the Italian to lend him his mandoline, and struck the strings as
though merely for his own good pleasure. Whereupon Ann turned to him and
courteously entreated him for a song, and he asking her which song she
would have, she hastily replied: "Your old ditties are already known to
me, Junker Schopper; and, to judge by your seeming, you now take no
pleasure save in French music. Let us then hear somewhat of the latest
Paris fashion."

To this he replied, however: "Here, in my own land, I would like better
to sing in my own tongue, by your gracious leave, fair mistress."

Then bowing to Ursula and to me, without even casting a glance at Ann, he
went on to say: "And seeing that methinks you love madrigals, I will sing
a Franconian ditty after the Junker's Brandenburg ballad."

He boldly struck the strings, and the little birds, which by this time
had gone to rest in the linden-tree, again uplifted their little heads,
and all that had ears and soul, near and far, Ann not the least,
hearkened as he began with his clear voice and noble skill.

"To all this goodly company
I sing as best I may,
A madrigal of ladies fair
And damsels soote and gay.
Through many countries great and small
I roam, and ladies fair I see
Many! but fairest of them all
The maidens of my own countree.
The maidens of Franconia
I ever love to meet,
They dwell in fond remembrance
A vision ever sweet.
Of maids they are the crown and pearl!
And if I might but spin them
I would make the spindle whirl!"

My lord duke clapped hearty praise of the singer, and we all did the
same; all save Junker Henning, who had not failed to mark that Herdegen
had striven to out-do his modest warble, and likewise the ardent eyes he
turned on the lady of his choice. Hence he moved not. Ann clapped her
hands but lightly, sat looking into her lap, and for some time could say
not a word; indeed, if she had trusted herself to speak the game would of
a certainty have been lost.

The knight of Eberstein it was, who ere long, albeit unwittingly, came to
her aid; he challenged Ursula to give us a song in thanks to Junker
Herdegen's praise of the maids of Franconia.

The damsel thought to do somewhat fine by making choice, instead of a
German song, of a French lay by the Sieur de Machault "J'aim la flour,"
which was well known t