The colour had passed out of her cheeks like a blissful western red leaving rich paleness in the sky; and with her clear brows levelled at him, her bosom lifting more and more rapidly, she struggled against the charm that was on her, and at last released her hand.

’I must go.  I cannot stay.  Pardon you?  Who might not be proud of your love!—­Farewell!’

She turned to move away, but lingered a step from him, hastily touching her bosom and either hand, as if to feel for a brooch or a ring.  Then she blushed, drew the silver arrow from the gathered gold-shot braids above her neck, held it out to him, and was gone.

Farina clutched the treasure, and reeled into the street.  Half a dozen neighbours were grouped by the door.

’What ‘s the matter in Master Groschen’s house now?’ one asked, as he plunged into the midst of them.

‘Matter?’ quoth the joy-drunken youth, catching at the word, and mused off into raptures; ’There never was such happiness!  ’Tis paradise within, exile without.  But what exile!  A star ever in the heavens to lighten the road and cheer the path of the banished one’; and he loosened his vest and hugged the cold shaft on his breast.

‘What are you talking and capering at, fellow?’ exclaimed another:  ’Can’t you answer about those shrieks, like a Christian, you that have just come out of the house?  Why, there’s shrieking now!  It ’s a woman.  Thousand thunders! it sounds like the Frau Lisbeth’s voice.  What can be happening to her?’

‘Perhaps she’s on fire,’ was coolly suggested between two or three.

‘Pity to see the old house burnt,’ remarked one.

‘House!  The woman, man! the woman!’

‘Ah!’ replied the other, an ancient inhabitant of Cologne, shaking his head, ‘the house is oldest!’

Farina, now recovering his senses, heard shrieks that he recognized as possible in the case of Aunt Lisbeth dreading the wickedness of an opposing sex, and alarmed by the inrush of old Gottlieb’s numerous guests.  To confirm him, she soon appeared, and hung herself halfway out of one of the upper windows, calling desperately to St. Ursula for aid.  He thanked the old lady in his heart for giving him a pretext to enter Paradise again; but before even love could speed him, Frau Lisbeth was seized and dragged remorselessly out of sight, and he and the rosy room darkened together.

Farina twice strode off to the Rhine-stream; as many times he returned.  It was hard to be away from her.  It was harder to be near and not close.  His heart flamed into jealousy of the stranger.  Everything threatened to overturn his slight but lofty structure of bliss so suddenly shot into the heavens.  He had but to remember that his hand was on the silver arrow, and a radiance broke upon his countenance, and a calm fell upon his breast.  ‘It was a plight of her troth to me,’ mused the youth.  ’She loves me!  She would not trust her frank heart to speak.  Oh, generous young girl!