the carriage again she
begged him to let her rest in silence for a while. The Netherlander, it
is true, had no suspicion of her condition, but he knew that she had not
yet wholly recovered, and carefully pushed his own knapsack under her
feet.

Barbara now closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, yet she tortured
her mind with the same question which she had vainly tried to decide in
the chapel of Wolf's house. Besides, she was troubled about the
information which the recruiting officer might give her concerning her
father. And suppose she should meet the Emperor Charles in Landshut, and
be permitted to speak to him?

The blare of trumpets and a loud shout of command roused her from this
joyless reverie. The carriage was passing some squads of Hungarian
cavalry moving at a walk toward Landshut.

Their gay, brilliant appearance scattered the self-torturing thoughts.
Why should she spoil the delightful drive with her friend, which,
besides, was nearly over? Even if the worst happened, it would come only
too soon.

So drawing a long breath, she again turned to her companion, and Gombert
rejoiced in the refreshing influence which, as he supposed, her sleep had
exerted upon her. In an hour he must part from the artist to whom he owed
so much pleasure, whose beauty warmed his aging heart, and who he
frequently wished might regain the wonderful gift now so cruelly lost.
Her fiery vivacity, her thoroughly natural, self-reliant unconcern, her
fresh enthusiasm, the joyousness and industry with which she toiled at
her own cultivation, and the gratitude with which any musical instruction
had been received, had endeared her to him. It would be a pleasure to see
her again, and a veritable banquet of the soul to hear her sing in the
old way.

He told her this with frank affection, and represented to her how much
better suited she was to Brussels than to her stately but dull and quiet
Ratisbon.

With enthusiastic love for his native land, he described the bustling
life in his beautiful, wealthy home. There music and every art
flourished; there, besides the Emperor and his august sister, were great
nobles who with cheerful lavishness patronized everything that was
beautiful and worthy of esteem; thither flocked strangers from the whole
world; there festivals were celebrated with a magnificence and joyousness
witnessed nowhere else on earth. There was the abode of freedom, joy, and
mirth.

Barbara had often wished to see th