in Maud, and she was laughing so heartily that she
could not control herself, but flung up her arms and then dropped them on
her knees, for all the world as she had taught us children to play at a
game of "Fly away, little birds."

When she marked my presence she forgot to greet me, and cried to me well
nigh breathless:

"A drink of wine, Margery, and a morsel of bread. I am ready to split--I
shall die of laughing!"

Then, when I heard my good Godfather Christian's hearty laughing, and saw
that Master Holzschuher had but just ceased, I was fain to laugh
likewise, and even Ann, albeit she had but now been so sad, joined in.
This lasted a long while till we learned the cause of such unwonted
mirth; and this was of such a kind as to afford great comfort and new
assurance, and we were bound to crave our good friends' pardon for having
deemed them lacking in diligence. Master Holzschuher had indeed made the
best use of the time to move every well-to-do man in Nuremberg who had
known our departed father, and the Abbots of the rich convents, and many
more, to give of their substance as they were able, to redeem Herdegen
from the power of the heathen; and the other twain had worked wonders
likewise, in Augsburg.

But that which had moved Cousin Maud to mirth was that my Uncle Christian
had related how that he and Master Pernhart, finding old Tetzel, Ursula's
father, at Augsburg, had agreed together to make him pay a share towards
Herdegen's ransom; and my godfather's face beamed again now, with
contentment in every feature, as he told us by what means he had won the
churlish old man over to the good cause.

Whereas the three good gentlemen had considered that all of Jost Tetzel's
great possessions must presently fall to his daughter, and that it would
be a deed pleasing to God to bring some chastisement on that traitorous
quean, they had laid a plot against her father; and it was for that alone
that Uncle Christian, who could ill endure the ride in the winter-season,
had set forth, with Master Pernhart, for Augsburg. And there he had
achieved a rare masterpiece of skill, painting Dame Ursula's reprobate
malice in such strong colors to her father that Master Pernhart was in
fear lest he should bring upon himself another fit. And he had
furthermore sworn to lay the whole matter before the Emperor, with whom,
as all men knew, he enjoyed much privilege, inasmuch as he had been as it
were his host when his Majesty held his cour