And Master Windecke could tell us yet more of the matter; and whereas
from him we heard that our Emperor, by reason that his coffers were
empty, could do nought to ransom King Janus, and that the Republic of
Venice was fain to take it in hand, we were in greater fear than ever,
inasmuch as this must need add yet more to the high respect already
enjoyed by the Republic in the land of Egypt, and to that in which its
Consul Giustiniani was held; and thereby his wife Ursula might, with the
greater security, give vent to that malice she bore in her heart against
Herdegen.

Thus we went to our beds silent and downcast; and after we had lain there
a long time and found no sleep the words would come, and I said: "My
poor, dear Kunz! to be there in that hot Moorish land, wounded and alone!
Oh, Ann, that must be full hard to bear."

"Hard indeed!" quoth she in a low voice. "But for a free man, and so
proud a man as Herdegen, to be a slave to a misbelieving Heathen, far
away from all he loves, and chidden and punished for every unduteous
look; Oh, Margery! to think of that!" And her voice failed.

I spoke to her, and showed that we had much to make us thankful, inasmuch
as we now at last knew that he we loved was yet alive.

Then was there silence in the chamber; but I minded me then of what
Akusch had written, that he besought some wise and mighty gentleman to
set forth from Nuremberg to overpower the foe, and now I racked my brain
to think whom we might send to take my brothers' cause in hand--yet still
in vain. None could I think of who might conveniently quit home for so
long, or who was indeed fit for such an enterprise.

Which of us twain first fell asleep I wist not; when I woke in the
morning Ann had already quitted the chamber; and while Susan braided my
hair, all I had been planning in the night grew plainer to me, and I went
forth and down stairs full of a great purpose which made my heart beat
the faster. When I entered the ball, behold, I saw the same thing, albeit
I was now awake, as I had seen yestermorn in my half-sleep. Yet was it
not Uhlwurm, but Kubbeling, to whom Ann was paying court. As he stood
facing her, she looked him trustfully in the eyes, and held his great
hand in hers; nay, and when she saw me she did not let it go, but cried
out in a clear and thankful voice: "Then so it is, Father Seyfried; and
if you do as I beseech you, all will come to a good end and you will
remember so good a deed with gr