stood grinning by, and held the
paint-pot, while the sham count painted the shield with three
red herrings rampant under a sort of Maltese cross made with two
ell-measures. At first his plebeian servants were insolent. But this
coming to the notice of his noble one, he forgot what he was doing
penance for, and drew his sword to cut off their ears, heads included.
But Gerard interposed and saved them, and rebuked the count severely.
And finally they all understood one another, and the superior mind
obtained its natural influence. He played the barbarous noble of that
day vilely. For his heart would not let him be either tyrannical or
cold. Here were three human beings. He tried to make them all happier
than he was; held them ravished with stories and songs, and set Herr
Penitent and Co. dancing with his whistle and psaltery. For his own
convenience he made them ride and tie, and thus pushed rapidly through
the country, travelling generally fifteen leagues a day.

DIARY.

"This first day of January I observed a young man of the country to meet
a strange maiden, and kissed his hand, and then held it out to her. She
took it with a smile, and lo! acquaintance made; and babbled like old
friends. Greeting so pretty and delicate I ne'er did see. Yet were they
both of the baser sort. So the next lass I saw a coming, I said to my
servant lord, 'For further penance bow thy pride; go meet yon base-born
girl; kiss thy homicidal hand, and give it her, and hold her in
discourse as best ye may.' And my noble Servant said humbly, 'I shall
obey my lord.' And we drew rein and watched while he went forward,
kissed his hand and held it out to her. Forthwith she took it smiling,
and was most affable with him, and he with her. Presently came up a band
of her companions. So this time I bade him doff his bonnet to them, as
though they were empresses; and he did so. And lo! the lasses drew up as
stiff as hedgestakes, and moved not nor spake."

Denys. "Aie! aie! aie Pardon, the company."

"This surprised me none; for so they did discountenance poor Denys. And
that whole day I wore in experimenting these German lasses; and 'twas
still the same. An ye doff bonnet to them they stiffen into statues;
distance for distance. But accost them with honest freedom, and with
that customary, and though rustical, most gracious proffer, of the
kissed hand, and they withhold neither their hands in turn nor their
acquaintance in an honest way. Seeing which