ruth he
could walk.

Thus it befel that I long after thought of her with kindness; and
indeed, she was not wholly vile; and every human soul hath in it
somewhat good which spurs forth to love, inasmuch as it is love which
can cast light on all, and that full brightly; and what is bright is
good; and that light dieth not till the last spark is dead.

As to Herdegen, verily I have never understood how he could find it
in his heart to peril his life for the sake of keeping his word to a
vagabond hussy while, at the same time, he was breaking troth with the
fairest and sweetest maid on earth. Yet I count it to him chiefly for
good that he could risk life and honor to hinder those who fell upon him
so foully from escaping the arm of justice; and it is this upholding of
the law which truly does more to lift men above us women-folk than any
other thing.

Well, by that evening when Uncle Christian thus pledged my brother,
Herdegen was quite himself again in mind and body. At first it had
seemed as though a wall had been raised up between us; but after that
I had told him that I had concealed from Ann all that I had seen by
ill-hap at the moss-hut, he was as kind and trusting as of old, and he
showed himself more ready to give Ann the pledge she required than I
had looked to find him, stiff-necked as he ever was. And he hearkened
unmoved when I told him what Ann had said: "That she was ready to follow
him to death, but not to shame."

"That," quoth he, "she need never fear from any true man, and with all
his wildness he might yet call himself that." Then he stretched himself
at full length on his chair, and threw his arms in the air, and cried:

"Oh, Margery. If you could but slip for one half-hour into your mad
brother's skin. In your own, which is so purely white, you can never,
till the day of doom, understand what I am. If ever I have seemed weary
it is but to keep up a mannerly appearance; verily I could break forth
ten times a day and shoot skywards like a rocket for sheer joy in life.
When that mood comes over me there is no holding me, and I should dare
swear that the whole fair earth had been made and created for my sole
and free use, with all that therein is--and above all other creatures
the dear, sweet daughters of Eve!--and I can tell you, Margery, the
women agree with me. I have only to open my arms and they flutter into
them, and not to close them tight--that, Margery, is too much to look
for; yet is there b