sooner come in +than he began to angle; and whereas Sir Franz's bait was melancholy and +mourning, the Junker strove to win hearts by sheer mirth and bold +manners. + +My lover himself had commended him to my favor by reason that the +gentleman was lodging under his parents' roof; and he and I and Ann had +found much pleasure these two days past in his light and openhearted +friendliness. Nought more merry indeed might be seen than this red- +haired young nobleman, in parti-colored attire, with pointed scallops +round the neck and arm-holes, which fluttered as he moved and many little +bells twinkling merrily. Light and life beamed forth out of this +gladsome youth's blue eyes. He had never sat at a school-desk; while our +boys had been poring over their books, he had been riding with his father +at a hunt or a fray, or had lurked in ambush by the highway for the laden +wagons of those very "pepper sacks"--[A nickname for grocery merchants]-- +whose good wine and fair daughters he was so far from scorning in their +own town-hall. + +He had already fallen in love with Ann at the Hallerhof, and never quit +her side although, after I had overheard certain sharp words by which +Ursula Tetzel strove to lower the maid in his opinion, I told him plainly +of what rank and birth she was. + +For this he cared not one whit; nay, it increased his pleasure in making +much of her and trying to spoil her shrewish foe's sport. It seemed as +though he could never have enough of dancing with Ann, and so soon as the +town pipers struck up, with cornets, trumpets, horns, and haut-boys, +fiddles, sack-buts and rebecks, the rattle of drums and the groaning of +bagpipes, while the Swiss fifes squeaked shrillv above the clatter of the +kettle-drums, methought the music itself flung him in the air and brought +him low again. With his free and mirthful ways he carried all before +him, and when presently it was plain to all that he could outdo our +nimblest dancers, and was a master of each kind of dance which was held +in favor at every court, whether of Brandenburg, of Saxony, of Bohemia, +or at our own Emperor Sigismund's Hungarian court, he was ere long +entreated to show us some new figures of the dance; nor was he loth to do +so. + +Nay, he presently went to such lengths that our Franconian and Nuremberg +nobles could but turn away their faces, inasmuch as he began so wild and +unseemly a dance as was overmuch even for me, despite my youth and sheer +delight in the quick measure. + +My Hans, the young councillor, took pleasure in leading me forth in the +Polish dance, or with due dignity in the Swabian figure, but he held +back, as was fitting, from the mad whirl of the gipsy dance and of the +"Dove dance;" and he, and I likewise, courteously withstood his bidding +to join in the Dance of the Dead as it was in use in Brandenburg, +Hungary, and Schleswig: one has to be for dead, and as he lieth another +shall come to wake him with a kiss. On this Junker von Beust, who was, +as the march--men say, the dance-corpse, entrapped Ann in a strange +adventure. Ann kissed not his cheek, but in the air near by it, and the +bold knave, who had no mind to forego so sweet a boon, declared to her +after the dance was over that she was his debtor, and that he would give +her no peace till she should pay him his due. + +Ann courteously prayed him that he would be a merciful creditor and remit +the payment of that she had indeed omitted, though truly out of no ill- +will. And whereas he would by no means consent, the dispute was taken up +by others present and Jorg Loffelholz devised the fancy of holding a +Court of Love to decide the case. + +This met with noisy approval, and albeit I and my dear Hans, and some +others with us, made protest, the damsels were presently seated in a +circle and Jorg Loffelholz, who was chosen to preside, asked of each to +pronounce sentence. Thus it came to the turn of Ursula Tetzel and she, +looking round on Junker Henning or ever she spoke, said, with a proud +curl of her red lips, that she could give no opinion, inasmuch as she +only knew what beseemed young maids of noble birth. + +On this the Junker answered with such high and grave dignity as I should +not have looked for in so scatter-brained a wight: "The best patent of +nobility, fair lady, is that of the maid to whom God Almighty has +vouchsafed the gentlest soul and sweetest grace; and in all this assembly +I have found none more richly endowed with both than the damsel against +whom I in jest have made complaint. Wherefor I pray the presiding judge +of this Court of Love to ask you once more for your verdict." + +Ursula found this ill to brook; nevertheless her high spirit was ready to +meet it. She laughed loudly, and with seeming lightness, as she hastily +answered him: "Then you haughty lords of the marches allow not that it is +in the Emperor's power to grant letters of nobility, but ascribe it to +Heaven alone! A bold opinion. Howbeit, I care not for politics, and +will pronounce my sentence. If it had been Margery Schopper, who had +refused the kiss, or Elsa Ebner, or any one of us whose ancestors bore +arms by grace of the Emperor, and not of the God of the Brandenburgers, +I would have condemned her to give you, in lieu of one kiss, two, in the +presence of witnesses; but inasmuch as it is Mistress Ann Spiesz who has +dared to withhold from a noble gentleman, a guest of the town, what we +highborn damsels would readily have paid I grant her of our mercy, grace +and leave to kiss the hand of Junker Henning von Beust, in token of +penitence." The words were spoken clearly and steadfastly; all were +silent, and I will confess that as Ursula gave her answer to the Junker +with beaming eyes and quivering lips, never had I seen her more fair. It +could plainly be seen by her heaving bosom how gladly she gave free vent +to her old cherished grudge; and that she had in truth wounded the maid +she hated to the very soul, Ann showed by her deathly paleness. Yet +found she not a word in reply; and while Ursula was speaking, meseemed in +the fullness of my wrath and grief as though a cloud were rising before +my eyes. But so soon as she ceased and my eyes met the triumphant look +in hers, my mind suddenly grew clear again, and never heeding the +multitude that stood about us, I went a step forward, and cried: "We all +thank you, Junker; you have taken the worthier part; the only part, +Ursula," and I looked her sternly in the face, "the only part which I +would have a friend of mine take, or any true heart." + +The Junker bowed, and with a reproachful glance at Ursula he said: "Would +to God I might never have a harder choice to make!" Whereupon he turned +his back on her and went up to Ann; but Ursula again laughed loudly and +called after him in defiance: "Oh! may heaven ever keep your wits clear +when you have to choose, and especially when you have to discern on the +high-road betwixt what is your own and what belongs to other folks." + +The blood mounted to the Junker's face, and, as with a hasty gesture he +smoothed back the fierce hair on his lip, methought he might seem the +same as when he rose in his saddle to rush down on our merchants' wains; +for indeed it was the Beusts, with the Alvenslebens, their near +kinsfolks, who had fallen upon the train of waggons belonging to the +Muffels and the Tetzels, near Juterbock, not a year ago. + +But, hotly as his blood boiled, the Junker refrained himself, inasmuch as +knightly courtesy forbade him to repay Ursula in the like coin; and as it +fell Cousin Maud was enabled to aid him in this praiseworthy selfrule. +She came forward with long strides, and her eyes flashed wrathful +threats, till meseemed they were more fiery than the jewels in the tall +plumes she wore on her head. She thrust aside the young men and maid who +made up the Court of Love as a swift ship cuts through the small fry in +the water. Without let or pause she pushed on, and as soon as she caught +sight of Ann she seized her by the arm, stroked her hair and cheeks, and +flung a few sharp words at Ursula: + +"I will talk to you presently!" Then she bid me remain behind with Hans +and withdrew, carrying Ann with her, while Junker Henning followed +praying to be forgiven for all the discomfort she had suffered by reason +of him. This Ann gladly granted, and besought us and him alike to come +with her no further. + +When he came back to us Ursula, who was aggrieved by the looks of +displeasure she met on all sides, cried out: "Back already, Sir Junker? +If you had so lightly yielded your rights to kiss of mine, you may be +certain that I would have appealed to any one who would do my behest to +call you to account for such scorn!" + +She eyed the young nobleman with a bold gaze, never weening that this +challenge was all he waited for. He tossed his curly head, and cried +with sparkling eyes: "Then, mistress, I would have you to know that I +would take no kiss from you, even if you were to offer it. I have spoken +--now call forth your champions." + +He was silent a moment, and then, glancing round at the bystanders with +defiant looks, he went on: "If any gentleman here present sets a higher +price than I, the high-born Henning Beust, heir and Lord of Busta and +Schadstett, on a kiss from the lips which have wronged my fair lady with +spiteful speech, let him now stoop and pick up my glove. There it lies!" + +And he flung it on the ground, while Ursula turned pale. Her eyes turned +from one to another of the young gentlemen who paid her court and they +were many--and the longer silence reigned the faster came her breath and +the hotter waxed her ire. But on a sudden she was calm; her eyes had +lighted on Sir Franz von Welemisl, and all might read what she demanded +of him. The Bohemian understood her; he picked up the glove and muttered +to the Junker with a shrug: "Mistress Ursula commands me!" + +A look of pain passed over the brave youth's merry face, for that +heretofore the young knight and he had been in good fellowship, and he +hastily answered: "Nay, Sir Knight; I would have crossed swords with you +readily enough or ever you had felt the prick of Swabian steel; but now +you are not yet fully yourself again, and to fight with a friend who is +sick is against the rule of my country." + +The words were spoken from a kind and honest heart, and I saw in Sir +Franz's face that he knew their intent was true; but as he put forth his +hand to grasp the Junker's, Ursula tossed her head in high disdain. Sir +Franz hastily changed his mien, and cried: "Then you will do well to act +against the rule of your country, and fight the champion of the lady you +have offended." + +Here the dispute had an end, forasmuch as that my lord the duke, leader +of the embassy, hearing the Brandenburger's fierce voice, came in haste +from the supper-board to restore peace; and as he led away the Junker it +was plain to all that he was taking him sharply to task. It was, in +truth, a criminal misdeed in one of the Imperial envoy to cast down his +glove at a dance, where he was the guest of a peaceful city; and that +the duke imposed no severe penance for it the Junker might thank the +worshipful members of the council who were present; they were indeed +disposed to let well alone, inasmuch as they had it at heart to send +the whole party home again well-pleased with Nuremberg. + +The music was soon sounding