ll a tale; and I say, Mistress Ann, if
old Dame Pernhart's answer sinks into your heart, God's blessing rest on
it!--I am waiting, as you are waiting. We each and all are waiting for
one; if by the merciful help of the Saints he ever comes home, yet never
dream, Mistress Ann, that Patience will be out of court."

And with such comfort as this the old woman hung our garments to dry
while we bowed our heads and went up-stairs.

Up in the guest-chamber we heard loud voices, and as we went in a
strange sight met our eyes. Uncle Christian and Doctor Holzschuher were
sitting face to face with Cousin Maud, and she was laughing so heartily
that she could not control herself, but flung up her arms and then
dropped them on her knees, for all the world as she had taught us
children to play at a game of "Fly away, little birds."

When she marked my presence she forgot to greet me, and cried to me well
nigh breathless:

"A drink of wine, Margery, and a morsel of bread. I am ready to split--I
shall die of laughing!"

Then, when I heard my good Godfather Christian's hearty laughing, and
saw that Master Holzschuher had but just ceased, I was fain to laugh
likewise, and even Ann, albeit she had but now been so sad, joined in.
This lasted a long while till we learned the cause of such unwonted
mirth; and this was of such a kind as to afford great comfort and new
assurance, and we were bound to crave our good friends' pardon for
having deemed them lacking in diligence. Master Holzschuher had indeed
made the best use of the time to move every well-to-do man in Nuremberg
who had known our departed father, and the Abbots of the rich convents,
and many more, to give of their substance as they were able, to redeem
Herdegen from the power of the heathen; and the other twain had worked
wonders likewise, in Augsburg.

But that which had moved Cousin Maud to mirth was that my Uncle
Christian had related how that he and Master Pernhart, finding old
Tetzel, Ursula's father, at Augsburg, had agreed together to make him
pay a share towards Herdegen's ransom; and my godfather's face beamed
again now, with contentment in every feature, as he told us by what
means he had won the churlish old man over to the good cause.

Whereas the three good gentlemen had considered that all of Jost
Tetzel's great possessions must presently fall to his daughter, and that
it would be a deed pleasing to God to bring some chastisement on that
traitorous quean, they