The old forester received William with pleasure that day; but the youth felt a heavy weight at his heart, which even Katherine’s caresses could not remove.
Evening came, but William still remained gloomy and abstracted, and took no share in the lively conversation which the hearty old forester kept up with Rudolf.
“What, William, I say, William,” shouted the old man into his ear, “do you sit quietly by and hear all this ill of our forefather Kuno, without offering to interpose a word in his favour! We know from the Old Testament that the good angels often assist the pious man who places his trust in God and a good conscience, and so they did for Kuno; but as for Has any compact with the devil, I will maintain my worthy ancestor to have been wholly free of that sin. He died quietly in his bed surrounded by his children and children’s children; but the man that has dealings with Satan never comes to a good end. That I know from what I saw myself at Prague in Bohemia.”
“O, what was that? Pray tell us!” exclaimed Rudolf and the others in one breath.
“’Twas a sad tale,” replied the old forester; “I still tremble when I think of it. You see there lived a young man at that time in Prague, called George Schmid. He was a wild fellow, but active and resolute enough, and a good hunter he might have proved, had he managed matters rightly. Well, you see, he was so hasty in his manner, that he as often flung away his shots as did any good with them; and we were one day joking him about this, when he got angry and his pride mounted so high that he was rash enough to challenge us all to shoot against him. Neither running nor flying game, he swore, should escape him. His boast was an empty one, poor fellow,—for just two days afterwards, a strange looking hunter came out upon us from the forest,
