He looked merry, and his massive but well-formed and manly features were flushed.  He came from Erbach in the Black Bear, it is true, but in so short a time—­his daughter knew that—­the spirits of the wine could have done him no harm.  Besides, his voice sounded as deep and firm as usual as he called to her from the threshold:  “A guest, Wawerl, a distinguished guest!  A splendid fellow!  You’ve already spoken of him, and I made his acquaintance in the Bear.  I learned many and many a piece of news from him about how things are going in the world-news, I tell you, girl!  My heart is fairly dancing in my body.  And, besides, a little puss like you is always glad to hear of an admirer, and only a short time ago you praised him loudly enough as a splendid dancer.  A downright good fellow, child, just as I was myself at his age.  An uncle of his, a captain of arquebusiers, Pyramus Kogel.”

Hitherto Barbara, with increasing displeasure, had only suspected whom her father meant; but when he now mentioned his new friend’s name, the indignant blood crimsoned her cheeks.

She had liked the handsome officer, for it was true that few men so well understood the art of guiding a partner through the dance; she, fool that she was, had made eyes at him in order not to let pretty Elspet Zohrer have the precedence.  But he had himself confessed how much farther he had entered the snare than she intended when, on her way home from Fran Lerch’s after her meeting with Wolf, the young officer had met her outside of the Grieb and sued for her hand.

Now the amorous swain had probably tried his luck with her father, and how the latter, in spite of poor Wolf and Herr Schlumperger, had treated him was evident from the fact that he, who usually closed his home against old friends, opened it wide to this stranger.

This was not only unpleasant to Barbara, but anger crimsoned her cheeks.

How dared the man whom she had so positively and sternly refused venture to continue his suit?  Since the Emperor had loved her, she felt raised infinitely above the poor nobleman.  Nay, she considered it a reprehensible impropriety that he still sought her.  And, besides what consequences the visit of so stately a ladykiller, whose unusual height rendered him easily recognised, might now entail upon her!  Suppose that he should meet a messenger from the Emperor on the stairs, or it should be rumoured at court that she received such visitors.  How quickly whatever happened in Ratisbon was noised abroad among the people she had just learned through the Woller girls.

The happiness which filled her was so great that everything which threatened to affect it, even remotely, alarmed her, and thus anxiety blended with indignation as, deeply agitated, she interrupted her father, and in the most unfilial manner reproached him for allowing the flattery of a boastful coxcomb to make him forget what he owned to her and her good name.