A House, resplendent and gleaming,
He whom thy heart goeth forth to
Shall to thy dwelling bring.
Needless to ask of thy father.
This is thy destined lord.
For this House, into thy dwelling
Bringeth good fortune and bliss.
Keep thine eyes open, then, maiden;
Watchful thine ears for the true word to come.
God's truest blessing be on thee,
Walking thy flowery way.'"

"And when the old grandmother had sung this song, she put the child
gently and carefully down on the bedcover, and laying her withered,
trembling hands upon its forehead, whispered words which were wholly
unintelligible, though the inspired and sublime expression of her face
showed that she was praying. Then she sunk back with her head on the
pillow, and as the nurse lifted the child she gave a deep sigh--she was
gone."

"A wonderful story," said Paumgartner. "Still I don't see how this
prophetic song of the old grandmother has any connection with your
obstinate determination to give Rosa to nobody but a master cooper."

"What can be clearer," said Master Martin, "than that the old lady,
specially enlightened by the Lord during the last moments of her life,
declared in prophecy how matters are to go with Rosa, if she is to be
happy and fortunate? The wooer who is to bring wealth, luck and
happiness into her dwelling with a beautiful House; who can that be but
a clever cooper, who shall finish his masterpiece, the beautiful House
of his building, in my workshop? In what other house do streams of
sweet savour flow up and down but in a wine-cask? And when the wine is
working it rustles, and hums, and plashes; and that is the singing of
the angels as they float on the tiny ripples. Ay, ay! no other
bridegroom did the old grandmother mean but the master cooper. To that
I pin my faith."

"Good Master Martin," said Paumgartner, "you interpret the old lady's
words after your own manner; but I cannot altogether agree with your
interpretation, and I still maintain that you ought to leave the whole
matter in the hands of God, and in your daughter's heart: for the true
meaning and the proper deciding of it most certainly lie hidden there."

"And I, as far as I am concerned," said Master Martin, "stick to my own
opinion, that my son-in-law shall be none but a clever cooper. This I
hold to, for once and for all."

Paumgartner was beginning almost to lose his temper over Martin's
obstinacy. But he cont