d stretching
himself at his ease he nodded to me, and drank, saying loud enough for
all to hear: "To the last pledged couple, and the faithfullest pair of
lovers."

I nodded back to him, for I wist what he meant, and drank with all my
heart. Ursula had meanwhile kept her ears and eyes intent on us, and she
now signed to her father and he slowly rose, clinked on his glass, and
seeing that many were hearkening for what he should say, he declared to
his guests that he had bidden them to this banquet not alone to do honor
to the name-day of his venerable mother, whose praises his friend Master
Tucher had eloquently spoken, but rather that he might announce to them
the betrothal of his daughter Ursula to the noble knight and baron Franz
von Welemisl. Then was there shouting and clinking and emptying of wine
cups, whereat old Dame Clara Tetzel, who was deaf and had failed to
gather the purport of her son's address, cried aloud "Is young Schopper
come at last then?"

Hereupon Sir Franz turned pale; he had gone up to the old woman, glass in
hand, with Ursula, and she now spoke into her grand-dame's ear to explain
the matter. The old woman looked first at her son and then at my
grand-uncle, and shook her head; nevertheless she put a good face on a
bad case, gave Sir Franz her hand to kiss, and was duly embraced by
Ursula; yet she sat nodding her head up and down, and ever more shrewdly
as she heard the bridegroom cough. Amazement sat indeed on the faces of
all the guests; howbeit the ice was broken, and the silent and gloomy
company had on a sudden turned right mirthful. Cousin Maud, meseemed, was
the most content of all. Ursula's betrothal had rescued her favorite from
great peril, and henceforth her plumed head-gear was at rest once more.

All about me was talk and laughter, glasses ringing, voices uplifted in
set speeches, and many a shout of gratulation. When a betrothal is in the
wind, folks ever believe that they have hold of the guiding clue to
happiness, even if it be between a simpleton and a deaf mute.

The seat on my left hand, which my lover should have filled, remained
empty; on my right sat his reverence Master Sebald Schurstab, the
minorite preacher and prior who, so soon as he had spoken in honor of one
toast, fixed his eyes on the board and thought only of the next. Thus, in
the midst of all this mirthful fellowship, there was nought to hinder my
fears and hopes from taking their way. Each time that a cry of