e stood a young woman
with five little boys, the eldest scarce eight years old apparently,
and the youngest scarce six months. She was weeping and sobbing
bitterly. Rose hastened to meet the two old gentlemen and said, "Oh
father, father! Valentine is dead; there is his wife and the children."
"What! Valentine dead?" cried Master Martin, greatly startled. "Oh!
that accident! that accident! Just fancy," he continued, turning to
Paumgartner, "just fancy, my good sir, Valentine was the cleverest
journeyman I had on the premises; and he was industrious, and a good
honest man as well. Some time ago he wounded himself dangerously with
the adze in building a large cask; the wound got worse and worse; he
was seized with a violent fever, and now he has had to die of it in the
prime of life." Thereupon Master Martin approached the poor
disconsolate woman, who, bathed in tears, was lamenting that she had
nothing but misery and starvation staring her in the face. "What!" said
Master Martin, "what do you think of me then? Your husband got his
dangerous wound whilst working for me, and do you think I am going to
let you perish of want? No, you all belong to my house from now
onwards. To-morrow, or whenever you like, we'll bury your poor husband,
and then do you and your boys go to my farm outside the Ladies
Gate,[23] where my fine open workshop is, and where I work every day
with my journeymen. You can install yourself as housekeeper there to
look after things for me, and your fine boys I will educate as if they
were my own sons. And, I tell you what, I'll take your old father as
well into my house. He was a sturdy journeyman cooper once upon a time
whilst he still had muscle in his arms. And now--if he can no longer
wield the mallet, or the beetle or the beak iron, or work at the bench,
he yet can do something with croze-adze, or can hollow out staves for
me with the draw-knife. At any rate he shall come along with you and be
taken into my house." If Master Martin had not caught hold of the
woman, she would have fallen on the floor at his feet in a dead swoon,
she was so affected by grief and emotion. The eldest of the boys clung
to his doublet, whilst the two youngest, whom Rose had taken in her
arms, stretched out their tiny hands towards him, as if they had
understood it all. Old Paumgartner said, smiling and with bright tears
standing in his eyes, "Master Martin, one can't bear you any ill-will;"
and he betook himself to his own