Ulrichraisedhiminhisarms。ThemanspokenoGerman，andUlrichknewbuthismothertongue;butwhentheman，turningtowardstheneighbouringvillagewithalookofterrorinhishalf—glazedeyes，pleadedwithhishands，Ulrichunderstood，andliftinghimgentlycarriedhimfurtherintothewood。
Hefoundasmalldesertedshelterthathadbeenmadebycharcoal—burners，andthereonabedofgrassandleavesUlrichlaidhim;andthereforaweekallbutadayUlrichtendedhimandnursedhimbacktolife，comingandgoingstealthilylikeathiefinthedarkness。ThenUlrich，whohadthoughthisonedesireinlifetobetokillallFrenchmen，putfoodanddrinkintotheFrenchman\'sknapsackandguidedhimhalfthroughthenightandtookhishand;andsotheyparted。
UlrichdidnotreturntoAltWaldnitz，thatlieshiddenintheforestbesidethemurmuringMuhlde。Theywouldthinkhehadgonetothewar;
hewouldletthemthinkso。Hewastoogreatacowardtogobacktothemandtellthemthathenolongerwantedtofight;thatthesoundofthedrumbroughttohimonlythethoughtoftrampledgrasswheredeadmenlaywithcursesintheireyes。
So，withheadboweddowninshame，toandfroaboutthemoaningland，Ulrichofthedreamyeyescameandwent，guidinghissolitaryfootstepsbythesoundsofsorrow，drivingawaythethingsofevilwheretheycrawledamongthewounded，makinghiswayswiftlytothesideofpain，heedlessoftheuniform。
Thusonedayhefoundhimselfbychancenearagaintoforest—girdledWaldnitz。Hewouldpushhiswayacrossthehills，wanderthroughitsquietwaysinthemoonlightwhilethegoodfolksalllaysleeping。
Hisfoot—stepsquickenedashedrewnearer。Wherethetreesbrokehewouldbeabletolookdownuponit，seeeveryroofheknewsowell—thechurch，themill，thewindingMuhlde—thegreen，worngreywithdancingfeet，where，whenthehatefulwarwasover，wouldbeheardagaintheSaxonfolk—songs。
Anotherwasthere，wheretheforesthaltsonthebrowofthehill—afigurekneelingonthegroundwithhisfacetowardsthevillage。
Ulrichstolecloser。ItwastheHerrPfarrer，prayingvolublybutinaudibly。HescrambledtohisfeetasUlrichtouchedhim，andhisfirstastonishmentover，pouredforthhistaleofwoe。
TherehadbeentroublesinceUlrich\'sdeparture。AFrenchcorpsofobservationhadbeencampeduponthehill，andtwicewithinthemonthhadaFrenchsoldierbeenfoundmurderedinthewoods。Heavyhadbeenthepenaltiesexactedfromthevillage，andterriblehadbeentheColonel\'sthreatsofvengeance。Now，forathirdtime，asoldierstabbedinthebackhadbeenborneintocampbyhisragingcomrades，andthisveryafternoontheColonelhadswornthatifthemurdererwerenothandedovertohimwithinanhourfromdawn，whenthecampwastobreakup，hewouldbeforemarchingburnthevillagetotheground。TheHerrPfarrerwasonhiswaybackfromthecampwherehehadbeentopleadformercy，butithadbeeninvain。
\"Sucharefouldeeds!\"saidUlrich。
\"ThepeoplearemadwithhatredoftheFrench，\"answeredtheHerrPastor。\"Itmaybeone，itmaybeadozenwhohavetakenvengeanceintotheirownhands。MayGodforgivethem。\"
\"Theywillnotcomeforward—nottosavethevillage？\"
\"Canyouexpectitofthem!Thereisnohopeforus;thevillagewillburnasahundredothershaveburned。\"
Aye，thatwastrue;Ulrichhadseentheirblackenedruins;theoldsittingwithwhitefacesamongthewreckageoftheirhomes，thelittlechildrenwailingroundtheirknees，thetinybroodsburnedintheirnests。Hehadpickedtheircorpsesfrombeneaththecharredtrunksofthedeadelms。
TheHerrPfarrerhadgoneforwardonhismelancholymissiontopreparethepeoplefortheirdoom。
Ulrichstoodalone，lookingdownuponAltWaldnitzbathedinmoonlight。Andtherecametohimthewordsoftheoldpastor：\"Shewillbedearertoyouthanyourself。Forheryouwouldlaydownyourlife。\"AndUlrichknewthathislovewasthevillageofAltWaldnitz，wheredwelthispeople，theoldandwrinkled，thelaughing\"littleones，\"wheredweltthehelplessdumbthingswiththeirdeeppatheticeyes，wherethebeeshummeddrowsily，andthethousandtinycreaturesoftheday。
Theyhangedhimhighuponawitheredelm，withhisfacetowardsAltWaldnitz，thatallthevillage，oldandyoung，mightsee;andthentothebeatofdrumandscreamoffifetheymarchedaway;andforest—hiddenWaldnitzgathereduponcemoreitsmanythreadsofquietlifeandwovethemintohomelypattern。
Theytalkedandarguedmanyatime，andsometherewerewhopraisedandsomewhoblamed。ButtheHerrPfarrercouldnotunderstand。
Untilyearslateradyingmanunburdenedhissoulsothatthetruthbecameknown。
ThentheyraisedUlrich\'scoffinreverently，andtheyonngmencarrieditintothevillageandlaiditinthechurchyardthatitmightalwaysbeamongthem。Theyrearedabovehimwhatintheireyeswasagrandmonument，andcarveduponit：
\"Greaterlovehathnomanthanthis。\"