bear, and he abruptly departed. Herdegen’s
letter, which told us all these things, was full of
kindly pity for the fair and hapless damsel who had
demeaned herself so basely towards him, by reason
that her fiery love had turned her brain, and that
she still was pining for him to whom she had ever
been faithful from her childhood up. She had
freely confessed as much even under the very eyes of
so lordly a suitor as Anselmo Giustiniani; and albeit
Ann might be sure of his constancy, even in despite
of Ursula, yet would he not deny that he could forgive
Ursula much in that she had loved much, as the Scripture
saith. Every shadow of danger for him was gone
and overpast; he had already bid Ursula farewell,
and was to ride forth next morning to Genoa, leaving
the plague-stricken city behind him, and would take
ship there. It was well indeed that he should
be departing, inasmuch as yestereve, when he bid Ursula
good night, Giustiniani had given him to understand
that he, Herdegen, was in his way; at home he would
have shown his teeth, and with good right, to any
man who had dared to speak to him, but in Venice every
man who lodged in the Fondaco was forbid the use of
weapons, and he had heard tell of Anselmo Giustiniani
that he, unlike the rest of his noble race, who were
benevolent men and patrons of learning, albeit he was
a prudent statesman and serviceable to the city, was
a stern and violent man. This much in truth
a man might read in his gloomy black eyes; and many
a stranger, for all he were noble and a Knight, who
had fallen out with a Venetian Signor of his degree
had vanished forever, none knew whither.
As we read these words the blood faded from Ann’s
cheek; but I set my teeth, for I may confess that
Herdegen’s ways and words roused my wrath.
In Ann’s presence I could, to be sure, hide my
ire; but when I was alone I struck my right fist into
my left hand and asked of myself whether a man or
a woman were the vainer creature? For what was
it that still drew my brother to that maid who had
ever pursued him and the object of his love with cruel
hate—so strongly, indeed, that he would
have been ready to cherish and comfort her—but
joy at finding himself—a mere townbred
Junker—preferred above that grand nobleman?
For my part, I plainly saw that Ursula was playing
the same game again as she had carried on here with
Herdegen and the Brandenburger. She spoke the
man she hated fair before the jealous Marchese, only
to rouse that potent noble’s fury against my
brother.
After all this my heart rejoiced when we received
Herdegen’s first letter written from Genoa,
nay, on board of the galleon which was to carry him,
Sir Franz and Eppelein to Cyprus. In this he
made known that he had departed from Venice without
let or hindrance, and he bid us farewell with such
good cheer, and love, and hope, that Ann and I forgot
and forgave with all our hearts everything that had
made us wroth. This last greeting came as a
fragrant love-posy, and it helped us to think of Herdegen’s