e. It could not have
been brought there without the aid of at least six men and two horses.
How it could have been done so "unbeknown" was the wonder of all, for
setting May-poles was rigorously forbidden and punished with three
months' confinement in the Ludwigsburg penitentiary. The fear of this
punishment had deterred all the boys from putting this monster nosegay
before their sweethearts' windows,--all but Wendel's Mat, who went to
see Eva. Who had helped him was not to be discovered: some supposed
that they were boys from Dettensee, which is only a mile off and
belongs to the dominions of his high mightiness the Duke of
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

Many of the farmers, on their way to the field with their ploughs and
harrows, stopped to look at the May-pole. Others, with hoes on their
shoulders, did the same. Wendel's Mat was there also, and he chuckled
in his sleeve continually, tipping the wink to Eva, who sat gayly at
the window with her eyes shut. Those closed eyes were very significant.
At every arch repetition of the question, "Who could have set the
May-pole!" she answered with a roguish shrug of the shoulders.

Just as the May-man and his followers had reached Michael the wagoner's
house and began their song, the beadle and the ranger made their
appearance, and a solemn "Hush your noise, you----!" from the former,
stopped the proceedings. Amid the sudden silence the officer of the law
walked up to Mat, took him by the arm, and said, "Come along to the
squire."

Mat shook off the broad hand of the functionary, and asked, "What for?"

"You'll hear in good time. Come along, now, or you'll be sorry for it."

Mat looked about him as if he did not exactly know what to do, or as if
he was waiting for assistance from some quarter. The May-cabin marched
straight up to the beadle and struck his face. The boy probably took it
for granted that, as May-man, his person was sacred and secure; but the
beadle knew no sacred personage except himself, and pulled the boy's
hut to pieces at a blow. Christian, Mat's younger brother, sprang out
of it; and there was an end of the Maying.

Meantime Eva had come out of the house and took Mat by the arm, as if
to save him. But he shook her off almost as roughly as he had done the
beadle; while the latter said to Eva, "You may as well wait till I come
for you."

[Illustration: Holding her apron to her face, she went back quickly to
the house.]

"Come on," said Mat, casting a l