ed in truth that,
whereas the Brandenburgers outdid all other knights in the kingdom, in
defiance and hotheadedness, I feared lest there should be a passage of
arms betwixt Junker Henning and my brother Herdegen. But Hans made answer
that, if it were the Brandenburgers intent to challenge him, he could not
hinder it; yet be trowed it would be to their own damage; that Herdegen
had scarce found his match at the Paris school of arms; and at least
should we not mar this sweet morning walk by such fears.

And he held me closer to him, and while we slowly wandered on he poured
forth his whole heart to me, and confessed that through all his lonely
life in foreign lands he had ever lacked a great matter; that even with
the gayety of his favorite comrades, even when his best diligence had
been crowned with great issues, yet had he never had full joy in life.
Nor was it till my love had made him a complete and truly happy man that
he had felt, as it were, whole, inasmuch as that alone had stilled the
strange craving which till then had made his heart sick.

Yea, and I could tell him that it had been the same with me; and as for
what more we said, verily it should rather have been sung to sweet and
lofty music on the lute and mandoline. Two rightly matched souls stood
revealed each to each, and Heaven itself, meseemed, was opened in the
strait ways of our town.

We kissed as we stood on the threshold of the Schopper-house, and when at
length we must need part he held me once more to his heart, longer than
ever he had before, and tore himself away; and laying his hands on my
shoulders, as he looked into my eyes in the pale light of dawn, he said:
"Come what may, Margery, we love each other truly and have learned
through each other what true happiness means; and nevertheless we are as
yet but in the March-moon of our love, and its May days, which are
sweeter far, are yet to come. But even the March-joy is good--right good
to me."

CHAPTER III.

I had forgotten my fears and gloomy forebodings by the time I climbed
into bed in my darkened chamber. Sleep forthwith closed my eyes, and I
lay without even a dream till Cousin Maud waked me. I turned over by
reason that I was still heavy with slumber; yet she stood by my bed, and
scarce half a quarter of an hour after, lo, again I felt her hand on my
shoulder and woke up quaking, with a cold sweat on my brow. I had dreamed
that I was riding out in the Lorenzer-wald with Hans and