nning or ever she spoke, said, with a proud
curl of her red lips, that she could give no opinion, inasmuch as she
only knew what beseemed young maids of noble birth.

On this the Junker answered with such high and grave dignity as I should
not have looked for in so scatter-brained a wight: "The best patent
of nobility, fair lady, is that of the maid to whom God Almighty
has vouchsafed the gentlest soul and sweetest grace; and in all this
assembly I have found none more richly endowed with both than the
damsel against whom I in jest have made complaint. Wherefor I pray the
presiding judge of this Court of Love to ask you once more for your
verdict."

Ursula found this ill to brook; nevertheless her high spirit was ready
to meet it. She laughed loudly, and with seeming lightness, as she
hastily answered him: "Then you haughty lords of the marches allow not
that it is in the Emperor's power to grant letters of nobility, but
ascribe it to Heaven alone! A bold opinion. Howbeit, I care not for
politics, and will pronounce my sentence. If it had been Margery
Schopper, who had refused the kiss, or Elsa Ebner, or any one of us
whose ancestors bore arms by grace of the Emperor, and not of the God of
the Brandenburgers, I would have condemned her to give you, in lieu
of one kiss, two, in the presence of witnesses; but inasmuch as it is
Mistress Ann Spiesz who has dared to withhold from a noble gentleman,
a guest of the town, what we highborn damsels would readily have paid
I grant her of our mercy, grace and leave to kiss the hand of Junker
Henning von Beust, in token of penitence." The words were spoken clearly
and steadfastly; all were silent, and I will confess that as Ursula gave
her answer to the Junker with beaming eyes and quivering lips, never had
I seen her more fair. It could plainly be seen by her heaving bosom how
gladly she gave free vent to her old cherished grudge; and that she had
in truth wounded the maid she hated to the very soul, Ann showed by her
deathly paleness. Yet found she not a word in reply; and while Ursula
was speaking, meseemed in the fullness of my wrath and grief as though a
cloud were rising before my eyes. But so soon as she ceased and my eyes
met the triumphant look in hers, my mind suddenly grew clear again, and
never heeding the multitude that stood about us, I went a step forward,
and cried: "We all thank you, Junker; you have taken the worthier part;
the only part, Ursula," and I looked her