merrily again in the solemn town-hall, and +of all the young folks who danced so gleefully, and laughed and chattered +Ursula was the last to let it be seen how this grand revel had been +troubled by her fault. Her eyes were bright with glad contentment, and +she was so free with Sir Franz that it might have seemed that they would +quit the town hall a plighted couple. + +The festival was drawing to an end, and when I had danced the last dance, +and was looking about me, I beheld to my amazement Ursula Tetzel in eager +speech with Junker Henning. On our way home the young gentleman informed +me that she had given him to understand that, during the meeting of the +Imperial Assembly, he might look to be waited on by a noble youth who +would pick up his glove in duty to her, and prove to him that there were +other than sick champions glad to draw the sword for her. + +The Brandenburger would fain have known with whom he would have to deal; +but I held my peace, albeit I felt certain that Ursula had set her hopes +on none other than my brother Herdegen. + +On the morrow the whole of the Ambassadors' fellowship rode away, back to +the emperor's court; I, for my part made my way to the Pernharts, where I +found Ann amazed rather than wroth or distressed by Ursula's base attack. +Also she was to have some amends; my dear godfather, Uncle Christian, +with certain other gentlemen of the council, had notified old Tetzel +that he was required to crave pardon of Ann and her stepfather for +his daughter's haughty and reckless speech. + +The proud and surly old man would have to submit to this penance without +cavil, by reason that Pernhart had, since Saint Walpurgis' day, been a +member of the council, and he and his family had part and share in the +patrician festival. For, albeit craftsmen and petty merchants were +excluded, the worshipful councillors chosen by the guilds enjoyed the +same rights as those born to that high rank. + +It was by mishap only that the coppersmith had not been at the town-hall +yestereve, and on a later day, when he and his wife appeared there, they +were among the finest of the elder couples. Ann did not, indeed, go with +them; but it was neither vexation nor sorrow that kept her at home. My +great gladness as it were warmed her likewise, and we were looking for +Herdegen's speedy home-coming. + +She looked forward to this with such firm hope as filled me with fears, +when I minded me of my brother's letters, in which he never had aught to +tell of but vain pleasures and pastimes. + +My betrothal to Hans Haller was after his own heart; he wrote of him as +of a man whose gifts and birth were worthy of me; and went on to say that +he would follow his example, and, whereas he had renounced love in +seeking a bride, he would take counsel of his head, and not of his heart, +and quarter our ancient coat of arms with one no less noble. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +Though Ann's hopeful mood distressed me, these same hopes in my world- +wise Aunt Jacoba raised my spirit; but again, when I heard my grand-uncle +speak of Herdegen as his duteous son, it fell as low as before. The old +man had shown much contentment at my plighting to Hans, and had given me +a precious set of rubies as a wedding gift; yet could I scarce take +pleasure in them, inasmuch as he told me then and there that he had the +like in store for the noble damsel whom Herdegen should wed. + +Cousin Maud was in great wrath, when she knew that we had it in our minds +even yet to bring Ann and Herdegen together; howbeit this did not hinder +her from being as kind to Ann as she was ever wont to be, and giving her +pleasure with gifts great and small whenever she might. She had her own +thoughts touching my brother's faithlessness. She deemed it a triumph of +noble blood over the yearnings of his heart; and the more she loved to +think well of her darling the more comfort she found in this +interpretation. + +Among those few who had known of his betrothal to Ann was the bee- +master's widow, Dame Henneleinlein; and she had cradled herself so gladly +in the hope of being ere long kin to a noble family, that its wrecking +filled her heart with bitter rage, and in all the houses whither she +carried her honey she never failed to speak slander of Herdegen. + +All this would never have troubled me, if only I might have rejoiced in +the presence of my dear love; but alas! no more than three weeks after +our betrothal he was sent, as squire to Master Erhart Schurstab, away to +court, where they were to lay before the Emperor Sigismund in the name of +Nuremberg the various hindrances in the way of our trafficking with +Venice, whereas since the late war his Majesty had been mightily ill- +disposed towards that great and famous city. + +There was no remedy but patience; my lover wrote to me often, and his +loving letters would have filled me with joy, if it had not been that in +each one there was ever some sad tidings of Junker Henning, whom I yet +held in high esteem. This young lord, who was in attendance on his +Majesty--who never held his court for more than a few days at the same +place--or ever he left Vienna to go to Ratisbon, had made a close +friendship with my plighted master, and had been serviceable to him in +all things wherein he might; and Hans had said of him that he was one in +whom there was no guile, with the open heart and bright temper of a +child. Such an one, indeed, was his; yet, in the midst of the gayest +mirth, his grief of heart would so mightily come upon him that he fell +into a sudden gloom; and out of the fulness of his sorrow he confessed to +Hans that he could never cease to think of Ann. Whereupon my dear