us and kindly office if I had not
some worthy reason. And herein I had hit on the right way; he recovered
himself, his brow cleared, and saying only "Women, women!" he shook his
head and clasped me to him; and as I fervently returned his kiss, and
opened my chamber door, he called after me: "We will see in the morning,
but as early as may be."

When I presently was in my bed I minded me of the carol the little ones
were to sing; and then I remembered my own school-days, and how the
Carthusian Sisters had explained to us those words of Scripture: "And the
times shall be fulfilled." They were written, to be sure, of a special
matter, of the birth of our Saviour and Redeemer; yet I applied them to
myself and Gotz, and wondered in my heart whether indeed anything that
had ever befallen me in life, whether for joy or for sorrow, had been in
vain, and how matters might have stood with me now if, as a young
unbroken thing, or ever I had gone through the school of life, I had been
plighted to this man, whom the Almighty had from the first fated to be my
husband. If the wilful blood of the Schoppers, unquelled as it had then
been, had come into strife with Gotz's iron will, there would have been
more than enough of hard hitting on both sides, and how easily might all
our happiness have been wrecked thereby.

It was past midnight when at last I slept; and in the dim morning
twilight the Christmas chorus rang through the house in the words the
Shepherds heard in Angels' voices: "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace." It woke Gotz, and when we presently got into the sleigh, he
whispered to me: "How piously glad was your hymn, my sweetheart! And you
were right yestereve, and peace shall indeed reign on earth, and above
all betwixt you and me, everywhere and at all times till the E N D."

..........................

A POSTSCRIPTUM BY KUNZ SCHOPPER

The children entreat me to write more of Margery's unfinished tale.
Howbeit I am nigh upon eighty years of age, and how may I hope to win
favor in the exercise of an act to which I am unskilled save in matters
of business? Yet, whereas I could never endure to say nay to any
reasonable prayer of those who are dearest to my heart, I will fulfil
their desire, only setting down that which is needful, and in the
plainest words.

They at whose bidding I sit here, all knew my dear sister well. Margery,
the widow of the late departed Forest-ranger, the Knight Sir Got