," said Margaret one day, with a flood
of tears; "for I cannot go on the way I am."

"Why, you would never be so simple as ask him?"

"Think you I would be so wicked as marry without his leave?"

Accordingly she actually went to Gouda, and after hanging her head, and
blushing, and crying, and saying she was miserable, told him his mother
wished her to marry one of those two; and if he approved of her marrying
at all, would he use his wisdom, and tell her which he thought would be
the kindest to the little Gerard of those two; for herself, she did not
care what became of her.

Gerard felt as if she had put a soft hand into his body and torn his
heart out with it. But the priest with a mighty effort mastered the man.
In a voice scarcely audible he declined this responsibility. "I am not a
saint or a prophet," said he; "I might advise thee ill. I shall read the
marriage service for thee," faltered he; "it is my right. No other would
pray for thee as I should. But thou must choose for thyself; and oh! let
me see thee happy. This four months past thou hast not been happy."

"A discontented mind is never happy," said Margaret.

She left him, and he fell on his knees, and prayed for help from above.

Margaret went home pale and agitated. "Mother," said she, "never mention
it to me again, or we shall quarrel."

"He forbade you? Well, more shame for him, that is all."

"He forbid me? He did not condescend so far. He was as noble as I
was paltry. He would not choose for me for fear of choosing me an ill
husband. But he would read the service for my groom and me; that was his
right. Oh, mother, what a heartless creature I was!"

"Well, I thought not he had that much sense."

"Ah, you go by the poor soul's words, but I rate words as air when
the face speaketh to mine eye. I saw the priest and the true lover
a-fighting in his dear face, and his cheek pale with the strife, and oh!
his poor lip trembled as he said the stout-hearted words--Oh! oh! oh!
oh! oh! oh! oh!" And Margaret burst into a violent passion of tears.

Catherine groaned. "There, give it up without more ado," said she. "You
two are chained together for life; and if God is merciful, that won't be
for long; for what are you neither maid, wife, nor widow."

"Give it up?" said Margaret; "that was done long ago. All I think of now
is comforting him; for now I have been and made him unhappy too, wretch
and monster that I am."

So the next day they both went to