she, blushing
over and over as to her cheeks, and with eyes fixed on the ground, had
hurried away for it, he said to old Paumgartner:--

"Ay, honourable sir! it is no doubt the truth that my daughter is
gifted with exceptional beauty, and that Heaven has made me rich in
that respect as well as in others; but how could you speak of it in the
girl's presence?--and as to an aristocratic son-in-law, that's all
moonshine."

"Nay, nay, Master Martin," answered Paumgartner; "out of the abundance
of the heart, the tongue speaketh,' you know. _My_ old sluggish blood
begins to dance in my veins when I look at Rosa; and there can't be
much harm in my saying what she must know well enough to be true."

Rosa brought the wine, and two magnificent goblets. Martin drew the
great table, richly carved, to the centre of the room; but just as the
old fellows had taken their places, and Martin was filling the goblets,
a tramping of horses was heard in front of the house. Some cavalier
seemed to be drawing bridle; his voice was heard ringing loud in the
hall. Rosa hastened to the door, and came back to say that the old Lord
Heinrich, of Spangenberg, was there and wished to speak with Master
Martin.

"Well!" said Martin, "this is really a wondrous lucky evening, since my
good friend--my oldest patron and customer--has come to pay me a call.
New orders, no doubt; something fresh to lay down in the cellar." With
which he made off as glibly as he could, to greet the new visitor.

HOW MASTER MARTIN EXTOLLED HIS CALLING ABOVE ALL OTHERS.

The wine of Hochheimer glittered like pearls in the beautiful, cut
goblets, and opened the hearts, and loosened the tongues of the three
old fellows; and old Spangenberg, advanced in years, but still glowing
with life and vigour, served up many a quaint tale and adventure of his
younger days; so that Master Martin's paunch waggled heartily, and he
had, times without end, to wipe tears of irrepressible laughter from
his eyes, Paumgartner, too, forgot his senatorial gravity more than
usual, and gave himself thoroughly up to the enjoyment of the noble
liquor and the entertaining talk; then Rosa came in with a pretty
basket, whence she brought out table-linen, dazzling as snow. She
tripped here and there with housewifely eagerness; laid the table, and
covered it with all sorts of well-flavoured dishes, appetizing of
odour, and begged the gentlemen, with sweetest smiles, not to disdain
what had been g