rning embers of the
fire. A troubled look beamed in his eyes, leaving Albert in doubt
whether he had not touched upon a subject which was painful to his
friend, whose countenance he thought was tinged with a passing blush.
"That question," he at length replied, "refers to a certain occurrence,
which I never willingly speak about. But you are right, sir, in your
conjecture, and it appears to me also that we shall not meet again for
some time; therefore I will satisfy your curiosity. Have you ever heard
of the insurrection called, 'Poor Conrad'?"

"O, yes!" replied Albert, "the report spread far beyond Franconia. Was
it not an insurrection of the peasantry? It was said, they wanted even
to take the Duke's life!" I----

"You are perfectly right, the affair of Conrad was a bad thing. About
seven years ago many men among us peasantry were dissatisfied with our
landlords; great distress prevailed throughout the country, in
consequence of the failure of the crops. The rich had squandered all
their money; the poor had long since no more left, but still we were
obliged to pay heavy taxes without end, in order to satisfy the
exorbitant demands of the Duke's court, where every luxury was carried
on in the midst of an impoverished country."

"Did your representatives accede to these extravagant demands?"
inquired the young man.

"They did not always venture to say no; for, the Duke's purse having an
enormous large hole in it, they had no other means of repairing it than
by the sweat of our brow. Many, therefore, struck work, because, said
they, 'the corn which we sow, does not grow for our bread, and the wine
we make, does not flow into our casks.' They then thought, as nothing
more could be taken from them than their lives, that they would live
merrily and without care, and calling themselves counts of 'no home,'
spoke of their many castles on the 'hungry mountain,' of their wealthy
possessions in 'the land of famine' and on the banks of the 'river of
beggary.' This was the origin of the insurrection named 'The League of
Poor Conrad.'"

The fifer of Hardt laid his head in his hand in deep thought, and was
silent.

"But you promised to relate to me your adventures with the Duke," said
Albert.

"I had nearly forgotten that," he answered: "well," he continued,
"persecution was at length brought to such a pass, that even the
weights and measures were decreased in size and quantity, so that the
Duke and his courtiers might be