t he turned his
wild-cat-skin pocket inside out, and fell to raging and storming.

Aunt Jacoba turned pale when she heard the great sum named, and she
likewise was of opinion that old Im Hoff, who had of late been spending
much money in vows and foundations, would never give forth so vast a sum.
The richest families in Nuremberg might be moved to pay fifty, and at the
most a hundred gulden for the ransom of a Christian and a
fellow-countryman, but if even twenty might be found so open-handed,
which was not to be looked for, and if my godfather Christian Pfinzing,
and the Waldstromers, and the Hallers should do their utmost, and we
should give the greater part of all our possessions, we could scarce make
it up to twenty-four thousand sequins if my grand-uncle did not help.

Thus after a day of hope came a first night of despairing, and many
another must follow, and I was to know once more that misfortunes never
come singly.

I had hoped of a surety to speak with Eppelein once more or ever I
departed at noon, and to ask him of many matters; howbeit, when I went up
to his chamber Master Ulsenius met me with a face of care and told me
that the poor fellow was again wandering in his wits. When I presently
went forth from the house, a bee-keeper's waggon was slowly moving from
the court-yard. The housewife waved her hand, and from beneath the tilt
the face of Dame Henneleinlein looked at me with a scornful grin. Since
her evil demeanor at the Pernbarts' they had closed their house on her,
and when she had dared once to go to the Schopperhof, thence likewise had
she been shut out, and thus she felt no good-will towards us. Now when I
enquired of the housekeeper what might be the end and reason for this
visit, the woman hid beneath her apron a jar of honey which the old dame
had given her as a sweetmeat for the children; and she gave me to
understand that the worthy lady had come forth to the forest to collect
her widow's dues of honey, and had tarried on her way for a little
friendly discourse. But methought that "little" must have had some
strange meaning, inasmuch as the housewife's withered cheeks were of the
color of a robin's breast. Hereupon I threatened her with my finger, and
enquired of her whether she had not betrayed more to the evil-tongued old
woman than she ought, but she eagerly denied the charge.

My ride home to the town after noon was not altogether a pleasant one, by
reason that icy rain poured from heave