After further questions and quibbling on the part of the members, they agreed to give the knight a trial and judge for themselves. So Beckmesser climbed into his curtained platform with alacrity, and Walter was asked to begin his song.
Walter did so, singing a sweet tender melody of his own, which he had undoubtedly composed to the accompaniment of the whispering winds. For while it was beautiful and original it paid no attention whatever to the artificial rules of the guild. Before he had sung two measures, Beckmesser thrust his head out of the curtain crying,
"Stop, stop! you are outsung and outdone!"
And the clerk showed a slate covered with marks.
"You should have let him finish his song," said Hans Sachs. "For my part, I thought it had great merit."
"No one asked for your opinion," said the clerk rudely. "If you do not know more than that about singing, you would better stick to your last and finish that pair of shoes you promised me to-morrow."
Hans Sachs laughed good-naturedly, but insisted that the singer be allowed to finish. Others took up the argument, and Walter finally ended the song, though amid some confusion.
But the verdict at the last, given with much solemn shaking of the heads, fell like lead upon Walter's hopes.
"Outsung and outdone!" they said.
So Walter was denied membership in the guild, and the chance of winning Eva's hand seemed slim indeed.