love +conceived that it must be his woeful duty to tell his friend that the +lady of his choice had no free heart to give him. Yet to the Junker's +question whether she were plighted to another, and whether he were minded +to wed her, Hans was forced in truth to say nay. This gave the lovesick +youth new courage, and at length he went so far as that Hans enquired of +me whether Ann might not after all be willing to give up Herdegen, who +well deserved it at her hands, and to take pity on so brave and true- +hearted a lover as the Junker. + +To this I could make no answer other than: "Never--never;" inasmuch as, +having shown Ann this letter, and, moreover, loudly sung the praise of +her suitor, she asked me right sadly whether I was weary of confirming +her in her love for my brother; and when I eagerly denied this, she +cried: "And you know me well! And you must know that nothing on earth-- +nor you, nor Mistress Jacoba, nor all Nuremberg, could turn my heart from +my love!" + +This did I forthwith write to Hans; but that letter never reached him, +and thus was he delivered from the grievous duty of robbing the Junker of +his last hope. + +Alas, my Hans! How sorely I did long for thee every hour! And yet shall +I ever remember the month of June in that year with thankfulness. + +Day after day did we maidens sit in the Hallers' garden, for Hans' worthy +mother had soon taken Ann into her heart, and it became a fear to me ere +long lest her rare beauty should turn the head of his younger brother +Paulus, a likely lad of nineteen. As the summer waxed hot we went into +the forest at the bidding of my uncle and aunt, who took great joy in +seeing their favorite in right good heart and wondrous beauty, Mistress +Giovanna having provided her with seemly and brave apparel. Nor was +there any lack of good fellowship; many young noblemen bore us company, +and whereas the town was full of illustrious guests, many of them found +their way out to the forest. + +This was by reason that the Prince Electors and the other rulers of +the Empire, and foremost of them all our High Constable, had, indeed, +declared that the great Assembly should be held at Nuremberg and not at +Ratisbon; and when they were all gathered in our good town, the Emperor +Sigismund, after he had waited for five days at Ratisbon, was fain at +last, whether or no, to follow them hither. Then had his Chamberlains +been sent before him, and among them again came Duke Rumpold von Glogau +and Junker Henning von Beust, while his Majesty kept my Hans still about +his person. Now, when the Emperor's forerunners had fulfilled their +duties, they likewise were bidden to the forest-lodge; and with them came +the lord of Eberstein, and an Italian Conte, Fazio di Puppi, both well +skilled in song and the lute. Yet was my brother Herdegen still absent, +albeit we had looked for him at Whitsuntide. + +Cousin Maud bided at home, where there was much to be done in preparing +fitting cheer for the noble fellowship who were to be lodged in the +Schopperhof; nay, the old house was to be decked outside with a festal +dress, in obedience to the behest of the town-council that every citizen +should do his utmost so to cleanse and adorn his house, that it should +please the eyes of his Majesty the Emperor. + +Towards evening on Saint Liborius' day,--[July 23rd.]--my lord the Duke +came forth on horseback to the forest lodge, and as I write, I can see +the beaming countenance of Junker Henning as he greeted Ann; she, +however, took his devoted demeanor coolly and courteously, yet could she +not hinder him from coming between her and the other gentlemen in an +over-marked way. The company was a large one for us two maidens, and +there was none other with us save Elsa Ebner, our best-beloved +schoolmate, and on her young Master Jorg Loffelholz had cast his eyes. + +Not long after dinner Akusch came to me with the tidings that Herdegen +had ridden into Nuremberg yestereve. My grand-uncle, to whom he had sent +word of his coming, had gone forth to meet him on the way, and, with him +Jost Tetzel and his daughter Ursula. My brother had alighted at the Im +Hoff's house, and had waited on Cousin Maud this morning early. In the +afternoon it was his intent to come out to the forest with my uncle's +leave, to see me. + +When I repeated all this to Aunt Jacoba, she was mightily disturbed and +bid me stand by Ann, and in all points obey the counsel she might find it +good to give her. She desired I would fetch my friend to her July 23rd. +forthwith, and then made a plan for all the young folks to go forth to +the fair garden of a certain bee-keeper, one Martein, where flowers grew +in great abundance, and where we might wind the wreaths which Uncle +Christian would need to grace the Empress' chambers withal. Thither, +quoth she, would she send Herdegen on his coming; for she knew full well +that the tidings brought by Akusch could not remain hid. + +Whereas Ann turned a little paler, my aunt shook her head in displeasure, +and admonished her to remain calm; albeit she had charges to bring +against that wild youth, yet, for the present, she must keep them to +herself. Least of all was she to let him suppose that his faithlessness +had caused her any bitter heart-ache; if she desired that matters end +rightly she must command herself to receive the home-comer no more than +kindly, and to demean her as though his denying of her had touched her +but lightly; nay, as though it were a pleasure to her vanity to be +courted by the Brandenburg Junker and other noble gentlemen. If she +could but seem to rate him as less than either of them, she would have +won a great part of the victory. + +Such subtlety had no charm