rt had surely been waiting some time
for his school friend in the old precentor's house.

This was really the case, but the Wittenberg theologian, whose course of
study had ended only a fortnight before, and who, with his long, brown
locks and bright blue eyes, still looked like a gay young student, had
had no reason to lament the delay.

He was first received by Ursel, who had left her bed and was moving
slowly about the room, and how much the old woman had had to tell her
young fellow-believer from Wittenberg about Martin Luther, who was now
no longer living, and Professor Melanchthon; but Erasmus Eckhart liked
to talk with her, for as a schoolmate and intimate friend of Wolf he had
paid innumerable visits to the house, and received in winter an apple,
in summer a handful of cherries, from her.

The young man was still less disposed to be vexed with Wolf for his
delay when Barbara appeared in Ursel's room. Erasmus had played with
her, too, when he was a boy, and they shared a treasure of memories of
the fairest portion of life.

When Wolf at last returned and Barbara gave him her hand, Erasmus envied
him the affectionate confidence with which it was done. She was
charged with the warmest messages from her father to the knight, and
conscientiously delivered them. The old gentleman's companion had
advised starting that evening, because experience taught that, on a long
ride, it was better for man and beast to spend the night outside the
city.

They were to put up at the excellent tavern in Winzer, an hour's journey
from Ratisbon, and continue the ride from that point.

Wolf knew that many couriers did the same thing, in order to avoid delay
at the gate, and only asked whom her father had chosen for a companion.

"A young nobleman who was here as a recruiting officer," replied Barbara
curtly.

She had not heard until the last moment whom her father had selected,
and had only seen Pyramus Kogel again while the captain's groom was
buckling his knapsack upon the saddle. He had ridden to the house, and
while she gazed past him, as though an invisible cap concealed him from
her eyes, he asked whether she had no wish concerning her father at
heart.

"That some one else was to accompany him," came her sharp reply.

Then, before the captain put his foot into the stirrup, she threw her
arms around the old man's neck, kissed him tenderly, and uttered loving
wishes for him to take with him on his way.

Her father, dee