her couch so that the cups and phials standing thereon danced and
clattered. Nay, she forgot her weakness, and made as though she would
spring up, but the pain was more than she could bear and she fell back on
her pillows with a groan.

She had never loved my grand-uncle Im Hoff, and, as soon as she had
recovered herself, she vowed she would bring his craft to nought and
likewise would let her nephew, now in Paris, know her opinion of his
knavish unfaith to a sacred pledge.

I then went on to tell her how hard and altogether insufferable Ann's
life had become, and at length took courage to inform her who the man was
whom she now called step-father. To this she at first said not a word,
but cast down her eyes as though somewhat confused; but presently she
asked wherefore and how it was that she had not heard of this marriage
long since, and when I told her that folks for the most part had feared
to speak the name of Master Ulman Pernhart in her presence, she again
suddenly started up and cried in my face that in truth she forbade any
mention of that villain and caitiff who had taken foul advantage of her
son's youth and innocence to turn his heart from his parents and bring
him to destruction.

And this led me, for the first time in my life, to break through the
reverence I owed to the venerable lady, who so well deserved to be in all
ways respected and spared; for I made so bold as to point out to her her
cruel injustice, and to plead Master Ulman's cause with earnest zeal.
For some time she was speechless with wrath and amazement, inasmuch as
she was not wont to be thus reproved; but then she paid me back in the
like coin; one word struck forth the next, and my rising wrath hastened
me on so that at last I told her plainly, that Master Pernhart had turned