for Ann; howbeit, my aunt gave no place to her +doubting, and once more her urgent eloquence prevailed on the sorrowing +maid to govern the yearning of her soul; and when I promised my friend to +support her, she gave the wise lady, who had shown her such plain proofs +of her devoted friendship, her word that she would in every point obey +her. + +Many a time have we seen, in the churches of Nuremberg, certain acting of +plays wherein right honest and worthy persons have appeared as Judas +Iscariot, or even as the very Devil himself; and at Venice likewise have +I seen such plays, called there Boinbaria, wherein men and women, +innocent of all guilt, were made to stand for Calumny, Cruelty, and +Craft; and that so cunningly that a man might swear that they were +reprobate Knaves full ripe for the gallows. From this it may be seen +that men are fit and able to seem other than they are by nature; nay, +such feigning is a pleasure to most folks, as we plainly see from the +delight taken by great and small alike in mummery at Carnival tide. +Howbeit, they can scarce have their heart in such sport; and for my part, +meseemeth that to play such a part as my aunt had set before Ann is one +of the hardest that can be laid upon a pure-hearted and truthful maid. +At the time I wist not clearly what was the end of such rash trifling; +but now, when I know men better, meseems it was well conceived, and could +not fail of its intent, albeit the course of events made it plain to my +understanding how little the thoughts and plans of the wisest can avail +when Heaven rules otherwise. + +The gentlemen in the hall were more than ready to agree to our bidding; +yet none but I could guess what made Ann's lip to quiver from time to +time, while her gay spirit charmed the young men who bore us company +through the woods to the beekeeper's garden. + +I and Elsa cut the flowers helped by Jorg Loffelholz, while Ann sat under +a shady lime-tree hard by an arbor of honeysuckle, and showed the others, +who lay on the grass about her; how to wind a garland. Each one was +ready to be taught by lips so sweet, and in guiding of fingers and words +of praise or blame, there was right merry laughing and chatter and +pastime. + +Junker Henning lay at her feet, and near him my Hans' brother Paulus, and +young Master Holzschuher. The Knight von Eberstein had fetched him a +stool out from the beekeeper's house, and twisted and tied with great +zeal; the Italian Conte, Fagio di Puppi, struck the mandoline, which he +called "the lady of his heart" from whom he never parted even on the +longest journey. + +When Elsa and I had flowers enough, we sat down with the others, and it +was pleasant there to rest in the shade of the lime-tree, whose leaves +fluttered in a soft air, while bees and butterflies hovered above the +flowers in the warm sunshine. The birds sang no more; they had finished +nesting long ago; but we, with our young hearts overfull of love, were in +the right mind for song, and when Puppi had charmed us with a sweet +Italian lay, and I had decked his lute with a rose as a guerdon, my lord +of Eberstein took example from him, and they then besought Ann and me to +do our part; but Junker Henning was the more eager. Whereupon Ann smiled +on him so graciously that I was in pain for him, and she signed to me, +and, I taking the lower part as was our wont, we gave Prince Wizlav's +"Song to Dame Love." It rang out right loud and clear from our throats +over the gentlemen's heads as they sat at our feet, and through the +garden close: + + "Earth is set free and flowers + In all the meads are springing, + The balmy noontide hours + Are sweet with odors rare; + The hills for joy are leaping. + The happy birds are singing, + And now, while winds are sleeping, + Soar through the sunny air. + + Now hearts begin to kindle + And burn with love's sweet anguish + As tapers blaze and dwindle. + Love, our lady! lend thine ear! + Would'st thou but spoil our pleasure? + Ah, leave us not to languish! + Who vows to thee his treasure, + Haughty lady, must beware." + +We had sung so much as this when the sound of hoofs, of which we had +already been aware on the soft soil of the woods, gave us pause. Then, +behold! Ann turned pale and pressed her hands, full of the roses she had +chosen for her garland, tightly to her bosom, as though in pain. Junker +Henning, who, while she sang, had gazed at her devoutly, nay, in rapture, +marked this gesture and leaped to his feet to succour her; but she +commanded herself with wonderful readiness, and laughed as she showed him +her finger, from which two drops of blood had fallen on her white gown. +And while the garden-gate was opening, she held out her hand to the young +man, saying in haste: "Pricked,--a thorn!--would you please to take it +out for me, Junker?" + +He seized her hand and held it long in his own, as some jewel or marvel, +before he remembered that he was required to take out the thorn. The +other gentle men, and among them my brother-in-law Paulus, had likewise +sprung forward to lend their aid; he, indeed, had snatched his lace neck- +tie off and dipped it in the fountain. + +Meanwhile the new-comers had joined the circle: First, Duke Rumpold, then +Jost Tetzel, and lastly Herdegen with Ursula. + +I flew to meet him, and when he held me in his arms and kissed me, and +wished me joy of my betrothal right heartily, I forgot all old grievances +and only rejoiced at having him home once more; till Ursula greeted me, +and Herdegen came in sight of Ann. She had remained sitting under the +lime-tree, on a saddle cushion of blue velvet, as on a throne; and in +truth meseemed she might have been a queen, as she graciously accepted +the service of the gentlemen who had been so moved by her pricked finger. +The Junker wrapped it with care in a green leaf which, as his lady +grandmother had taught him, had a healing gift; Paulus held forth the +laced kerchief, and the Italian was striking wailing tones from his lute. + +All this to-do, at any other time would, for a certainty, have made sport +for me, but now laughing was far from me, and I had no eyes but for Ann +in her little court, and for my brother. + +At first she feigned as though she saw him not; and whereas the Junker +still held her hand, she hit his fingers with a pink, albeit she was +never apt to use such unseemly freedom. + +Then she first marked my lord the duke, and rose to greet him with a +courteous reverence, and not till she had bowed coldly and curtly to +Tetzel and his daughter did she seem to be aware that Herdegen was of the +company. At that moment I minded me of the morning when Love had thrown +her into his arms, and it was with pain and wonder that I marked her +further demeanor. In truth it outdid all I could have dreamed of: she +held out her hand with an inviting smile, bid him welcome home and to the +forest, reproved him for staying so long away from me, his dear little +sister, and our good cousin, and then turned her back upon him to desire +the Junker to place her cushions aright. Therewith she gave this young +gentleman her hand to support her to her seat, and asked him whether, +in his country, they did not do service and devoir to the divine Dame +Musica? And whereas he replied that verily they did, that in his own +land he had heard many a sweet ditty sung by noble ladies to the harp +and lute, that the children would ever sing at their sports, and that he, +too, had oftentimes uplifted his voice in singing of madrigals, she +besought him that he would make proof of some ballad or song. The rest +of the company joining in her entreaties she left him no peace till he +gave way to her desire, and after that he had protested that his singing +was no better than the twitter of a starling or a bullfinch, and his +ditty only such as he remembered from his boyhood's time, he sang the +song "It rained on the bridge and I was wet" in a voice neither loud nor +fine, but purely, and with great modesty. + +Ann highly lauded this simple and right childish ditty, and said that she +felt certain that she, by her teaching, could make a fine singer of the +Junker. + +The others were of the same opinion, and Herdegen, meanwhile, who was +standing somewhat apart, with Ursula, looked on, marvelling greatly as +though he could not believe what his ear heard and his eye beheld. + +Then, inasmuch as my lord duke desired to hear more music made, we were +ready enough to obey and uplifted our voices, while he leaned on an easy +couch, listening diligently, and gave us the guerdon of his gracious +praise. + +Still, as heretofore, many were obedient to Ann's lightest sign, but +never till now had I seen her proud of her power and so eager to use it. +Now and again she would turn to Herdegen with some light word and a free +demeanor, yet he, it was plain, would not vouchsafe to take his seat +before her with the rest. + +Nay, meseemed that he and Ursula had no part with us; inasmuch as that +she was arrayed in velvet and rich brocade, and a bower, as it were, of +yellow and purple ostrich plumes curled above her riding-hat. + +Herdegen likewise was in brave array, after the fashion of the French, +and a bunch of tall feathers stood up above his head, being held in a +silken fillet that bound his hair. His cross-belt was set with gems and +hung with little bells, tinkling as he moved and jarring with our song; +and in this hot summer-tide it could not have been for his easement that +he wore the tagged lappets, which fell, a hand-breadth deep, from his +shoulders over the sleeves of his velvet tunic. + +The more gleefully we sang and the more it was made plain that we, to all +seeming, were only to obey the wishes of Ann and of his highness the +duke, the less could my brother refrain himself to hide his ill-pleasure; +and when presently the Junker besought Ann that she would sing +"Tanderadei," which she very readily did, Herdegen could bear no more; +he asked the Italian to lend him his mandoline, and struck the strings as +though merely for his own good pleasure. Whereupon Ann turned to him and +courteously entreated him for a song, and he asking her which song she +would have, she hastily replied: "Your old ditties are already known to +me, Junker Schopper; and, to judge by your seeming, you now take no +pleasure save in French music. Let us then hear somewhat of the latest +Paris fashion." + +To this he replied, however: "Here, in my own land, I would like better +to sing in my own tongue, by your gracious leave, fair mistress." + +Then bowing to Ursula and to me, without even casting a glance at Ann, he +went on to say: "And seeing that methinks you love madrigals, I will sing +a Franconian ditty after the Junker's Brandenburg ballad." + +He boldly struck the strings, and the little birds, which by this time +had gone to rest in the linden-tree, again uplifted their little heads, +and all that had ears and soul, near and far, Ann not the least, +hearkened as he began with his clear voice and noble skill. + + "To all this goodly company + I sing as best I may, + A madrigal of ladies fair + And damsels soote and gay. + Through many countries great and small + I roam, and ladies fair I see + Many! but fairest of them all + The maidens of my own countree. + The maidens of Franconia + I ever love to meet, + They dwell in fond remembrance + A vision ever sweet. + Of maids they are the crown and