this struggle I could but say
to myself: "He has an old and good right to her, and as soon as he has
found breath he will claim it."

But she? What will she do; how will she demean her; is she aware of his
presence? Will she shrink from him as Dame Gossenprot did at Augsburg,
and the inn-keeper's smart wife at Ingolstadt, who of old was so
over-eager to be at his service? Would Ann, who had rejected many a
lordly suitor, be as sweet as of yore to that breathless creature? And
if she were to follow the example which he long since set her, if she
now cut the bond which he of old had snatched asunder, or if--Merciful
Virgin!--if his sickness should increase, and he himself should shrink
from fettering her blooming young life to his own--then, oh, then it
might be my turn, then....

And on a sudden there was a cry from the depths of my heart, but heard
by none: "Look on this side. Look on me, my one and only beloved! Turn
from him who once turned from thee, and hearken to Kunz who loves thee
with a more faithful and fervent love than that man, who to this day
knows not what thy true worth is, whose heart is as fickle as mine is
honest and true. Here I stand, a strong and stalwart man, the friend of
every good man, willing and able to carry you in my strong hands through
a life crowned with wealth and happiness!"

And while the voice of the Evil One whispered this and much more, my
gaze, meseemed, was spellbound to her countenance, and the light of her
eyes from afar shone deep into mine. And on a sudden I flung up my arms
and, without knowing what I did, stretched them forth, as though beside
myself, towards that hotly-loved maiden. Whether she saw this or no I
may never learn. And the grace of the Blessed Virgin or of my guardian
Saint, preserved me from evil and disgrace, for whereas all that was in
me yearned for that beloved one, a clear voice called to me by name, and
when I turned, behold it was Margery, who had leaped her light palfrey
into the ditch and now had sprung up the grassy bank. It was a breakneck
piece of horsemanship, to which she had been driven by longing and
sisterly love; and behind her came a man, my cousin Gotz, whose
newly-married wife's daring leap was indeed after his own heart. One
more plunge, and their horses were on the highroad, and I had lifted
Margery out of her saddle and we held each other clasped, stammering out
foolish disconnected words, while we first laughed and then wept.

This