Probably, in former days, she had looked forward to the future with greater strength and different expectations, yet, even as it was, in spite of the cough and the painful pricking in her scars, she found it pleasant so long as she was free and could follow whatever way she chose.  She knew the city, and limped through the streets and alleys toward the tavern where the strolling players usually lodged.

On the way she met a gentleman in a suit of light armour, whom she recognised in the distance as the Knight of Neckerfels, who had been paying court to her before her fall.  He was walking alone and looked her directly in the face, but he did not have the slightest idea that he had met madcap Kuni.  It was only too evident that he supposed her to be a total stranger.  Yet it would have been impossible for any one to recognise her.

Mirrors were not allowed in the convent, but a bright new tin plate had showed her her emaciated face with the broad scar on the forehead, the sunken eyes, and the whole narrow head, where the hair, which grew out again very slowly, was just an ugly length.  Now the sight of the bony hand which grasped the cane brought a half-sorrowful, half-scornful, smile to her lips.  Her arm had been plump and round, but was now little larger than a stick.  Pretty Kuni, the ropedancer, no longer existed; she must become accustomed to have the world regard her as a different and far less important personage, whom Lienhard, too—­and this was fortunate —­would not have deemed worthy of a glance.

And yet, if the inner self is the true one, there was little change in her.  Her soul was moved by the same feelings, only there was now a touch of bitterness.  One great advantage of her temperament, it is true, had vanished with her physical beauty and strength—­the capacity to hope for happiness and joy.  Perhaps it would never return; an oppressive feeling of guilt, usually foreign to her careless nature, had oppressed her ever since she had heard recently in the convent that the child on whom she had called down death and destruction was lying hopelessly ill, and would scarcely live till the joyous Whitsuntide.

This now came back to her mind.  The jubilant sense of freedom deserted her; she walked thoughtfully on until she reached the neighbourhood of Jacob Fugger’s house.

A long funeral procession was moving slowly toward her.  Some very exalted and aristocratic person must be taking the journey to the grave, for it was headed by all the clergy in the city.  Choristers, in the most elaborate dress, swinging incense holders by delicate metal chains and bearing lanterns on long poles, surrounded the lofty cross.

Every one of distinction in Augsburg, all the children who attended school, and all the members of the various ecclesiastical orders and guilds in the city marched before the bier.  Kuni had never seen such a funeral procession.  Perhaps the one she witnessed in Milan, when a great nobleman was buried, was longer, but in this every individual seemed to feel genuine grief.  Even the schoolboys who, on such solemn occasions, usually play all sorts of secret pranks, walked as mournfully as if each had lost some relative who was specially dear to him.  Among the girls there were few whose rosy cheeks were not constantly wet with tears.