pearl! + And if I might but spin them + I would make the spindle whirl!" + +My lord duke clapped hearty praise of the singer, and we all did the +same; all save Junker Henning, who had not failed to mark that Herdegen +had striven to out-do his modest warble, and likewise the ardent eyes he +turned on the lady of his choice. Hence he moved not. Ann clapped her +hands but lightly, sat looking into her lap, and for some time could say +not a word; indeed, if she had trusted herself to speak the game would of +a certainty have been lost. + +The knight of Eberstein it was, who ere long, albeit unwittingly, came to +her aid; he challenged Ursula to give us a song in thanks to Junker +Herdegen's praise of the maids of Franconia. + +The damsel thought to do somewhat fine by making choice, instead of a +German song, of a French lay by the Sieur de Machault "J'aim la flour," +which was well known to all of us by reason that she had learnt it from +old Veit Spiesz, Ann's grandfather; and she had no need to fear to uplift +her voice, inasmuch as it was strong and as clear as a bell. But she +sang over-loud and with a mode of speech which made Herdegen smile, and I +can see her now as she stood upright in her fine yellow and purple garb, +singing the light-tripping ditty, + + "J'aim la flour + De valour + Sans falour + Et l'aour + Nuit et jour." + +with all her might, as though stirring them to battle. The folly of so +wrong-headed a fashion of singing such words was plain to Ann, in whose +very blood, as it were, lay all that was most choice in musical feeling, +and Herdegen's smile brought her a calmer mind again. When, presently, +Ursula, believing that she had done somewhat marvellous, boldly turned +upon Ann and besought her to sing--as though there had never been a +breach between the twain--Ann refused, as not caring but yet firm in her +mind. Then the Duke, who was even yet a fine singer and bore in mind how +Ursula had demeaned herself towards Ann at the great dance, desired to +have the lute and sang the song as follows: + + "Behold a lady sweet and fair + In simple dress, + But right well clothed upon is she + With seemliness. + By her do flowers seem less bright, + And she is such a glorious sight + As, on May morns, the golden sun which lights up hill and lea-- + But froward maids delight us not, with all their bravery." + +And he sang the little verse to Ann as though it were in her praise, till +at the last line, which fell from his lips as it were in scorn, he cast a +reproving glance at Ursula, and many an one might see and feel how well +the song befitted one and the other of the hostile damsels. + +Yet was it hard to guess what Ursula was thinking of all this; she +thanked the Duke right freely for his fine song which held up the mirror +to all froward ladies. At the same time she looked steadfastly at Ann, +and led both Herdegen and the Knight of Eberstein to talk with herself; +yet how often all the time did my brother cast his eyes at his heart's +beloved, whom he had betrayed. + +As for myself, I can call to mind little enough of all that was said, for +the most part concerning the flowers and trees in the garden. Only Ann +and my brother dwell in my memory, each feigning neither to see nor to +hear the other, while covertly each had not eyes nor ears for any other. +Yes, and I mind me how my brother's unrest and distress so filled me now +with joy and now with pity, that I longed to cry out to the Junker that +this was a base trick they were playing on him, inasmuch as Ann poured +oil and more oil on the flame of his love. + +And there stood old Tetzel and his daughter, and it was plain to see that +they deemed that they had Herdegen safe in their toils; nay, it seemed +likely enough that he had done his uncle's bidding and was already +betrothed to her. Howbeit this strange lover had up to that moment +cast not one loving look on his lady love. + +What should come of it all? How could I ever find peace and comfort in +so perverse a world, and amid this feigning which had turned upside down +all that heretofore had seemed upright? Whichever way I turned there +were things which I did not crave to see, and the saints know full well +that I gazed not round about me; nay, that my eyes were set on two small +specks plain to be seen--the two drops of blood which had fallen from +Ann's finger, and which were now two dark, round spots on her white gown; +and, as it grew dusk, meseemed they waxed blacker and greater. + +At length, to my great joy, my lord the Duke rose and made as though he +were departing; whereupon the false image vanished, and I beheld Ann +giving her hand with a witching smile to Junker Henning, that he might +help her to rise. + +Supper was waiting for us at the Forest lodge. My Aunt Jacoba placed the +Duke in the seat of honor at her right hand, with Ann and Junker Henning +next to him. Herdegen she sent to the other end of the table to sit near +his uncle, and Ursula far from him near the middle; to the end that it +might be clearly seen that she knew naught of any alliance between that +damsel and her nephew. + +During that meal my squire had little cause to be pleased with his lady. +The foolish sport begun in the garden was yet carried on and I liked it +not, no more than my brother's French bravery; at table he appeared in a +long red and blue garment of costly silken stuff, with a cord round the +middle instead of a belt, so that it was for all the world like the loose +gown which was worn by our Magister and by many a worthy citizen when +taking his easement in his own home. + +Besides all this, my heart was heavy with longing for my own true love, +and my eyes filled with tears a many times, also