ht never be
remedied, had broken my power and will to fulfil what good there was in
me. And now I stood before her, freed from that sleepwalking dulness of
will, eager to know the whole truth, and declared myself ready to do all
that in me lay to attain one thing alone, namely to rescue my brother. On
this I learnt from the venerable dame's lips that now I was indeed the
old Margery, albeit Cousin Maud had of late denied it, and with good
reason; and the old woman was right, inasmuch as that the more terrible
and unconquerable the danger seemed, the more my courage rose and the
greater was my spirit. Now, too, I heard that what I had taken for
love-sick weakness in Ann was only too-well founded heart-sickness; and
that she likewise, on her part, had not been idle, but, under the
guidance of Cousin Maud and Uncle Christian, had moved heaven and earth
to succor her lover, albeit alas! in vain.

In truth the cause was as good as lost; and Uncle Christian, who ever
hoped for the best, made it no secret that, in the most favorable, issue
Herdegen must begin life afresh in some distant land. Yet was neither Ann
nor I disposed to let our courage fail, and it was at that time that our
friendship put forth fresh flowers. We fought shoulder to shoulder as it
were, comrades in the struggle, full of love towards each other and of
love for my brother; and when I bid her farewell and she would fain walk
home with me, all those who dwelt in the coppersmith's house were of the
same mind as men might be in a beleaguered town, who had been about to
yield and then, on a sudden, beheld the reinforcements approaching with
waving banners and a blast of trumpets.

In truth there was a shrewd fight to be waged; and the stronghold which
day by day waxed harder to conquer was my lord chief Constable, the
Elector Frederick; his peer, the Elector of Maintz, put all on him when
Cardinal Branda, who was Ann's kind patron, besought his mercy.

Until I had been roused to this new care in life I had never been to
court, in spite of many a gracious bidding from my lady, the Queen. My
supplications found no answer, and when Queen Barbara granted me audience
at my entreaty, though she received me graciously, yet would she not hear
me out. She would gladly help, quoth she, but that she, like all, must
obey the laws; and at last she freely owned that her good will would come
to nought against the demands of the Elector of Brandenburg. The
greatness of tha