the king, answered her: "_Dulcissima et venustissima puella, quae mihi in
coloribus caeli, ut angelus Domini appares utinam semper mecum esses,
nunquam mihi male caderet_"; whereupon she grew red, as likewise did I,
but from vexation, as may be easily guessed. I therefore begged that his
lordship would but go forward toward the Stone, seeing that my daughter
had yet to help me on with my surplice; whereupon, however, he answered
that he would wait for us the while in the chamber, and that we might then
go together. _Summa_, I blessed myself from this young lord; but what
could I do? As he would not go, I was forced to wink at it all; and before
long we went up to the Stone, where I straight-way chose three sturdy
fellows from the crowd, and sent them up the steeple, that they might
begin to ring the bells as soon as they should see me get up upon the
Stone and wave my napkin. This they promised to do, and straightway
departed; whereupon I sat down on the Stone with my daughter, thinking
that the young lord would surely stand apart, as became his dignity;
albeit he did not, but sat down with us on the Stone. And we three sat
there all alone, and all the folk looked at us, but none drew near to see
my child's fine clothes, not even the young lasses, as is their wont to
do; but this I did not observe till afterwards, when I heard how matters
stood with us even then. Towards nine o'clock Hans von Nienkerken and
Wittich Appelmann galloped up, and old Nienkerken called to his son in an
angry voice: and seeing that the young lord heard him not, he rode up to
the Stone, and cried out so loud that all the folk might hear, "Canst thou
not hearken, boy, when thy father calls thee?" Whereupon Ruediger followed
him in much displeasure, and we saw from a distance how the old lord
seemed to threaten his son, and spat out before him; but knew not what
this might signify: we were to learn it soon enough, though, more's the
pity! Soon after the two Lepels of Gnitze came from the Damerow; and the
noblemen saluted one other on the green sward close beside us, but without
looking on us. And I heard the Lepels say that nought could yet be seen of