I thanked the Saints +with all my heart when at length my aunt left the table. + +When we were outside she asked me privily whether Ann had rightly played +her part; to which I answered "Only too well." + +Herdegen, also, so soon as he had bid good night to Ursula, led me aside +and desired to know what had come upon Ann. To this I hastily replied +that of a surety he could not care to know, inasmuch as he had broken +troth with her. Thereat he was vexed and answered that as matters were, +so might they remain; but that he was somewhat amazed to mark how lightly +she had got over that which had spoiled many a day and night for him. + +Then I asked him whether he had in truth rather have found her in woe and +grief, and would fain have had her young days saddened for love of him? +He broke in suddenly, declaring that he knew full well that he had no +right to hinder her in any matter, but that one thing he could not bear, +and that was that she, whom he had revered as a saint, should now demean +herself no more nobly nor otherwise than any other maid might. On this +I asked him wherefor he had denied his saint; nay, for the sake--as it +would seem--of a maid who was, for sure, the worldliest of us all. +And, to end, I boldly enquired of him how matters stood betwixt him and +Ursula; but all the answer I got was that first he must know whether Ann +were in earnest with the Junker. On this I said in mockery that he would +do well to seek out the truth of that matter to the very bottom; and +running up the steps by which we were standing, I kissed my hand to him +from the first turning and wished him a good night's rest. + +Up in our chamber I found Ann greatly disturbed. + +She, who was commonly so calm, was walking up and down the narrow +space without pause or ceasing; and seeing how sorely her fears and her +conscience were distressing her, pity compelled me to forego my intent of +not giving her any hopes; I revealed to her that I had discovered that my +Herdegen's heart was yet hers in spite of Ursula. + +This comforted her somewhat; but yet could it not restore her peace of +mind. Meseemed that the ruthless work she had done that day had but now +come home to her; she could not refrain herself from tears when she +confessed that Herdegen had privily besought her to grant him brief +speech with her, and that she had brought herself to refuse him. + +All this was told in a whisper; only a thin wall of wood parted Ursula's +chamber from ours. As yet there was no hope of sleep, inasmuch as that +the noise made, by the gentlemen at their carouse came up loud and clear +through the open window and, the later it grew, the louder waxed +Herdegen's voice and the Junker's, above all others. And I knew what +hour the clocks must have told when my brother shouted louder than ever +the old chorus: + + "Bibit heres, bibit herus + Bibit miles, bibit clerus + Bibit ille, bibit illa + Bibit servus cum ancilla. + Bibit soror, bibit frater + Bibit anus, bibit mater + Bibit ista, bibit ille: + Bibunt centem, bibunt milee." + + [The heir drinks, the owner drinks, + The soldier and the clerk, + He drinks, she drinks, + The servant and the wench. + The sister drinks and eke the brother, + The grand dam and the gaffer, + This one drinks, that one drinks, + A hundred drink--a thousand!] + +Nor was this the end. The Latin tongue of this song may peradventure +have roused Junker Henning to make a display of learning on his part, +and in a voice which had won no mellowness from the stout Brandenburg ale +--which is yclept "Death and murder"--or from the fiery Hippocras he had +been drinking he carolled forth the wanton verse: + + "Per transivit clericus + [Beneath the greenwood shade;] + Invenit ibi stantent, + [A fair and pleasant maid;] + Salve mi puella, + [Hail thou sweetest she;] + Dico tibi vere + [Thou my love shalt be!]" + +The rest of the song was not to be understood whereas Herdegen likewise +sang at the same time, as though he would fain silence the other: + + + "Fair Lady, oh, my Lady! + I would I were with thee, + But two deep rolling rivers + Flow down 'twixt thee and me." + +And as Herdegen sang the last lines: + + "But time may change, my Lady, + And joy may yet be mine, + And sorrow turn to gladness + My sweetest Elselein!" + +I heard the Junker roar out "Annelein;" and thereupon a great tumult, +and my Uncle Conrad's voice, and then again much turmoil and moving of +benches till all was silence. + +Even then sleep visited us not, and that which had been doing below was +as great a distress to me as my fears for my lover. That Ann likewise +never closed an eye is beyond all doubt, for when the riot beneath us +waxed so loud she wailed in grief: "Oh, merciful Virgin!" or "How shall +all this end?" again and again. + +Nay, nor did Ursula sleep; and through the boarded wall I could not fail +to hear well-nigh every word of the prayers in which she entreated her +patron saint, beseeching her fervently to grant her to be loved by +Herdegen, whose heart from his youth up had by right been hers alone, +and invoking ruin on the false wench who had dared to rob her of that +treasure. + +I was right frightened to hear this and, in truth, for the first time +I felt honest pity for Ursula. + + +[End of the original Volume One of the print edition] + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Love which is able and ready to endure all things +Wonder we leave for the most part to children and fools + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARGERY, BY GEORG EBERS, V4 *** + +******** This file should be named 5555.txt or 5555.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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