Hepicturedherintrouble，indangerfromthesavagesoldierythatcameandwentlikeevilshadowsthroughthesepleasantSaxonvalleys，leavingdeathandmiserybehindthem：burnthomesteads;wild—eyedwomen，hidingtheirfacesfromthelight。Wouldhenotforhersakegivehislife？
SoitwasmadecleartohimthatlittleElsawashislove。
Untilnextmorning，when，raisinghiseyesfromthewhirlingsaw，therestoodbeforehimMargot，laughing。Margot，mischief—loving，wayward，thatwouldeverbetohimthebabyhehadplayedwith，nursed，andcomforted。Margotweary!Hadhenotathousandtimescarriedhersleepinginhisarms。Margotindanger!Atthemerethoughthisfaceflushedanangryscarlet。
AllthatafternoonUlrichcommunedwithhimself，triedtounderstandhimself，andcouldnot。ForElsaandMargotandHedwigwerenottheonlyonesbyalongway。Whatgirlinthevillagedidhenotlove，ifitcametothat：Liesel，whoworkedsohardandlivedsopoorly，bulliedbyhercross—grainedgranddam。Susanna，plainandalittlecrotchety，whohadneverhadasweethearttocoaxthethinlipsintosmiles。Thelittleones—forsotheyseemedtolong，lankyUlrich，withtheirpleasantways—Ulrichsmiledashethoughtofthem—howshouldamanloveonemorethananother？
TheHerrPfarrershookhisheadandsighed。
\"Thatisnotlove。GottinHimmel!thinkwhatitwouldleadto？ThegoodGodneverwouldhavearrangedthingsso。Youloveone;sheistheonlywomanintheworldforyou。\"
\"Butyou，yourself，HerrPastor，youhavetwicebeenmarried，\"
suggestedthepuzzledwheelwright。
\"Butoneatatime，Ulrich—oneatatime。Thatisaverydifferentthing。\"
Whyshoulditnotcometohim，aloneamongmen？Surelyitwasabeautifulthing，thislove;athingworthyofaman，withoutwhichamanwasbutauselessdevoureroffood，cumberingtheearth。
SoUlrichpondered，pausingfromhisworkonedrowsysummer\'safternoon，listeningtothelowsongofthewaters。HowwellheknewthewindingMuhlde\'smerryvoice。Hehadworkedbesideit，playedbesideitallhislife。Oftenhewouldsitandtalktoitastoanoldfriend，readinganswersinitschangingtones。
Trudchen，seeinghimidle，pushedhercoldnoseintohishand。
Trudchenjustnowwasfeelingcleverandimportant。WasshenotthemotherofthefivemostwonderfulpuppiesinallSaxony？Theyswarmedabouthislegs，pressinghimwiththeirlittlefoolishheads。Ulrichstoopedandpickeduponeineachbighand。Butthiscausingjealousyandheartburning，laughing，helaydownuponalog。Thenthewholefivestormedoverhim，bitinghishair，tramplingwiththeirclumsypawsuponhisface;tillsuddenlytheyracedoffinabodytoattackafloatingfeather。Ulrichsatupandwatchedthem，thelittlerogues，thelittlefoolish，helplessthings，thatcalledforsomuchcare。A
motherthrushtwitteredabovehishead。Ulrichroseandcreepingontiptoe，peepedintothenest。Butthemotherbird，castingoneglancetowardshim，wentonwithherwork。WhoeverwasafraidofUlrichthewheelwright!Thetinymurmuringinsectsbuzzedtoandfroabouthisfeet。Anoldman，passingtohiseveningrest，gavehim\"good—day。\"
Azephyrwhisperedsomethingtotheleaves，atwhichtheylaughed，thenpasseduponhisway。Hereandthereashadowcreptoutfromitshiding—place。
\"IfonlyIcouldmarrythewholevillage!\"laughedUlrichtohimself。
Butthat，ofcourse，isnonsense!
Thespringthatfollowedletloosethedogsofwaragainupontheblood—stainedland，fornowallGermany，taughtlatebycommonsufferingforgetfulnessoflocalrivalries，wasrushingtogetherinamightywavethatwouldsweepFrenchfeetforeverfromtheirholdonGermansoil。Ulrich，forwhomtheloveofwomanseemednot，wouldatleastbetheloverofhiscountry。He，too，wouldmarchamongthosebravesternheartsthat，stealinglikeathousandrivuletsfromeveryGermanvalley，wereflowingnorthandwesttojointhePrussianeagles。
ButevenloveofcountryseemeddeniedtoUlrichofthedreamyeyes。
Hiswheelwright\'sbusinesshadcalledhimtoatownfaroff。Hehadbeenwalkingalltheday。Towardsevening，passingtheoutskirtsofawood，afeeblecryforhelp，soundingfromtheshadows，felluponhisear。Ulrichpaused，andagainfromthesombrewoodcreptthatwearycryofpain。Ulrichranandcameatlasttowhere，amongthewildflowersandthegrass，laypronefivehumanfigures。TwoofthemwereoftheGermanLandwehr，theotherthreeFrenchmeninthehateduniformofNapoleon\'sfamousscouts。Ithadbeensomeunimportant\"affairofoutposts，\"oneofthosecommonincidentsofwarfarethatareneverrecorded—neverrememberedsavehereandtherebysomesadfaceunnoticedinthecrowd。Fourofthemenweredead;one，aFrenchmanwasstillalive，thoughbleedingcopiouslyfromadeepwoundinthechestthatwithahandfulofdankgrasshewastryingtostaunch。