An elderly lady of dignified bearing looked out and met her eyes with a pleasant glance.  It was Frau Sophia, the widow of Herr Conrad Schurstab of the Council, one of the richest and most aristocratic noblewomen in the city.  Lienhard had told her about the charming prisoner who had been released and begged her to help him bring her back to a respectable and orderly life.  The lady needed an assistant who, now that it was hard for her to stoop, would inspect the linen closets, manage the poultry yard-her pride—­and keep an eye on the children when they came to visit their grandmother.  So she instantly accompanied Lienhard to the tavern, and Kuni pleased her.  But it would have been difficult not to feel some degree of sympathy for the charming young creature who, in great embarrassment, yet joyously as though released from a heavy burden, raised her large blue eyes to the kind stranger.

It was cold in the street, and as Kuni had come out without any wrap, Frau Schurstab, in her friendly consideration, shortened the, conference.  Lienhard Uroland had helped her with a few words, and when the sedan chair and the young Councillor moved down the street all the necessary details were settled.  The vagrant had bound herself and assumed duties, though they were very light ones.  She was to move that evening into the distinguished widow’s house, not as a servant, but as the old lady’s assistant.

Loni, the manager of the company of rope-dancers, had watched the negotiations from the taproom.  During their progress each of the three windows was filled with heads, but no one had been able to hear what was whispered in the street.  Just as the curious spectators were hoping that now they might perhaps guess what the aristocratic lady wanted with Kuni, the sedan chair began to move, and the young girl entered the hot room to tell Loni that she would leave the company that day forever.

“In-de-e-ed?” Loni asked in astonishment, lifting the gold circlet which rested on his head.  Then he passed his hand through the coal-black hair which, parted in the middle, fell in smooth strands upon his neck, and exerted all his powers of persuasion to convince her of the folly of her plan.  After his arguments were exhausted he raised his voice louder.  As usual, when excited by anger, he swung his lower right arm to and fro, feeling the prominent muscles with his left hand.  But Kuni remained resolute, and when he at last perceived that his opposition only increased her obstinacy, he exclaimed: 

“Then rush on to your destruction!  The day will come when you will see where you belong.  If only it doesn’t arrive too late.  A man grows twelve and a woman thirty-six months older every year.”

With these words he turned his back upon her, and the clown brought the amount of wages which was due.

Many an eye grew dim with tears when Kuni bade farewell to her companions.  Shortly after sunset she was welcomed to Frau Schurstab’s house.