gery!' one day, on every noble gentleman's lips;
and on the morrow: 'Here's to sweet Ursula!' In some folks it grows
inwardly, as it were a polypus, and of such, woe is me, am I. My love, if
you would know the truth, my lord Baron von Welemisl, love such I have
known I gave once for all to that man Herdegen Schopper; it has been his
from the time when, in my short little skirts, I learnt to write; and so
it has ever been, till the hour when worthy Dame Henneleinlein, the noble
Junker's new cousin--it is enough to make one die of laughing!--when that
illustrious lady whispered the truth in my ear that her intending kinsman
had thrown me over, and, with me, old Im Hoff's wealth, for the sake of a
scrivener's wench. And to think that as a boy he was wont to bring me
posies, and wear my colors! Nay, and since that time he has shot many a
fiery glance at me. Only lately he wrote to his uncle from Paris that he
was minded to make me his wife. Ah, you may open your eyes wide, most
respected every-one's-cousin Maud, and you likewise, prim and spotless
Mistress Margery! Cross yourselves in the name of all the Saints! A dead
wolf cannot bite, and as for my love for that man, I may boldly declare
that it is dead and buried. But mark me," and she clapped her hand to her
heaving bosom, "mark me, somewhat else hath made entrance here, with
drums and trumpets and high jubilee: Hate!--I hate you, Herdegen, as I
hate death, pestilence, and hell; and I hate you twice as much since your
skill with the rapier brought the combat with the Brandenburger, into
which I entrapped you, to so perverse an end."

Hereupon Cousin Maud, wild with rage herself, gripped her again by the
arm to draw her forth from the chamber, but Ursula went on in a milder
tone:

"Only a few moments longer, I pray you; for by the Blessed Virgin and all
the Saints I swear that I would not have come hither at so late an hour
but to deliver my message to Herdegen."

My cousin released her, and she drew forth a written paper and again
enquired for Ann; howbeit my brother said that he did not purpose to call
her in, and desired that she would give him the paper, if indeed it
concerned him. To this she answered that he would presently know that
much, inasmuch as it was her intent to read it to the company, only she
would fain have had his fair mistress among the hearers. Howbeit she had
a good loud voice, she thanked the Saints, and the doors in the
Schoppers' house were sc