cannot." Eva shook her head sadly, "He has given his word and
cannot break it. You must try to sing for love of me," she pleaded.

Walther was quite distracted at the prospect. Meantime, after the
church had become empty, David, the apprentice of Hans Sachs, came in
with a great piece of chalk stuck in his belt, and carrying a big
rule. Magdalene was quite in love with David, so that when Eva
appealed to her for help, she had turned her attention to the
apprentice.

"David, what are you doing there?" she cried, in order to give the
lovers a little more time.

"Doing? Why is it not weighty business to-day? The Mastersingers are
to have a trial of voices, to be sure. The pupil, whoever he may be,
whose voice is fine and whose composition breaks none of the rules
that govern those things is to be made free to enter for the prize;
and later, when the great festival of song is on, he may even become a
Mastersinger, himself."

"There, Sir Knight, is your opportunity! You must be the pupil. Eva,
we must be gone and leave Sir Walther to try for thee."

"Oh, heaven! I am all of a fright. I fear I shall never understand
what is expected of me," Walther cried distractedly.

"David here shall tell you, Sir Walther. Here, David, help this brave
gentleman all that you can. I wish it." She looked admonishment at
him.

"Tell him all the plan of the Mastersingers and how they will expect
him to conduct himself in the competition. Come, Eva." But Eva still
lingered. In came two other apprentices, bearing benches. Walther
watched those formidable preparations with uneasiness, walking up and
down the church in dismay.

"Good heaven! I am sure I cannot sing. I have never tried to sing. I
shall never be able to sing. Yet I must sing. What in the world can a
man do, in such a fix?"

"Well, well, do the best you can. David will instruct you, Sir
Knight," said Magdalene, and she hurried away with Eva, leaving the
poor knight alone with the apprentices.

These chaps came in thick and fast, bringing benches for the
Mastersingers to sit upon, and arranging everything in the church for
the trial of song. David kept watching Walther, who had flung himself
into a great ecclesiastical chair, and sat there brooding. After
observing him in silence for a time, David shouted:

"Begin," Walther started.

"What for?"

"Begin!"

"What for?"

"What for?--why that is how the Marker calls. You must then at once go
and sing. Don't you unde