Page:Popular Tales of the Germans (Volume 1).djvu/280

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262
THE STEALING

title he led her to the altar, where ſhe received the ring, and the day after conſummation faithfully reſtored it to her longing mother. The new-created Tetrarch no longer heſitated to unfold the true hiſtory of the ring to the princeſs, his mother-in-law. He related fully how he acquired it by right of inheritance, as a relic of father Benno; and on this occaſion he went fully into the hiſtory of the venerable hermit. Zoe returned this honeſt declaration with equal ingenuouſneſs. She owned that ſhe had deſignedly left the ring in her glove at the ſide of the Swans pool; adding, that father Benno had rightly unravelled the ſecret ſenſe of the hieroglyphic: it was no fault of hers that ſhe did not repeat the viſit to the pool; but the adventure was betrayed to her huſband by a loquacious couſin, who attended her on that occaſion; upon which he flew into ſo violent a rage, that he got poſſeſſion of the magic veil, and tore it in his firſt fury into a thouſand pieces, by which her return to the magic bath was renderedimpoſſible.