Rose bowed low with child-like respect before Paumgartner, and taking
his hand, pressed it to her lips. The crimson colour rushed into the
old gentleman's pale cheeks, as the sun when setting shoots up a dying
flash, suddenly converting the dark foliage into gold, so the fire of a
youth now left far behind gleamed once more in his eyes. "Ay! ay!" he
cried in a blithesome voice, "marry, my good friend Master Martin, you
are a rich and a prosperous man, but the best of all the blessings
which the good Lord has given you is your lovely daughter Rose. If the
hearts of old gentlemen like us who sit in the Town Council are so
stirred that we cannot turn away our purblind eyes from the dear child,
who can find fault with the young folks if they stop and stand like
blocks of wood, or as if spell-bound, when they meet your daughter in
the street, or see her at church, though we have a word of blame for
our clerical gentry, because on the Allerwiese,[16] or wherever else a
festival is held, they all crowd round your daughter, with their sighs,
and loving glances, and honied words, to the vexation of all other
girls? Well, well, Master Martin, you can choose you your son-in-law
amongst any of our young patricians, or wherever else you may list."

A dark frown settled on Master Martin's face; he bade his daughter
fetch some good old wine; and after she had left the room, the hot
blushes mantling thick and fast upon her cheeks, and her eyes bent upon
the floor, he turned to old Paumgartner, "Of a verity, my good sir,
Heaven has dowered my daughter with exceptional beauty, and herein too
I have been made rich; but how can you speak of it in the girl's
presence? And as for a patrician son-in-law, there'll never be anything
of that sort." "Enough, Master Martin, say no more," replied
Paumgartner, laughing. "Out of the fulness of the heart the mouth must
speak. Don't you believe, then, that when I set eyes on Rose the
sluggish blood begins to leap in my old heart also? And if I do
honestly speak out what she herself must very well know, surely there's
no very great mischief done."

Rose brought the wine and two beautiful drinking-glasses. Then Martin
pushed the heavy table, which was ornamented with some remarkable
carving, into the middle of the kitchen. Scarcely, however, had the old
gentlemen taken their places and Master Martin had filled the glasses
when a trampling of horses was heard in front of the house. It seemed
as if a h