hen he came
into my chamber, his head bowed and his hands behind his back, after
that we had greeted I turned from him and made as though I had some
matter to order, to the end that he might not see me dry my tears;
inasmuch as that he who stood before me was my Herdegen indeed, and yet
was not.

For eighteen long months had he plied the oars on board of a Saracen
galley, while Sir Franz, who was overweak for such toil, served as
keeper of slaves on the benches, himself with chains on his feet. And
it was this long, hard toil which had made my brother diligently to hide
his hands behind his back, as though he were ashamed of them; whereas
those strong hands of his with their costly rings he had ever been wont
to deem a grace, and now of a truth they were grown coarse and as red as
a brick, and were like to those of a hewer in the woods. And whereas men
are apt often to pay less heed to another's face than to the shape and
state of his hands, I ever mind me of Herdegen's as I saw them on that
day, and a star and a crescent were branded in blue on the back of his
right, so that all men must see it.

Likewise his deep breast had lost some of its great strength, and he
held himself less stately than of old. Meseemed as though the knight had
laid some part of his sickness upon him, inasmuch that many a time he
coughed much. Likewise the long golden hair, which had flowed in rich
abundance down over his shoulders, had been shorn away after the manner
of the unbelievers, and this gave to his well-favored face a narrow and
right strange appearance. Only the shape of his countenance and his eyes
were what they had ever been; nay, meseemed that his eyes had a brighter
and moister light in them than of yore.

One thing alone was a comfort to me, and that was that my heart beat
with more pitiful and faithful love for him than ever. And when evening
fell, as we brethren sat together with Gotz and Master Knorr and Akusch,
drinking our wine, which only Akusch would not touch, this comforting
assurance waxed strong within me, by reason that Herdegen's voice was as
sweet as of old, both in speech and in song; and when he set forth all
the adventures and sufferings he had gone through in these last past
years I was fain to listen, and even so was Gotz; and first he drew
tears from our eyes and presently made us laugh right mirthfully. And
what had he not gone through?

I betook me to bed that night in hope and contentment; howbeit, o