t us leave the questions of the son-in-law and Rosa's
marriage on one side. I drink your son's good health. People say he is
a fine handsome gentleman."

Master Martin took up his goblet, and Paumgartner followed his example,
saying "A truce to captious conversation; here's to your son's health."

Spangenberg touched glasses with them, and then said, with a forced
laugh, "You saw, of course, that I was only speaking in jest. My son,
who has only to ask and have amongst the best and noblest in the land,
were a raving lunatic to come here begging for your daughter."

"Ah, my dear sir," answered Martin, "even were it jest I could answer
it in no other manner, without loss of my proper self-respect. For you
must confess, yourselves, that you are aware that I am justified in
holding myself to be the best cooper in all the country-side; that all
that can be known as to wine, I know it; that I hold faithfully by the
wine-laws framed in the days of our departed Emperor Maximilian; that,
as a pious man, I hate and despise all godlessness; that I never burn
beyond an ounce of sulphur in a two-fudder cask, which is needful for
the preservation thereof. All this, dear and honoured sirs, you can
sufficiently trace the savour of, in my wine here."

Spangenberg, resuming his seat, strove to assume a happier expression
of countenance again, and Paumgartner led the conversation to other
topics. But as the strings of an instrument, when once they have gone
out of tune, stretch and warp more and more, and the master cannot
evoke from it the well sounding chords which he could produce before,
nothing that those old fellows tried to say would harmonise any longer.
Spangenberg called his servants and went away depressed and out of
temper from Martin's house, which he had come to in such a jovial mood.

THE OLD GRANDMOTHER'S PROPHECY.

Master Martin was somewhat concerned at his old friend and patron's
having gone away annoyed. He said to Paumgartner, who had finished his
last goblet and was leaving too:

"I really cannot make out what the old gentleman was driving at with
all those odd questions; and why should he be so vexed when he went
away?"

"Dear Master Martin," answered Paumgartner, "you are a fine, grand,
noble, upright fellow, and you are right to set a value on what, by the
help of God, you have brought to such a prosperous issue and carried on
so well, and what has been a source of wealth and fortune