th 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