Ann and Herdegen; and by no fault of hers, but only and wholly by reason
of his great and unpardonable sin.

But I will write down in order how it came about. So early as at
Martinmas I heard from Cousin Maud--and my grand-uncle had told her--that
Herdegen had quitted Padua and that it was his intent to take the degree
of doctor at Paris whither the famous Gerson's great genius was drawing
the studious youth of all lands; and his reason for this was that a
bloody fray had made the soil of Italy too hot for his feet. "These
tidings boded evil; all the more as neither we nor Ann had a word from
Herdegen in his own hand to tell us that he had quitted the country and
his school. Then, in my fear and grief, I could not help going to my
grand-uncle, but he would have nothing to say to me or to Cousin Maud,
or else he put us off with impatient answers, or empty words that meant
nothing. Thus we lived in dread and sorrow, till at last, a few days
before Pernhart was married, a letter came to me from Eppelein, and I
have it before me now, among other papers all gone yellow.

"From your most duteous and obedient servant Eppelein Gockel to the lady
Margery Schopper," was the superscription. And he went on to excuse
himself in that he knew not the art of writing, and had requested the
service of the Magister of the young Count von Solms.

"And inasmuch as I erewhile pledged my word as a, man to the illustrious
and worshipful Mistress Margery, in her sisterly care, that I would write
to her if we at any time needed the favor of her counsel and help, I
would ere now have craved for the Magister's aid if the all-merciful
Virgin had not succored us in due season.

"Nevertheless my heart was moved to write to you, gracious and worshipful