inasmuch as that he dwelt in his own house and that his profits
maintained him in more than abundance, could have no greater joy
than to pay the moneys he had by inheritance to ransom my brother.

And as the good fellow spoke the tears stood in his eyes, and mine
likewise were about to flow; and albeit Cousin Maud here broke in and,
to hide how deeply her heart was touched, said, well-nigh harshly, that
without doubt the day was not far off when he would have a wife and
family, and might rue the deed by which he had parted with his estate,
never perchance to see it more, I freely and gladly gave him my hand, and
said to him that for my part his offering would be dearest to me of any,
and that for sure Herdegen would be of the same mind. And a beam as of
sunshine overspread his countenance, and while he shook my hand in
silence I could see that he hardly refrained himself from betraying more.
After this, I came to know from his good mother that this offer of moneys
had cost him a great pang, but only for this cause: that he had loved me
from his youth up, and his noble soul forbid him to pay court to me when
he had in truth done me so great a service.

Still, and in despite of these gleams of light, I must ever remember
those three weeks as a full gloomy and sorrowful time.

Kubbeling's eldest son and his churlish helpmate had fared forth to
Venice instead of himself. They might not sail for the land of Egypt,
and this chafed Uhlwurm sorely, by reason that he was sure in himself
that he, far better than his master or than any man on earth, could do
good service there to Ann, on whom his soul was set more than on any
other of us.

Towards the end of the third week we rode forth to spend a few days again