he counselled him forthwith to do that it was his duty to
do; and when thereafter the authorities had made inquisition, it came to
light that our lads had in truth come upon the body of the slain
apprentice. And though Herdegen did his best to keep silence as touching
Abenberger's evildoings, they nevertheless came out through other ways,
and the poor wight was dismissed from the school.

By the end of two years after this, matters had changed in our household.

The twelve 'pueri' had been our guests at dinner, and were in the garden
singing merry rounds well known to us, and I joined in, with Ann and
Ursula Tetzel. Now, while Herdegen beat the time, his ear was intent on
Ann's singing, as though there were revelation on her lips; and his
well-beloved companion, Heinrich Trardorf, who erewhile had, with due
modesty, preferred me, Margery, seemed likewise well affected to her
singing; and when we ceased he fell into eager talk with her, for he had
bewailed to her that, albeit he loved me well, as being the son of simple
folk he might never lift up his eyes so high.

Herdegen's eyes rested on the twain with some little wrath; then he
hastily got up! He snatched the last of Cousin Maud's precious roses from
her favorite bush and gave them to Ursula, and then waited on her as
though she were the only maid there present. But ere long her father came
to fetch her, and so soon as she had departed, beaming, with her roses,
Herdegen hastily came to me and, without deeming Ann worthy to be looked
at even, bid me good even. I held his hand and called to her to come to
me, to help me hinder him from departing, inasmuch as one of the pueri
was about to play the lute for the rest to dance. She came forward as an
honest maid should, looked up at him with her great eyes, and besought
him full sweetly to tarry with us.

He pointed with his hand to Trardorf and answered roughly: "I care not to
go halves!" And he turned to go to the gate.

Ann took him by the hand, and without a word of his ways with Ursula, not
in chiding but as in deep grief, she said: "If you depart, you do me a
hurt. I have no pleasure but when you are by, and what do I care for
Heinrich?"

This was all he needed; his eye again met hers with bright looks, and
from that hour of our childhood she knew no will but his.

From that hour likewise Ann held off from all other lads, and when he was
by it seemed as though she had no eyes nor ears save for him and me
alon