craft as one egg is like
another.--You know that reckless oath. It requires me never, never to bid
Gotz home again; but yet,"--and now her eyes began to sparkle brightly
with gladness--"what my oath does not forbid is that I should go forth to
meet Gotz, and find him wheresoever he may be."

Hereupon the Chaplain clapped his hands and cried:

"And thus once more the love of a woman's heart hath digged a pit for
Satan's craft."

And I ran forth to bid them harness the sleigh, whereas I knew full well
that no counsel would avail.

And now, as of yore when she had fared into the town for love of Ann, she
was wrapped in a mountain of warm garments, so we clothed her to-day in a
heap of such raiment, and Young Kubbeling would suffer no man but himself
to drive the horses. Thus we went at a slow pace to Grubner's lodge, and
all the way we rode we met not a soul save Cousin Maud, and she only
nodded to me, by reason that she could not guess that a living human
creature was breathing beneath the furs and coverlets at my side. Young
Kubbeling on the box, and the ravens and tomtits and redbreasts in the
woods had not many words from us. While I was thinking with fear and
expectation of the outcome of this meeting of the mother and son, I
scarce spoke more than a kind word of good cheer now and again to my
aunt, to which Kubbeling would ever add in a low voice: "All will come
right!" or "God bless thee, most noble lady!" And each time we thus spoke
I was aware of a small movement about my knees, and would then press my
lips to the outermost cover of the beloved bundle by my side.

At about two hundred paces from the Forester's but the path turned off
from the highway, so that we might be seen from the windows thereof; and
scarce had the sleigh turned into this cross-road, when the door of the
lodge was opened and my uncle and Gotz came forth.

The son had his arm laid on his father's shoulder and they gazed at us.
And indeed it was a noble and joyful sight as they stood there, the old
man and the young one, both of powerful and stalwart build, both grown
strong in wind and weather, and true and trustworthy men. The slim young
pine had indeed somewhat overtopped the gnarled oak, but the crown of the
older tree was the broader. Such as the young man was now the old man
must have been, and what the son should one day be might be seen--and I
rejoiced to think it--in his father's figure and face. Howbeit, as a
husband Gotz gave n