her ears to the warning voice.

The festival was commencing.

She, too, would be gay for once, and if she was cautious the bold
enterprise must succeed. A merry evening awaited her and, if all went
well, on the morrow, after a few unpleasant hours, her lover's whole
heart would once more be hers.

When she reached the scene of festivity it was already thronged with
richly attired princes and counts, knights and ladies, citizens of
Ratisbon, as well as nobles and distinguished townspeople from the
neighbouring castles, citadels, and cities.

Music and a loud medley of shouts and conversation greeted her at her
entrance. Her heart throbbed quickly, for she did not forget her daring
purpose, and a throng of memories of modest but more carefree days rushed
upon her.

Here, when a little girl, she had attended the May festival Virgatum--
which owed its name to the green rods or twigs with which the school
children adorned themselves--and played under yonder lindens with Wolf,
with the wilder Erasmus, and other boys. How delightful it had been!--
and when the enlarged band of city pipers struck up a gavotte her feet
unconsciously kept time, and she could not help thinking of the last
dance in the New Scales, the recruiting officer who had guided her so
firmly and skilfully in the Schwabeln, and through him of her father, of
whom she had not thought again since the good news received two evenings
before.