"No harm is meant my Tancred! And you may keep the black horse in
remembrance of this hour."

It was old Berthold, my uncle's body-servant who told me all this;
Herdegen when he came home answered none of my questions. He would not
grant my prayer that he should show himself to Ann in his knight's
harness, and said somewhat roughly that she loved not such mummery. Thus
it was not hard to guess what was in his mind; but how came it to pass
that this old man, whose princely wife had wrought ruin to his peace and
happiness, could so diligently labor to lead him he best loved on earth
into the like evil course? And among many matters of which I lacked
understanding there was yet this one: Wherefore should Eppelein, who so
devoutly loved his master, and who knew right well how to value a young
maid's beauty--and why should my good Susan and the greater part of our
servitors have turned so spitefully against Ann, to whom in past days
they were ever courteous and serviceable, since they had scented a
betrothal between her and my eldest brother?

From the first I had been but ill-pleased to see Herdegen so diligent
over this idle sport and spending so many hours away from his sweetheart,
when he was so soon to quit us all. Nevertheless I had not the heart to
admonish him, all the more as in many a dull hour he was apt to believe
that, for the sake of his love, he must need deny himself sundry
pleasures which our father had been free to enjoy; and I weened that I
knew whence arose this faint-heartedness which was so little akin to his
wonted high spirit.

Looking backward, a little before this time, I note first that Ann had
not been able to keep her love-matters a secret from her mother. Albeit
the still young and comely widow had solemnly pledged herself to utter