chest.

Thus, in her impetuous fashion, she thrust it out of her sight. Maestro
Gombert had pronounced the star extremely valuable, and she desired
nothing from the Emperor Charles, nothing from her beloved lord save his
love.

She had already reached the outer door, when her two Woller cousins from
the Ark greeted her. They were merry girls, by no means plain, and very
fond of her. The younger, Anne Mirl, was even considered pretty, and had
many suitors. They had learned from their house steward, who had been
told by a fellow-countryman in the royal service, that his Maiesty had
rewarded Barbara for her exquisite singing with a magnificent ornament,
and they wanted to see it.

So Barbara was obliged to open the chest again, and when the star flashed
upon them the rich girls clapped their hands in admiration, and Anne Mirl
did not understand how any one could toss such an exquisite memento into
a chest as if it were a worn-out glove. If the Emperor Charles had
honoured her with such a gift, she would never remove it from her neck,
but even wear it to bed.

"Everybody to her taste," replied Barbara curtly, shrugging her
shoulders.

Never had her cousins seemed to her so insignificant and commonplace;
and, besides, their visit was extremely inopportune.

But the Woller sisters were accustomed to see her in all sorts of moods,
and Nandl, the elder, a quiet, thoughtful girl, asked her how she felt.