loudly enough as a splendid dancer. A downright good fellow,
child, just as I was myself at his age. An uncle of his, a captain of
arquebusiers, Pyramus Kogel."

Hitherto Barbara, with increasing displeasure, had only suspected whom
her father meant; but when he now mentioned his new friend's name, the
indignant blood crimsoned her cheeks.

She had liked the handsome officer, for it was true that few men so well
understood the art of guiding a partner through the dance; she, fool that
she was, had made eyes at him in order not to let pretty Elspet Zohrer
have the precedence. But he had himself confessed how much farther he had
entered the snare than she intended when, on her way home from Fran
Lerch's after her meeting with Wolf, the young officer had met her
outside of the Grieb and sued for her hand.

Now the amorous swain had probably tried his luck with her father, and
how the latter, in spite of poor Wolf and Herr Schlumperger, had treated
him was evident from the fact that he, who usually closed his home
against old friends, opened it wide to this stranger.

This was not only unpleasant to Barbara, but anger crimsoned her cheeks.

How dared the man whom she had so positively and sternly refused venture
to continue his suit? Since the Emperor had loved her, she felt raised
infinitely above the poor nobleman. Nay, she considered it a
reprehensible impropriety that he still sought her. And, besides what
consequences the visit of so stately a ladykiller, whose unusual height
rendered him easily recognised, might now entail upon her! Suppose that
he should meet a messenger from the Emperor on the stairs, or it should
be rumoured at court that she received such visitors. How quickly
whatever happened in Ratisbon was noised abroad among the people she had
just learned through the Woller girls.

The happiness which filled her was so great that everything which
threatened to affect it, even remotely, alarmed her, and thus anxiety
blended with indignation as, deeply agitated, she interrupted her father,
and in the most unfilial manner reproached him for allowing the flattery
of a boastful coxcomb to make him forget what he owned to her and her
good name.

The brave champion of the faith dejectedly, almost humbly, strove to
soothe her, and at least induce her not to offend his guest by unfriendly
words; but she ignored his warnings with defiant passion, and when the
recruiting officer, who had been detained some time