cried out in pitiful entreaty.

"Nay, Margery, in the name of the Saints I pray you! You will not make
Ann my foe. How hardhearted you can be, and how wroth, and against an old
man sick unto death on the edge of the grave!--what was it, in truth,
that brought the bitter words to my tongue, but my care and fears for
you, who are verily and indeed my only comfort and all I have to love on
earth? And now when I say again: I will not suffer you to depart. I will
sacrifice all, everything to keep you from running into certain death,
will you even then threaten to leave me alone in my misery, and to
beguile Ann to desert me likewise?"

Hereupon I spoke him fair and as lovingly as in truth I might, and
pledged my word that Ann should not set foot without the city gates or
ever my lord Cardinal had come into them, and had given him the comfort
of his blessing. And then he was of better cheer, and of his own free
will he minded me of his promise to pay certain moneys for Herdegen's
ransom; and all this he spoke full lovingly and my heart overflowed with
true and fervent thankfulness, so that I took his thin hand and kissed
it. Howbeit, he knew not yet how great a sum was needed: and whereas I
was about to prepare his mind for the worst, Ann came into the chamber,
and as soon as my grand-uncle saw her he cried out in glad good cheer:
"Thank God, sweet maid, all is peace between us again. You forego your
mad purpose, and I--I will pay the ransom." At this Ann flew to his side
and thanked him, with overflowing eyes, and little by little we led him
on, till he cried out: "Well, well, children, they surely cannot set the
price of a kingdom on that young scapegrace Schopper's head!"

So Ann took courage, and told him that Ursula had, of her deep malice,
declared that Herdegen was one of the richest youths of Germany, and that
by reason of this the Sultan had demanded the great price of twenty-four
thousand sequins.

The truth was out; I marvelled to mark that my grand-uncle was not
dismayed as I had looked to see him; nay, but he laughed aloud and said:
"That would indeed be somewhat new and strange! You children would ever
rack your brains over the Italian poets rather than over matters of mine
and thine, albeit that is the axis on which the world turns. There would,
in truth, be no justice in so vast a sum, but that in the markets of
Egypt they reckon in Venice sequins with none but the Franks; nigh upon
thirteen of their dirhems