Take care you use her mildly."
Eberhard looked into Christina's face with a smile, that to her, at
least, was answer enough; and he held out half a dozen links of his
gold chain to the friar, and tossed a coin to each of the lay
brethren.
"Not for the poor friar himself," explained Brother Peter, on
receiving this marriage fee; "it all goes to the weal of the
brotherhood."
"As you please," said Eberhard. "Silence, that is all! And thy
friary--?"
"The poor house of St. Francis at Offingen for the present, noble
sir," said the priest. "There will you hear of me, if you find me
not. And now, fare thee well, my gracious lady. I hope one day thou
wilt have more words to thank the poor brother who has made thee a
noble Baroness."
"Ah, good father, pardon my fright and confusion," Christina tried to
murmur, but at that moment a sudden glow and glare of light broke out
on the eastern rock, illuminating the fast darkening little church
with a flickering glare, that made her start in terror as if the
fires of heaven were threatening this stolen marriage; but the friar
and Eberhard both exclaimed, "The Needfire alight already!" And she
recollected how often she had seen these bonfires on Midsummer night
shining red on every hill around Ulm.
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