r many a long day!"

Therewith he clasped me firmly and truly in his arms, and I willingly and
hotly returned his kiss, and or ever I could find a word to reply he had
quitted the chamber. I hastened to the window, and as he waved his hand
and rode off down the street facing the snow-storm, I pressed my hand to
my breast, and rarely has a human being so overflowed with pure gladness
at being twice worsted in the fray, albeit I had forced it on myself.

How I returned home I know not; but I know that I had rarely knelt at my
prayers with such fervent thanksgiving, and that meseemed as though my
mother in Heaven and my dead Hans likewise must rejoice at this which had
befallen me.

As I lay in bed, or ever I slept, all that was fairest in my past life
came back to me as clearly as if it were living truth, and first and
chiefest I saw myself as little Red-riding-hood, under the forest-trees
with Gotz, who did me a thousand services and preferred me above all
others till, for Gertrude's sake, he departed beyond seas, and set my
childish soul in a turmoil.

Then came the joy and the pain I had had by reason of the loves of
Herdegen and Ann, and then my Hans crossed my path, and how glad I was to
remember him and the bliss he had brought me! But or ever I had come to
the bitterest hour of my young days, sleep overcame me, and the manly
form of Gotz, steeled by much peril and strife for his life, came to me
in my dreams; and he did not, as Hans would have done, give me his hand;
Oh no! He snatched me up in his arms and carried me, as Saint Christopher
bears the Holy Child, and strode forward with a firm step over plains and
abysses, whithersoever he desired; and I suffered him to go as he would,
and made no resistance, and felt scarce a fear, albeit meseemed the
strong grip of his iron arm hurt me. And thus we went on and on, through
ancient mountain-forests, while the boughs lashed my face and I could
look into the nests of the eagles and wood-pigeons, of the starlings and
squirrels. It was a wondrous ramble; now and then I gasped for breath,
yet on we went till, on the topmost bough of an oak, behold, there was
Lorenz Abenberger, and the evil words he spoke made me wake up.

After this I could sleep no more, and in thought I followed Gotz through
the snow-storm. And in spirit I saw Waldtrud, the fair daughter of
Grubner, the chief forester, bidding him welcome, and giving him hot
spiced wine after his cold ride, and sipp