e as he
asked me:

"Could I then bring poverty on my parents, who were ever good to me, to
bestow wealth on that evil brood? Never should those knavish rogues have
learnt from me what I have gladly revealed to thee who are full of
goodness and beauty!"

This speech went to my heart; and if it were not truth then is there no
truth in all the world! But when again I had interpreted his words, and
Tetzel still would but shrug his shoulders, this vexed me so greatly that
it was as much as I could do to refrain myself, and hold my peace.

I had seen from the first, in Uncle Christian's eyes, that he was of the
same mind with me; yet could I not guess what purpose he had in his head,
although to judge by her face it was something passing strange, when he
muttered some behest to Ann with his poor fettered tongue. Then, when she
told me what my godfather required of me, I was not in any haste to obey,
for, indeed, maidenly bashfulness and pity hindered me. Yet, whereas the
brave old man nodded to spur me on, with his heavy head, still covered
with a cold wet cloth, I called up all my daring, and before the lad was
aware I dealt him a slap on the cheek.

It was not a hard blow, but the lad seemed as much amazed as though the
earth had opened at his feet. His dark face turned ashen-grey and his
great eyes looked at me in tearful enquiry, but so grievously that I
already rued my unseemly deed.

Soon, however, I had cause to be glad; the youth's demeanor won his
cause. Uncle Christian had only desired to prove him. He knew men well,
and he knew that youths of various birth take a blow in the face in
various ways; now, the Emir's son had demeaned him as one of his rank,
and had stood the ordeal! So my aunt Jacoba told him, for she had at once
seen through Uncle Christian's purpose, and presently Jost Tetzel
himself, though ill-pleased and sullen, confessed his error. Then, when
they had promised the youth that he should be spared all further
ill-usage, he opened the lining of his garment and showed us a gem which
his mother had privily hung about his neck, and which was a lump or
tablet of precious sky-blue turkis-stone, as large as a great plum,
whereon was some charm inscribed in strange, outlandish signs which the
Jewish Rabbi Hillel, when he saw it, declared to be Arabic letters.

The bear-leader had called the lad Beppo; but his real name was a long
one and hard to utter, out of which my forest uncle picked up two
syllab