oon and stars, the fire
and water.

Whilst speaking she went out, and after learning that Frau Christine and
her husband had not yet returned, she rode with the Swabians towards the
city.

In order not to pass through the whole length of Nuremberg, Eva guided
her friends around the fortifications. Their destination was almost the
same, and they chose to enter at the Thiergartnerthor, which was in the
northwestern part of the city, under the hill crowned by the castle,
whilst the road to Schweinau usually led through the Spitalthor.

On the way Lady Wendula induced Eva to tell her many things about
herself, urging her to describe her father and her dead mother. Her
daughter Maria, on the other hand, was most interested in her sister Els,
who, as she had heard from Biberli, was the second beautiful E.

Eva liked to talk about her relatives, but her depression continued and
she spoke only in reply to questions, for the Minorite's death had
affected her, and her heart throbbed anxiously when she thought of the
moment that she must appear amongst the courtiers and see the Emperor.

Would her errand be vain? Must poor Biberli pay for his resolute fidelity
with his life? What pain it would cause her, and how heavily it would
burden his master's soul that he had failed to intercede for him!

Not until Lady Schorlin questioned her did Eva confess what troubled her,
and how she dreaded the venture which she had undertaken on her own
responsibility.

They were obliged to wait outside the Thiergartnerthor, for it had just
been opened to admit a train of freight waggons.

Whilst Eva remained on the high-road, with the castle before her eyes,
she sighed from the depths of her troubled heart: "Why should the Emperor
Rudolph grant me, an insignificant girl, what he refused his sister's
husband, the powerful Burgrave, to whom he is so greatly indebted? Oh,
suppose he should treat me harshly and bid me go back to my spinning
wheel!"

Then she felt the arm of the dignified lady at her side pass round her
and heard her say: "Cheer up, my dear girl. The blessing of a woman who
feels as kindly towards you as to her own daughter will accompany you,
and no Emperor will ungraciously rebuff you, you lovely, loyal,
charitable child."

At these words from her kind friend Eva's heart opened as if the dear
mother whom death had snatched from her had inspired her with fresh
courage, and from the very depths of her soul rose the cry, "Oh,