and father, as the brave and loyal liegeman of his Emperor, and the
prudent manager of his estate, regained his former light-heartedness, and
taught his wife to share it, both never forgot the painful conflict by
which they had won each other.

When Eva passed the village forge and saw the smith draw the glowing iron
from the fire and, with heavy hammer strokes, fashion it upon the anvil
as he desired, she often remembered the grievous days after her mother's
death, which had made the "little saint"--she did not admit it herself,
but the whole Swabian nobility agreed in the opinion--the most faithful
of wives and mothers, the Providence of the poor, the zealous promoter
of goodness, the most simply attired of noblewomen far and near, yet the
most aristocratic and distinguished in her appearance of them all.

Hand in hand with her husband she devoted the most faithful care to their
children, and if Biberli, the castellan of the castle, and Katterle his
wife, who had remained childless, were too ready to read the wishes of
their darlings in their eyes, she exclaimed warningly to the loyal old
friend, "The fire of the forge!" He and Katterle knew what she meant,
for the ex-schoolmaster had explained it in the best possible way to his
docile wife.