‘Thou hast given them vantage, Gottlieb, brother mine,’ she complained; ’and the good heavens only can say what may result from such indiscreetness.’

A silence, combustible with shuffling of feet in the passage and on the stairs, dinned horrors into Aunt Lisbeth’s head.

‘It was just that sound in the left wing of Hollenbogenblitz,’ she said:  ‘only then it was night and not morning.  Ursula preserve me!’

‘Why, Lisbeth!  Lisbeth!’ cried Gottlieb from below.  ’Come down! ’tis full five o’ the morning.  Here’s company; and what are we to do without the woman?’

’Ah, Gottlieb! that is like men!  They do not consider how different it is for us!’ which mysterious sentence being uttered to herself alone, enjoyed a meaning it would elsewhere have been denied.

Aunt Lisbeth dressed, and met Margarita descending.  They exchanged the good-morning of young maiden and old.

‘Go thou first,’ said Aunt Lisbeth.

Margarita gaily tripped ahead.

‘Girl!’ cried Aunt Lisbeth, ‘what’s that thing in thy back hair?’

‘I have borrowed Lieschen’s arrow, aunt.  Mine has had an accident.’

’Lieschen’s arrow!  An accident!  Now I will see to that after breakfast, Margarita.’

‘Tra-ra, ta-ta, tra-ra, tra-ra,’ sang Margarita.

’The wild boar lay a-grunting,
A-grunting, tra-ra.’

’A maiden’s true and proper ornament!  Look at mine, child!  I have worn it fifty years.  May I deserve to wear it till I am called!  O Margarita! trifle not with that symbol.’

’"O birdie, and boar, and deer, lie tame!”

I am so happy, aunty.’

‘Nice times to be happy in, Margarita.’

       “Be happy in Spring, sweet maidens all,
        For Autumn’s chill will early fall.”

So sings the Minnesinger, aunty; and

       ’"A maiden in the wintry leaf
        Will spread her own disease of grief.”

I love the Minnesingers!  Dear, sweet-mannered men they are!  Such lovers!  And men of deeds as well as song:  sword on one side and harp on the other.  They fight till set of sun, and then slacken their armour to waft a ballad to their beloved by moonlight, covered with stains of battle as they are, and weary!’

’What a girl!  Minnesingers!  Yes; I know stories of those Minnesingers.  They came to the castle—­Margarita, a bead of thy cross is broken.  I will attend to it.  Wear the pearl one till I mend this.  May’st thou never fall in the way of Minnesingers.  They are not like Werner’s troop.  They do not batter at doors:  they slide into the house like snakes.’

‘Lisbeth!  Lisbeth!’ they heard Gottlieb calling impatiently.

‘We come, Gottlieb!’ and in a low murmur Margarita heard her say:  ’May this day pass without trouble and shame to the pious and the chaste.’

Margarita knew the voice of the stranger before she had opened the door, and on presenting herself, the hero gave her a guardian-like salute.