f good tidings of our kindred
at home, all overflowing with love and the hope of speedily seeing us
there. Hereupon Herdegen could not refrain himself for impatience and,
if I had suffered it, he would have ridden onward by day and by night
with no pause nor rest, taking fresh horses as he might need them; for
my part what I chiefly cared for was to bring him home as fresh and
sound as I might, and so preserve Ann from grief of heart. Herdegen had
given me her letters to read, and how true and deep a love, how lofty
and pure a soul spoke in those lines! Howbeit, when I heard her, as it
were, cry out by those letters, how that she longed for the moment when
she might again stroke his flowing locks and press his dear faithful
hand to her lips as his dutiful maid, my heart beat with fresh fears. He
held him more upright, to be sure, and his countenance was less pale
and hollow than it had been; but nevermore might he be a strong man. His
light eyes were deep in their sockets, his hair was rarer on his head,
and there were threads of silver among the gold. Ah, and those luckless
hands! It was by reason of his hands--albeit you will doubtless smile
at the confession--that I moved him to refrain his longing, even when
we were so near our journey's end as Augsburg, and to grant me another
day's delay, inasmuch as that I cared most that he should at first hide
them in gloves from the womankind at home. And in all the great town was
there not a pair to be and that would fit him, and it would take a whole
day to make him a pair to his measure. Thus were we fain to tarry, and
whereas we had in Augsburg, among other good friends, a faithful ally in
trading matters at the Venice Fondaco, Master Sigismund Gossenprot, we
lodged in his dwelling, which was one of the finest that fine city; and,
as good-hap ruled it, he had, on the very eve of that day, come home
from Venice.

He and his worthy wife had known Herdegen of old, and I was cut to the
heart to see how the sight of him grieved them both. Nay, and the fair
young daughter of the house ne'er cast an eye on the stranger guest,
whose presence had been wont to stir every maiden's heart to beat
faster. Howbeit, here again I found comfort when I marked at supper that
the sweet damsel no longer heeded my simple person, whereas she had
at first gazed at me with favor, but hearkened with glowing cheeks to
Herdegen's discourse. At first, to be sure, this was anything rather
than gay, inas