in, and how she swept past us on
Junker Henning's arm.

A young knight of the Palatinate now led me out to a dance I had erewhile
promised him.

We stopped for lack of breath. The festival was over; yet did Ursula and
the Junker walk together. He was hearkening eagerly to all she might say,
and on a sudden he clapped his hand into hers which she held out to him,
and his eyes, which he had held set on the floor, fired up with a flash.
Presently he and the Knight von Rochow made their way, arm in arm through
the press, and both were laughing and pulling their long red beards.

I still clung to my lover's arm and entreated him to take me to speak
with Junker Henning, inasmuch as I sorely wanted to question him; but the
Junker diligently kept far from us. Nevertheless we at last stayed him,
and after that I had enquired, as it were in jest, whether he had healed
his old feud with Mistress Ursula and concluded a truce, or peradventure
made peace with her, he answered me, in a tone all unlike his wonted
frank and glad manner, that this for a while must remain privy to him and
her, and that we should scarce be the first to whom he should reveal the
matter; and forthwith he bid us farewell with a courtly reverence. But my
lover would not let him thus depart, and asked him, calmly, what was the
interpretation of this speech, whereupon Rochow spoke for his young
fellow-countryman, and enquired, in the high-handed and lordly tone which
ever marked his voice and manner, whether here, in the native land of
Nuremberg playthings, love and faith were accounted of as toys.

Junker Henning however, broke in, and said, casting a warning look at me:
"Far be it from him to break friendship with an honorable gentleman, such
as my Hans, before having an explanation." And he held out his hand
somewhat more readily than before, bowed sweetly to me and led away his
cousin.

At last we got out with the Haller parents and Cousin Maud. The old folks
got into litters, and the serving men were lighting the way before me to
mine, when my lover stayed me, saying: "It is already grey in the East.
Never before were we together so well betimes, Margery, and happy hours
are few. If thou'rt not too weary, let us walk home together in this
fresh morning air."

I was right well-content and we went gently forward, I clinging to him
closely. He felt how high my heart was beating and, when he asked me
whether it was for love that it beat so fast, I confess