other apartment," and thus talking whilst in motion he brought her
into his wife's private tiring-room, and sat himself down in a chair
and bent his head and stroked his beard with the mien of one who is
studying what beginning to give his speech. Maria, a little foolish
and confused, remained standing in front of the mayor, and she also
humbly lowered before him her eyes, black as the sloe; and to occupy
herself with something, gently fingered the ends of the sash, which
girded her waist and hung down over her skirt, not knowing what to
expect from the grave mien and long silence of the mayor, who, raising
his eyes and looking up at Maria, when he beheld her in so modest a
posture, devised thence a motive with which to begin, saying:

"Forsooth, Maria, so modest and sanctimonious is thy bearing, that it
is easy to see thou art preparing thyself to become a black-wimpled
nun. And if it be so, as I presume it to be, I now offer of my own
accord to dispose of thy entry into the cloisters without any dowry,
on the condition that thou dost give me something that thou hast on
thy head, and which then will not be necessary for thee."

"Nay, beshrew me, Sir Mayor," replied Maria, "for I durst not think
that the Lord calls upon me to take that step, for then my poor father
would remain in the world without the staff of his old age."

"Then, now, I desire to give thee some wise counsel, maid Maria. Thou
dost gain thy bread with great fatigue. Thou shouldst make use of thy
time as much as is possible. Now one of thy neighbors hath told me
that in the dressing of thy hair thou dost waste every day more than
an hour. It would be better far if thou didst spend this hour on thy
work rather than in the dressing and braiding which thou dost to thy
hair."