language. As to Herdegen, he meanwhile had greeted Ann with great
courtesy; nevertheless he had kept close to the dancing wench, and took
upon himself to tie her bonds and lead her to the dungeon cell. He sped
well, inasmuch as he got away with her alone, as he desired; for Sir
Franz delayed me again, and such a suit as he now pleaded can but seldom
have found a match, for I was bent only on following my brother, to
rescue him from the vagabond woman's snares; and while the knight held
me fast by the hand, and swore he loved me, I was only striving to be
free, and gazing after Herdegen and Hind, heeding him not. At length
he hurt my hand, which I could not get away from him; and whereas he was
beginning to look wildly and to seem crazed, I besought him to leave me
free henceforth and try his fortune elsewhere. But still he would never
have set me free so hastily if an evil star had not brought the Swabian
Junker to the spot.

Sir Franz, without a word of greeting or warning, went up to him and
upbraided him for having caused a mischief to a helpless babe through his
heedless conduct. But if Sir Franz knew not already that he, to whom he
spoke as roughly as though he were a froward serving man, was in truth
son and heir of a right noble house, he learnt it now. His last words
were: "And for the future have your savage hounds in better governance!"
Whereupon the other coolly answered: "And you, your tongue."

On this the other shrugged his shoulders and replied in scorn that to be
sure his tongue was for use and not for silence like some folks'. And I
marvelled where the Swabian, who was so slow of speech, found the words
for retort and answer, till at length it was too much for him and he laid
his hand on his hanger as a second and a sharper tongue.