to say her nay right vehemently.
But, as she was wont, she made good her own will and he shrugged his
shoulders, wrathful indeed, but overmastered by her.

During this space the great door of the refectory had been thrown open,
and when Tetzel with his old mother moved that way, desiring the guests
to follow him, my Uncle Christian, Ann's faithful friend, whispered
to me that Herdegen had told him that he was now pledged to his "dear
little warder," and likewise what was on hand between him and the Junker
von Beust. I might be easy, quoth he; the Brandenburger would have a
bitter taste of Nuremberg steel, of that he was fully assured. And he
ended his speech with a merry: "Hold up your head, Margery."

Then we all sat down at the laden table, Dame Clara sitting at the top,
albeit she looked but sullen and ill to please.

Ursula had chosen to set Sir Franz by her side. Herdegen's seat, at her
left hand, was vacant; and she bid her white Brabant hound, as though
in jest, to leap into it. The meal was served, but it all went in such
gloomy silence that Master Muffel, of the town-council, whom they named
Master Gall-Muffel, whispered across the table to my Uncle Christian
"was it not strange to give a funeral feast without ever a corpse."
Again I shuddered. My jovial uncle had already lifted his glass, and
stretching himself at his ease he nodded to me, and drank, saying
loud enough for all to hear: "To the last pledged couple, and the
faithfullest pair of lovers."

I nodded back to him, for I wist what he meant, and drank with all my
heart. Ursula had meanwhile kept her ears and eyes intent on us, and she
now signed to her father and he slowly rose, clinked on his glass, and
seeing that many were hearkening for what he should say, he declared to
his guests that he had bidden them to this banquet not alone to do honor
to the name-day of his venerable mother, whose praises his friend Master
Tucher had eloquently spoken, but rather that he might announce to them
the betrothal of his daughter Ursula to the noble knight and baron Franz
von Welemisl. Then was there shouting and clinking and emptying of wine
cups, whereat old Dame Clara Tetzel, who was deaf and had failed to
gather the purport of her son's address, cried aloud "Is young Schopper
come at last then?"

Hereupon Sir Franz turned pale; he had gone up to the old woman, glass
in hand, with Ursula, and she now spoke into her grand-dame's ear to
explain the matter. T