sion, rose before his soul day and
night as an accursed and bloody deed; and every moment embittered by his
wife's unfaith, even to the last hour when, on her death-bed, she cursed
him, he lived through again, night after night. Whereupon he would clasp
his thin hands, through which you might see the light, over his
tear-stained face and would not be still or of better cheer till I could
no longer hide my own great grief for him.

Howbeit, when I had heard the same tale again and again it ceased from
touching me so deeply; so that at last, instead of such deep compassion,
it moved me only to dull gloom and, I will confess, to unspeakable
weariness. The tears came not to my eyes, and the only use for my
kerchief was to hide my yawning and vinaigrette. Thus it fell that the
old penitent took no pleasure in my company, and at last weeks might pass
while he bid me not to his presence.

Now, when the pictures were ended, whereas he heard that they were right
good likenesses, and moreover was told that my lord Cardinal was minded
to come home within no long space, he fell into a strange tumult and
desired to behold those pictures both of me and of Ann. At this I
marvelled not: he had long since learned to think of Councillor
Pernbart's step-daughter in all kindness; nay, he had desired me to beg
her to forgive a dying old man. We were well-disposed to do his will, and
the Pernharts no less; on a certain Wednesday the pictures were carried
to his house, and on the morrow, being Thursday, I would go and know
whether he were content. And behold my likeness was set in a corner where
he scarce could see it; but that of Ann was face to face with him and, as
I entered the chamber, his eyes were fixed thereon as though ravished by
the vision of a Saint from Heaven. And he was so lost in thought that he
looked not away till the Dominican Brother spoke to him.

Thereupon he hastily greeted me, and went on to ask of me whether I duly
minded that he had been a faithful and thankworthy guardian. And when I
answered yes he whispered to me, with a side-look at the friar, that of a
surety my lord Cardinal must hold Ann full dear, if he would bid so
famous a master to Nuremberg that he might possess her image. Now
inasmuch as I wist not yet to what end he sought to beguile me by these
questions, I confirmed his words with all prudence; and then he glanced
again at the monk, and whispered hastily in my ear, and so low that I
scarce might hea