es by that
name; but I have an abhorrence to be called by it: my friends call me
Hans--my enemies the fifer of Hardt, which they know I so much detest."

"What has that name to do with you?" asked Albert; "why are you called
by it? and why do you dislike it?"

"Why do people call me so?" answered the other: "I came from a village
of the name of Hardt; it lies in the low country, not far from
Nuertingen. I follow the profession of music, and play at fairs and
wakes, and when young people want to dance. For this reason I go by the
appellation of the fifer of Hardt; but as this name was stained with
crime and blood in an evil moment, I have dropped it, and cannot bear
the sound of it any longer."

Albert measured him with a searching look, and said, "I know very well
the evil moment to which you allude: when you peasants rebelled against
your Duke, you were one of the worst among them. Is it not true?"

"I see you are acquainted with the history of an unfortunate man," said
the countryman, with penitent downcast looks: "but you must not believe
that I am still the same person; the Holy One saved me and changed my
way of thinking, so that I may now say, I am an honest man."

"Oh! tell me," interrupted Albert, "what was the cause of the
insurrection? How were you saved? and how is it that you now serve the
Duke?"

"I will spare you this information for a more fitting occasion," he
replied, "for I trust this will not be the last time we meet; allow me
to ask you instead, where does this road lead to? It does not lead to
Lichtenstein!"

"I am not going there," said Albert, dejected; "this way leads to
Franconia, to my old uncle; you can tell the lady my plans, when you go
to Lichtenstein."

"And what are you going to do at your old uncle's? To hunt? you can do
so elsewhere; or perhaps to kill time? you can do that cheap enough
all over the world. Take my advice in a few words," he added, with a
good-humoured smile; "turn your horse's head the other way, and take a
ride with me for a couple of days about Wuertemberg. I know the country
well enough to keep you out of harm's way, and though war is declared,
the roads are tolerably safe yet."

The fifer gave him this assurance, in order to encourage him to bend
his steps towards Lichtenstein, which he knew would gratify the wishes
of the lady who had entrusted him with her message of love. He was
fully aware of the possibility there was of falling in with the
patroles