tir."

A look of ardent love from her sparkling blue eyes accompanied the
words; but he had withdrawn his hand in astonishment, and raised a lofty
barrier between them by answering coldly and sternly, "Keep the heart
and your dainty self for the equerry Seifried who is an honest man."

The advice, and the lofty austerity with which it was given, pierced
Kuni like the thrust of a dagger. Yet she succeeded controlling herself,
and, without a word reply, preceded the harsh man into the sleeping room
and silently, tearlessly, pointed the chest. When he had taken out the
money, she bowed hastily and ran down the stairs.

Probably she heard him call her name more than three times; doubtless,
afterward she fancied that she remembered how his voice had sounded
in beseeching, tender, at last even imperious tones through the empty
corridors; but she did not turn, and hurried into her room.

CHAPTER V.

When, on the evening of the christening day, Lienhard accompanied his
aunt home, Kuni was nowhere to be found. Frau Sophia discovered in her
chamber every article of clothing which she had obtained for her, even
the beaver cap, the prayer-book, and the rosary which she had given.
The young burgomaster, at her request, went to the manager of the
rope-dancers, Loni, the next morning, but the latter asserted that
he knew nothing about the girl. The truth was that he had sent her to
Wurzburg with part of his company.

From that time she had remained with the ropedancers. At first the
master had watched her carefully, that she might not run away again.
But he soon perceived this to be unnecessary; for he had never found any
member of the company more zealous, or seen one make more progress in
the art. Now the only point was to keep her out of the way of other
rope-dancers, English proprietors of circus companies, as well as the
numerous knights and gentlemen who tried to take her from him. Her name
had become famous. When the crier proclaimed that the "flying maiden"
would ascend the rope to the steeple, Loni was sure of a great crowd of
spectators. Among her own profession she had obtained the nickname of
crazy Kuni.

Yet even at that time, and in the midst of the freest intercourse with
German, Spanish, and other officers in Flanders and Brabant, young
knights and light-hearted priests on the Rhine, the Main, the Danube,
the Weser, and the Elbe, whose purses the pretty, vivacious girl, with
the shining raven hair and bri