on to
Plassenburg rather. We love him, would fight for him, all my six sons and
I. Would we not, chickens?"

And the six sons rolled out a thunderous "Aye, fight--marry, that
we would!" as they sat, plaiting willow-baskets and mending bows
about the fire.

"But, alas! he is cursed with a mad wife, and, after all said and done,
he is not of the ancient stock," said the ancient man, shaking his head.

And the Prince answered him as quickly, tapping his brow significantly
with his forefinger, "Are not all wives a little touched? Or are yon
passing fortunate in your part of the country? Faith, we of the city will
all come courting to the Tannenwald if you prove better off."

"We are even as our neighbors!" cried the yeoman, shrugging his
shoulders. "Maul, my troth, what sayest thou? Here is a brisk lad that
miscalls thy clan."

The goodwife came forward, smiling, comely, and large of
well-padded bone.

"Which?" said she, laconically.

The farmer pointed to the Prince. The matron took a good look at him.

"Well," she said, "he is the one that should know most about us. He has
been married once or twice, and hath gotten certain things burned into
him. As for this one," she went on, indicating Dessauer, "he may be
doctor of all the wisdoms, as ye say, but he has never compassed the
mystery of a woman. And this limber young spark with the quick eyes, he
is a bachelor also, but ardently desires to be otherwise. I wot he has a
pretty lass waiting for him somewhere."

"How knew you that of me, goodwife ?" I cried, greatly astonished.

"Why, by the way you looked up when my daughter came dancing in. You were
in your lost brown-study, and then, seeing a pretty lass that most are
glad to rest their eyes upon, you looked away disappointed or careless."

"And how knew you that I was of the ancient guild of the bachelors?"
asked Dessauer.

"Why, by the way that you looked at the pot on the fire, and sniffed
up the stew, and asked how long the dinner would be! The bachelor of
years is ever uneasy about his meals, having little else to be uneasy
about, and no wife, compact of all contrary whimsies, to teach him how
to be patient."

"And how," cried the Prince, in his turn, "knew you that I had been
wedded once?"

"Or twice," said the woman, smiling. "Man, ye cackle it like a hen on the
rafters advertising her egg in the manger below. I knew it by the fashion
ye had of hanging up your hat and eke scraping your feet---not