ht of our
disputing, by reason that Master Windecke had so much new matter for
discourse that every ear hung on his words; and he, again, forgot to
eat while he talked. In Cousin Maud, indeed, as she hearkened to
my godfather's wrathful speech, certain doubts had arisen; yet even
stronger resistance would never have turned her aside from anything she
deemed truly good and right; howbeit she was more than willing to leave
it to us to settle matters with Aunt Jacoba. We went up-stairs to her,
and at her chamber door our courage failed us, inasmuch as we could hear
through the door my uncle's angry speech, and that laugh which my aunt
was wont to utter when aught came to her ears which she was not fain to
hear.

"And if she were to say No?" said I to Ann. Hereupon a right sorrowful
and painful cloud overspread her face, and it was in a dejected tone
that she answered me that then indeed all must be at an end, and
her fondest hopes nipped, by reason that she owed more to Mistress
Waldstromer than ever she could repay, and whatsoever she might
undertake against her will would of a certainty come to no good end. And
we heard my aunt's laugh again; but then I took heart, and raised the
latch, and Ann led the way into the chamber.

Howbeit, if we had cherished the smallest hope without, within it failed
us wholly. As we went in my uncle was standing close by my aunt; his
back was towards us, and he saw us not; but his mien alone showed us
that he was wroth and provoked: his voice quaked as he cried aloud with
a shrug of his shoulders and his hand uplifted: "Such a purpose is sheer
madness and most unseemly!"

Then, when for the third time I coughed to make our presence known to
him, he turned his red face towards us, and cried out in great fury:
"Here you are to answer for yourselves; and come what may, this at least
shall be said: 'If mischief comes of it, I wash my hands in innocence!'"

Whereupon he went in all haste to the door and had lifted his hand to
slam it to, when he minded him of his beloved wife's sick health and
gently shut it and softly dropped the latch.

We stood in front of Aunt Jacoba, and could scarce believe our eyes and
ears when she opened wide her arms and, with beaming eyes, cried in a
voice of glad content: "Come, come to my heart, children! Oh, you
good, dear, brave maids! Why, why am I so old, so fettered, so sick a
creature? Why may I not go with you?"

At her first words we had fallen on our