harness, and said somewhat roughly that she loved not such mummery. Thus
it was not hard to guess what was in his mind; but how came it to pass
that this old man, whose princely wife had wrought ruin to his peace and
happiness, could so diligently labor to lead him he best loved on earth
into the like evil course? And among many matters of which I lacked
understanding there was yet this one: Wherefore should Eppelein, who so
devoutly loved his master, and who knew right well how to value a young
maid's beauty--and why should my good Susan and the greater part of our
servitors have turned so spitefully against Ann, to whom in past days
they were ever courteous and serviceable, since they had scented a
betrothal between her and my eldest brother?

From the first I had been but ill-pleased to see Herdegen so diligent
over this idle sport and spending so many hours away from his
sweetheart, when he was so soon to quit us all. Nevertheless I had not
the heart to admonish him, all the more as in many a dull hour he was
apt to believe that, for the sake of his love, he must need deny himself
sundry pleasures which our father had been free to enjoy; and I weened
that I knew whence arose this faint-heartedness which was so little akin
to his wonted high spirit.

Looking backward, a little before this time, I note first that Ann had
not been able to keep her love-matters a secret from her mother. Albeit
the still young and comely widow had solemnly pledged herself to utter
no word of the matter, like most Italian women--and may be many a
Nuremberger--she could not refrain herself from telling that of which
her heart and brain were full, deeming it great good fortune for her
child and her whole family; and she had shared the secret with all her
nearest friends. Eight days before Shrove Tuesday Cousin Maud and we
three Schoppers had been bidden to spend the evening in the house by the
river, and Dame Giovanna, kind-hearted as ever, but not far-seeing, had
likewise bidden her father-in-law, the lute-player, and Adam Heyden from
the tower, and Ann's one and only aunt, the widow of Rudel Hennelein.

This Hennelein had been the town bee-master, the chief of the
bee-keepers, who, then as now, had their business out in the
Lorenzer-Wald. His duties had been to hold an assize for the bee-keepers
three times in the year at a village called Feucht, and to lend an ear
to their complaints; and albeit he had fulfilled his office without
blam