She is Adlerstein herself by birth, married her cousin, and is
prouder and more dour than our old Freiherr himself--fitter far to
handle shield than swaddled babe. And now our Jungfrau has fallen
into a pining waste, that 'tis a pity to see how her cheeks have
fallen away, and how she mopes and fades. Now, the old Freiherr and
her brother, they both dote on her, and would do anything for her.
They thought she was bewitched, so we took old Mother Ilsebill and
tried her with the ordeal of water; but, look you, she sank as
innocent as a puppy dog, and Ursel was at fault to fix on any one
else. Then one day, when I looked into the chamber, I saw the poor
maiden sitting, with her head hanging down, as if 'twas too heavy for
her, on a high-backed chair, no rest for her feet, and the wind
blowing keen all round her, and nothing to taste but scorched beef,
or black bread and sour wine, and her mother rating her for foolish
fancies that gave trouble. And, when my young Freiherr was bemoaning
himself that we could not hear of a Jew physician passing our way to
catch and bring up to cure her, I said to him at last that no doctor
could do for her what gentle tendance and nursing would, for what the
poor maiden needed was to be cosseted and laid down softly, and fed
with broths and possets, and all that women know how to do with one
another.
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