high, and unbarred. Under
this window sat the vintner. He was a probationer, a novitiate; this was
his second attendance. He liked to sit in the shadow and smile at Herr
Goldberg's philosophy, which, summed up briefly, meant that the rich
should divide with the poor and that the poor should hang on to what
they had or got. It may have never occurred to Herr Goldberg that the
poor were generally poor because of their incapabilities, their
ignorance, and incompetence. To-night, however, there were variety and
spice with his Jeremiad.

"Brothers, shall this thing take place? Shall the daughter of Ehrenstein
become Jugendheit's vassal? Oh, how we have fallen! Where is the grand
duke's pride we have heard so much about? Are we, then, afraid of
Jugendheit?"

"No!" roared his auditors, banging their stems and tankards. The vintner
joined the demonstration, banging his stein as lustily as the next one.

"Have you thought what this marriage will cost us in taxes?"

"What?"

"Thousands of crowns, thousands! Do we not always pay for the luxuries
of the rich? Do not their pleasures grind us so much deeper into the
dirt? Yes, we are the corn they grind. And shall we submit, like the
dogs in Flanders, to become beasts of burden?"

"No, no!"

"I have a plan, brothers; it will show the duke to what desperation he
has driven us at last. We will mob the Jugendheit embassy on the day of
the wedding; we will tear it apart, brick by brick, stone by stone."

"Hurrah!" cried the noisy ones. They liked talk of this order. They knew
it was only here that great things happened, the division of riches and
mob-rule. Beer was cheaper by the keg.

The noise subsided. Gretchen spoke.

"Her serene highness will not marry the king of Jugendheit."

Every head swung round in her direction.

"What is that you say?" demanded Herr Goldberg.

Gretchen repeated her statement. It was the first time she had ever
raised her voice in the councils.

"Oh, indeed!" said Goldberg, bowing with ridicule: "Since when did her
serene highness make you her confidante?"

"Her serene highness told me so herself." Gretchen's eyes, which had
held only mildness and good-will, now sparkled with contempt.

A roar of laughter went up, for the majority of them thought that
Gretchen was indulging in a little pleasantry.

"Ho-ho! So you are on speaking terms with her highness?" Herr Goldberg
laughed.

"Is there anything strange in this fact?" she asked, keeping