and related to each other the experiences through which they
had passed during the period of separation.

Katterle's life had flowed on in a pleasant monotony. She had no cause
to complain of her employers.

Fran Maria Ortlieb, the invalid mistress of the house, rarely needed her
services.

During a ride to visit relatives in Ulm, the travellers, who were under
the same escort of men at arms as a number of Nuremberg freight waggons,
had been attacked by the robber knights Absbach and Hirschhorn. An
arrow had struck Frau Ortlieb's palfrey, causing the unfortunate woman
a severe fall, which produced an internal injury, from which she had not
yet recovered. The assault resulted unfortunately for young Hirschhorn,
who led it; he met with a shameful death on the gallows.

The information enraged Biberli. Instead of feeling any sympathy for the
severely injured lady, he insisted that the Nuremberg burghers had
dealt with Hirschhorn in a rascally fashion; for he was a knight, and
therefore, as honest judges familiar with the law, they ought to have
put him to death by the sword instead of with the rope. And Katterle
agreed with him; she never contradicted his opinions, and surely
Biberli must know what treatment befitted a knight, since he was the
foster-brother of one.

Nor did the maid, who was in the personal service of the daughters of
the house, make any complaint against them. Indeed, she could not praise
Els, the elder, sufficiently. She was very just, the careful nurse of
her invalid mother, and always unvarying in her cheerful kindness.

She had no fault to find with Eva either, especially as she was more
religious than any one in the whole house. Spite of her marvellous
beauty--Katterle knew that there was nothing false about it--she would
probably end by joining the nuns in the convent. But her mood changed
with every breath, like the weathercock on the steeple. If she got out
of bed the wrong way, or one did not guess her wishes before they
were uttered, she would fly into a rage at the least trifle. Then she
sometimes used very unkind words; but no one could cherish anger against
her long, for she had an indescribably lovely manner of trying to atone
for the offences which her hasty young blood made her commit. She had
gone to the ball that night as if it were a funeral; she shunned men
like poison, and even kept out of the way of her sister's friends.

Biberli laughed, as if there could be no doubt of his