ck and looked at her honest suitor with a mocking twinkle in her
eyes. Then she shook her head energetically and said: "You are only a
farmer's labourer, my dear boy, and will remain one most probably all
your life. True, it is not your fault, but all the same I should
prefer to marry a rich farmer with cows and oxen and horses."

Bitter anger rose in Jan's breast on hearing her talk so heartlessly,
but he controlled himself. "Just as you like," he said sadly, and
turned away from the haughty maid.

From that day he could not endure any longer the life at the farm, and
pocketing his wages, he said good-bye for ever to the Kuempchenshof and
became a soldier.

It was a furious war in which the German Emperor was engaged against
the enemies of his country, and brave soldiers were rare. Any valiant
warrior might distinguish himself and become an officer at that time.

The farmer-boy, Jan, soon won by his bravery and intrepidity the
esteem of his superiors, and was promoted to the rank of colonel. Once
when fighting against the Swedish troops he showed such determination
and courage that he won the battle. After this brilliant act he was
made a general. But the name of Jan van Werth became even more famous
when he beat the French in a skirmish at Tuettlingen.

In another way also his good luck reconciled him to the first bitter
disappointment caused for by Griet's scornful answer. He married a
lovely and noble young lady, who was very proud of becoming the wife
of such a celebrated general.

Let us now look back and see what happened in the meantime to Griet.
She had waited month after month and year after year for the rich
farmer. But the longed-for suitor never made his appearance. Even in
those by-gone days red cheeks and bright eyes were much less thought
of than ducats and glittering gold.

As time went on Griet grew old, and though she would now have been
content with a simple man for her sweetheart, not even such a one
condescended to ask her to become his wife.

Little by little Griet gave up all hopes of ever marrying, and had to
look out for a living to keep her in her old age from starving.
Therefore she started a fruit stall at one of the large gateways of
Cologne.

One day the good inhabitants of this town were in great excitement,
and crowded in their best Sunday-clothes round the gate of St.
Severin, where Griet sat at her apple-stall. They had come to meet Jan
van Werth, the celebrated general, who