in my elder brother, and his fellows were
ever subject to his will. Even at the shooting matches in sport he
was ever chosen captain, and the singing pueri soon would do his every
behest. Cousin Maud would give them free commons on many a Sunday and
holy-day, and when they had well filled their hungry young crops at our
table for the coming week of lean fare, they went out with us into the
garden, and it presently rang with mirthful songs, Herdegen beating the
measure, while we young maids joined in with a will.

For the most part we three: Ann, Elsa Ebner, and I--were the only maids
with the lads, but Ursula Tetzel was sometimes with us, for she was
ever fain to be where Herdegen was. And he had been diligent enough
in waiting upon her ere ever I went to school. There was a giving and
taking of flowers and nosegays, for he had chosen her for his Lady, and
she called him her knight; and if I saw him with a red knot on his cap
I knew right well it was to wear her color; and I liked all this
child's-play myself right well, inasmuch as I likewise had my chosen
color: green, as pertaining to my cousin in the forest.

But when I went to the convent-school all this was at an end, and I had
no choice but to forego my childish love matters, not only for my tasks'
sake, but forasmuch as I discerned that Gotz had a graver love matter on
hand, and that such an one as moved his parents to great sorrow.

The wench to whom he plighted his love was the daughter of a common
craftsman, Pernhart the coppersmith, and when this came to my ears it
angered me greatly; nay, and cost me bitter tears, as I told it to Ann.
But ere long we were playing with our dollies again right happily.

I took this matter to heart nevertheless, more than many another of my
years might have done; and when we went again to the Forest Lodge and
I missed Gotz from his place, and once, as it fell, heard my aunt
lamenting to Cousin Maud bitterly indeed of the sorrows brought upon her
by her only son--for he was fully bent on taking the working wench to
wife in holy wedlock--in my heart I took my aunt's part. And I deemed it
a shameful and grievous thing that so fine a young gentleman could abase
himself to bring heaviness on the best of parents for the sake of a
lowborn maid.

After this, one Sunday, it fell by chance that I went to mass with
Ann to the church of St. Laurence, instead of St. Sebald's to which we
belonged. Having said my prayer, looking about m