albeit I was now awake, as I had seen yestermorn in my half-sleep. Yet
was it not Uhlwurm, but Kubbeling, to whom Ann was paying court. As he
stood facing her, she looked him trustfully in the eyes, and held his
great hand in hers; nay, and when she saw me she did not let it go, but
cried out in a clear and thankful voice: "Then so it is, Father Seyfried;
and if you do as I beseech you, all will come to a good end and you will
remember so good a deed with great joy all your life long."

"As to "great joy' I know not," replied he. "For if I be not the veriest
fool in all the land from Venice to Iceland, my name is not Kubbeling.
I scarce know myself! Howbeit, let that pass: I stand by my word, albeit
the pains I shall endure in the winter journey."

"The Saints will preserve you on so pious an errand," Ann declared. "And
if they should nevertheless come upon you, dear Father, I will tend you
as your own daughter would. And now again your hand, and a thousand,
thousand thanks."

Whereupon Kubbeling, with a melancholy growl, and yet a smile on his
face, held forth his hand, and Ann held it fast and cried to me: "You are
witness, Margery, that he has promised to do my will. Oh, Margery, I
could fly for gladness!"

And verily meseemed as though the wings had grown, and her eyes sparkled
right joyfully and thankfully. And I had discerned from her very first
words whereunto she had beguiled Kubbeling; and verily to me it was a
marvel, inasmuch as I myself had imagined the self-same thing in the
watches of the night, and while my hair was doing: namely, to beseech
Kubbeling to be my fellow and keeper on a voyage to Egypt. Who but he
knew the way so well? Howbeit, Ann had prevented me, and now, whereas I