Whereupon Susan, who had taken off from us our wet hoods, broke in with:  “Aye, Mistress Ann, and that has ever from the days of Adam and Eve, been the best of all counsel.  For life all through is but waiting for the end; and even when we have taken the last Sacrament and our eyes are dim in death then most of all must we take Patience, waiting for that we shall find beyond the grave.  Here below!  By my soul, I myself grew grey waiting in vain for one who long years ago gave me this ring.  Others had better luck; yet if the priest had wed us, would that have made an end of Patience?  I trow not!  It might have been for weal or it might have been for woe.  A wife may go to mass every day in the month.  But is that an end of Patience?  Will the storks bring her a babe or no?  Will it be a boy or a maid?  And if the little one should come, after the wife has told her beads till her fingers are sore, what will the waiting babe turn out?  Such an one as Junker Herdegen grows up to be the delight of every eye and heart, and if that make less need of Patience meseems we know full well!  And Mistress Waldstromer, out in the forest, a lady, she, of stern stuff, she could tell a tale; and I say, Mistress Ann, if old Dame Pernhart’s answer sinks into your heart, God’s blessing rest on it!—­I am waiting, as you are waiting.  We each and all are waiting for one; if by the merciful help of the Saints he ever comes home, yet never dream, Mistress Ann, that Patience will be out of court.”

And with such comfort as this the old woman hung our garments to dry while we bowed our heads and went up-stairs.

Up in the guest-chamber we heard loud voices, and as we went in a strange sight met our eyes.  Uncle Christian and Doctor Holzschuher were sitting face to face with Cousin Maud, and she was laughing so heartily that she could not control herself, but flung up her arms and then dropped them on her knees, for all the world as she had taught us children to play at a game of “Fly away, little birds.”

When she marked my presence she forgot to greet me, and cried to me well nigh breathless: 

“A drink of wine, Margery, and a morsel of bread.  I am ready to split—­I shall die of laughing!”

Then, when I heard my good Godfather Christian’s hearty laughing, and saw that Master Holzschuher had but just ceased, I was fain to laugh likewise, and even Ann, albeit she had but now been so sad, joined in.  This lasted a long while till we learned the cause of such unwonted mirth; and this was of such a kind as to afford great comfort and new assurance, and we were bound to crave our good friends’ pardon for having deemed them lacking in diligence.  Master Holzschuher had indeed made the best use of the time to move every well-to-do man in Nuremberg who had known our departed father, and the Abbots of the rich convents, and many more, to give of their substance as they were able, to redeem Herdegen from the power of the heathen; and the other twain had worked wonders likewise, in Augsburg.