ce, as full of jollity as ever, I was certain that
matters were all for the best for Herdegen. Our last fears and doubts
were ere long cleared away; while the gentlemen beneath were still over
their cups a heavy foot tramped up the stairs, a hard finger knocked at
our chamber door, and Uncle Christian's deep voice cried: "Are you asleep
betimes or still awake, maidens?"

Whereupon Ann, foreboding good, answered in the gladness of her heart
that we were long since sleeping sweetly, and my uncle laughed.

"Well and good," quoth he, "then sleep on, and let me tell you what
meseems your very next dream will be: You will be standing with all of us
out in a green mead, and a little bird will sing: 'Herdegen is freed from
his ban.' At this you will greatly rejoice; but in the midst of your joy
a raven shall croak from a dry branch: 'Can it be! The law must be
upheld, and I will not suffer the rascal to go unpunished.' Whereupon the
little bird will twitter again: 'Well and good; 't will serve him right.
Only be not too hard on him.' And we shall all say the same, and
thereupon you will awake."

And he tramped down the stair again, and albeit we cried after him, and
besought him to tell us more of the matter, he heard us not at all.

When we were at home again, lo, the Elector had done much to help us. I
found a letter waiting for me, sealed with the Emperor's signet, wherein
it was said that, by his Majesty's grace and mercy, my brother Herdegen
was purged of his outlawry, but was condemned in a fine of a thousand
Hungarian ducats as pain and penalty.

Thus the little bird and the raven had both been right. Howbeit, when I
presently betook me to the castle to speak my thanks to the Empress, I
was turned away; and indeed it had already been told to me that at Court
this morning that sorrowful Margery, with her many petitions, was looked
upon with other eyes than that other mirthful Margery, who had come with
flowers and songs whensoever she was bidden. None but Porro the jester
seemed to be of the same mind as ever; when he met me in the castle yard
he greeted me right kindly and, when I had told him of the tidings in the
Emperor's letter, he whispered as he bid me good day: "If I had a fox for
a brother, fair child, I would counsel him to lurk in his cover till the
hounds were safe at home again. In Hungary once I met a certain fellow
who had been kicked by a highway thief after he had emptied his pockets.
I tell you what.