"Lord,"  said  he,  "Count  Rosenheim,  whenever  the
sexton  roused  him  to  a  sermon  too  early  by  bell-ringing,
commanded  the  man  to  eat  the  bell-rope  from  one  knot  to
another;  this  preacher  has  a  rope  around  his  neck,  com-
mand him  to  eat  it  before  he  reaches  the  end  of  his  sermon."

After  these  words  he  looked  with  some  fear  at  the  comtur,
for  he  was  not  sure  whether  Danveld  would  laugh,  or  give
the  order  to  flog  him  for  untimely  speech.  But  the  Knights
of  the  Cross,  smooth,  pliant,  and  even  submissive  when  they
did  not  feel  themselves  in  power,  knew  no  measure  in  pres-
ence of  the  conquered ;  hence  Danveld  not  only  nodded  at
the  jester  in  sign  that  he  permitted  the  indignity,  but  burst
forth  in  rudeness  so  unheard  of  that  astonishment  was  de-
picted on  the  faces  of  some  of  the  younger  armor-bearers.
"Complain  not  that  thou  art  disgraced,"  said  he ;  "even
were  I  to  make  tliee  an  under  dog-keeper,  a  dog-keeper  of
the  Knights  of  the  Cross  is  superior  to  a  knight  of  thy
people !  "

"Bring  a  comb,"  cried  the  buffoon,  now  emboldened,  "  and
comb  the  bear ;  he  will  comb  out  thy  shaggy  locks  with  his
paw ! "

Laughter  broke  forth  here  and  there,  while  a  certain  voice
called  from  behind  the  brotherhood,  —

"  In  summer  thou  wilt  cut  reeds  on  the  lake !  "

"And  catch  crawfish  with  thy  carrion  !  "  cried  another.
