"But thou, Holy Virgin," murmured Gertrude, "and thou Saint George,
our patron saint, stretch out your arms over him graciously and
protect my Andy. Bear in mind that he is my most precious treasure
on earth! Preserve my dear husband to me, and to my children the
father whom they love so ardently!"

"Amen!" exclaimed Andreas. "And now, dearest wife, come and give me
a kiss, a parting kiss!"

"You do not intend to set out this very night?" asked Gertrude,
anxiously.

"No, Gertrude, but still it is a parting kiss. For henceforth I must
become another man--a hard man, who will no longer think of his
family, but only of the fatherland and the emperor. I wept a few
minutes ago as a good father and husband, but now I must become as
hard as a good soldier ought to be. Until the Bavarians have been
expelled from the country, I shall no longer think of you and the
children, but shall be only a brave and intrepid soldier of my lord
and emperor, and the commander of the Passeyr militia. Kiss me,
therefore, a last time, Anna Gertrude! There! Give me another kiss!
Who knows but it may be the last time you will ever kiss me, dear
Gertrude? And here is still another kiss for our girls. Now it is
enough. Go to bed now, Gertrude, and pray for me."

"You will not go to bed, Andy?" asked Gertrude, anxiously.

"No, I will not, Anna Gertrude. I have business to attend to in the
yard with Joe, our laborer. We will kill the brindled cow."