w her how unworthy of her is this brother of yours, though in
your secret soul you shall know that my guardian saint never had, nor
ever shall have, any other face than hers.

"Now will I hasten to seal this letter and wake Eppelein that he may
give it to the post-rider. I am weary of tearing up many sheets of
paper, but if I were to read through in all soberness that I have
written half drunk, this letter would of a certainty go the way of many
others written by me to you, and to my beloved, faithful, only love, my
lost Ann."

CHAPTER XIV.

Master Pernhart was wed on Tuesday after Palm Sunday. Ann was wont to
come to our house early on Wednesday morning, and this was ever a happy
meeting to which we gave the name of "the Italian spinning-hour," by
reason that one of us would turn her wheel and draw out the yarn, while
the other read aloud from the works of the great Italian poets.

Nor did Ann fail to come on this Wednesday after the wedding; but I had
thrust Herdegen's letter into the bosom of my bodice and awaited her
with a quaking heart.

Her spirit was heavy; I could see in her eyes that they had shed tears,
and at my first question they filled again. Had she not seen her mother
this morn beaming with happiness, and then remembered, with new pangs
of heartache, the father she had lost scarce a year ago and whose image
seemed to have faded out of the mind of the wife he had so truly loved.

When I said to her that I well understood her sorrow, but that I had
other matter to lay before her which might bring her yet more cruel
grief, she knew that it must be as touching Herdegen; and whereas before
I spoke I could only clasp her to me and could not bring out a single
word, she thrust me from her and cried: "Herdegen? Speak! Some ill has
come upon him! Margery--Merciful Virgin! How you are sobbing!--Dead--is
he dead?"

As she said these words her cheeks turned pale and, when I shook my
head, she seized my hand and asked sadly: "Worse? Then he has broken
faith once more?"

Meseemed I could never speak again; and yet I might not keep silence,
and the words broke from my bursting heart: "Ah, worse and far
worse; more strange, more terrible! I have it here, in his
hand.--Henceforth--my uncle, his rich inheritance.... All is over, Ann,
betwixt him and you. And I--oh, that he should have left it to me to
tell it!"

She stood in front of me as if rooted to the ground, and it was some
time before she could f