th pure snow as they get nearer to
heaven, so should every good man or woman, when in some happy hour he
feels God's mercy nigh him, deck his heart with pure and joyful
thanksgiving.

At last we drew up on a plot shut in by tall trees, in front of a
bee-keeper's hut, and while we were there, refreshing on some new milk
and the store Cousin Maud had put into our saddle bags, we heard the
barking of hounds and a noise of hoofs, and ere long Uncle Conrad was
giving us a welcome.

He was right glad to let us wait upon him and fell to with a will; but he
made us set forth again sooner than was our pleasure, and as we fared
farther the old forest rang with many a merry jest and much laughter. To
Ann it seemed that my uncle was but now opening her eyes and ears to the
mystery of the forest, which Gotz had shown me long years ago. How many a
bird's pipe did he teach her to know which till now she had never marked!
And each had its special significance, for my uncle named them all by
their names and described them; whereas his son could copy them so as to
deceive the ear, twittering, singing, whistling and calling, each after
his kind. To the end that Ann and my uncle should learn to come together
closely I put no word into his teaching.

Not till we came to the skirts of the clearing, where the forest lodge
came in sight against the screen of trees, was my uncle silent; then,
while he lifted me from the saddle, he asked me in a low tone if I had
already warned Ann of my aunt's strange demeanor. This I could tell him I
had indeed done; nevertheless I saw by his face that he was not easy till
he could lead Ann to his wife, and had learnt that the maid had found
such favor in her eyes as, in truth, nor he nor I were so bold as to
hope. But with what sweet dignity did the clerk's daughter kiss the
somewhat stern lady's hand--as I had bidden her, and how modestly, though
with due self-respect, did she go through Dame Jacoba's inquisition. For
my part I should have lost patience all too soon, if I had thus been
questioned touching matters concerning myself alone; but Ann kept calm
till the end, and at the same time she spoke as openly as though the
inquisitor had been her own mother. This, in truth, somewhat moved me to
fear; for, albeit I likewise cling to the truth, meseemed it showed it a
lack of prudence and foresight to discover so freely and frankly all that
was poor or lacking in her home; inasmuch as there was much, even th