"
"And let her polish his flagons to the end of her days," laughed Hugh
grimly, but manifestly somewhat influenced by the notion of his
brother's wealth. "What, hast no child of thine own?" he added.
"None, save in Paradise," answered Gottfried, crossing himself. "And
thus, if Christina should remain with me, and be such as I would have
her, then, brother, my wealth, after myself and my good housewife,
shall be hers, with due provision for thee, if thou shouldst weary of
thy wild life. Otherwise," he added, looking down, and speaking in
an under tone, "my poor savings should go to the completion of the
Dome Kirk."
"And who told thee, Goetz, that I would do ought with the girl that
should hinder her from being the very same fat, sourkrout-cooking,
pewter-scrubbing housewife of thy mind's eye?"
"I have heard nothing of thy designs as yet, brother Hugh, save that
thou wouldst take her to Adlerstein, which men greatly belie if it be
not a nest of robbers."
"Aha! thou hast heard of Adlerstein! We have made the backs of your
jolly merchants tingle as well as they could through their well-lined
doublets! Ulm knows of Adlerstein, and the Debateable Ford!"
"It knows little to its credit," said Gottfried, gravely; "and it
knows also that the Emperor is about to make a combination against
all the Swabian robber-holds, and that such as join not in it will
fare the worse.
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