as a feast," said the youth Jesuitically.

The hind cast a look of pity on this stranger who left liquor in his
mug. "Ich brings euch," said he, and drained it to the bottom.

And now Gerard turned his face to the wall and pulled up two handfuls of
the nice clean straw, and bored in them with his finger, and so made a
scabbard, and sheathed his nose in it. And soon they were all asleep;
men, maids, wives, and children all lying higgledy-piggledy, and snoring
in a dozen keys like an orchestra slowly tuning; and Gerard's body lay
on straw in Germany, and his spirit was away to Sevenbergen.

When he woke in the morning he found nearly all his fellow-passengers
gone. One or two were waiting for dinner, nine o'clock; it was now
six. He paid the landlady her demand, two pfenning, or about an English
halfpenny, and he of the pitchfork demanded trinkgeld, and getting a
trifle more than usual, and seeing Gerard eye a foaming milk-pail he had
just brought from the cow, hoisted it up bodily to his lips. "Drink your
fill, man," said he, and on Gerard offering to pay for the delicious
draught, told him in broad patois that a man might swallow a skinful of
milk, or a breakfast of air, without putting hand to pouch. At the door
Gerard found his benefactress of last night, and a huge-chested artisan,
her husband.

Gerard thanked her, and in the spirit of the age offered her a creutzer
for her pudding.

But she repulsed his hand quietly. "For what do you take me?" said she,
colouring faintly; "we are travellers and strangers the same as you, and
bound to feel for those in like plight."

Then Gerard blushed in his turn and stammered excuses.

The hulking husband grinned superior to them both.

"Give the vixen a kiss for her pudding, and cry quits," said he, with an
air impartial, judge-like and Jove-like.

Gerard obeyed the lofty behest, and kissed the wife's cheek. "A blessing
go with you both, good people," said he.

"And God speed you, young man!" replied the honest couple; and with that
they parted, and never met again in this world.

The sun had just risen: the rain-drops on the leaves glittered like
diamonds. The air was fresh and bracing, and Gerard steered south, and
did not even remember his resolve of overnight.

Eight leagues he walked that day, and in the afternoon came upon a huge
building with an enormous arched gateway and a postern by its side.

"A monastery!" cried he joyfully; "I go no further lest I fa