ring.

"Eh, Barbelle!" scolded Mrs. Rosel, "don't be so timid and nervous.
Gracious young lady,--I would say gracious madame,--have compassion on
her; she comes but seldom into the presence of quality folks. There is
no one so good who has not two dispositions, says the proverb; the girl
can be otherwise as merry and cheerful as larks in spring."

"I thank you, Barbelle," said Bertha: "your linen is very acceptable
and very fine. Did you spin it yourself?"

The girl smiled through her tears, and nodded a yes! to speak at that
moment appeared to her impossible. The Duke liberated her from this
embarrassment only to place her in another still greater. "The fifer of
Hardt has truly a very pretty child," he cried, and beckoned to her to
approach nearer, "well grown and lovely to behold! only look,
chancellor, how well the red bodice and short petticoat become her.
Could not we, Ambrosius Bolland, issue an edict for all the beauties in
Stuttgardt to adopt this neat dress?"

The chancellor's countenance became distorted into a hideous smile: he
examined the blushing maiden from head to foot with his little green
eyes; and said, "Certainly, a very good reason could be given, by which
an ell might be spared in the length of petticoats, for, as your grace
a few years back ordered the weights and measures to be reduced, you
have also the right, by all the rules of logic, to shorten the dress of
females. But nothing would be gained by it, for--hi! hi! hi! you would
see that what was cut off from the bottom, our beauties would be
obliged to add above. And who knows whether the ladies would willingly
agree to that? They belong to the genus of peacocks, who, you know,
don't like to shew their legs."

"You are right, Ambrosius;" the Duke laughed; "nothing escapes a
learned man! But tell me, my dear, have you got a sweetheart?"

"Ah! what? your grace!" interrupted the round matron, sharply. "Who
would talk about such like things to a child! She is a very good girl,
your highness."

The Duke paid no attention to this remark; he enjoyed the embarrassment
which was visibly manifest in the chaste features of the innocent girl,
who sighed softly, and, playing with the ends of the coloured ribands
of her plaited hair, sent an involuntary look to Albert, which seemed
to claim his kind offices in her present perplexity, and then suddenly
cast her eyes down to the ground. The Duke, alive to every thing that
was passing, laughed aloud,