A man grows twelve and a woman thirty-six months older every year." With these words he turned his back upon her, and the clown brought the amount of wages which was due.
Many an eye grew dim with tears when Kuni bade farewell to her companions.

Shortly after sunset she was welcomed to Frau Schurstab's house.
The first greeting was friendly, and she received nothing but kindness and indulgent treatment afterward.

She had a sunny chamber of her own, and how large and soft her bed was! But while, when on the road with Loni's band, if they could reach no town, she had often slept soundly and sweetly on a heap of straw, here she spent one restless night after another.
During the first a series of questions disturbed her slumber.

Was it really only the desire to take her from her vagabond life which had induced Lienhard to open this house to her?
Did he not perhaps also cherish the wish to keep her near him?
He had certainly come to her with Frau Schurstab to protect her reputation.

Had it not been so he might have left the matron at home; for Loni and everybody in the company knew that she never troubled herself about gossip.