XVII
"FOR THE EMPRESS, AND NOT FOR THE EMPIRE"
While the long line of troops stood at salute in single file, theArchbishop turned his horse to the north and rode past his regiments,followed by the Countess and Roland. His Lordship was accompanied to theend of the ranks by his general, who received final instructionsregarding the march.
"You will encamp for the night not at Schloss Martinsburg, as I hadintended, but a league or two up the Lahn. To-morrow morning continueyour march along the Lahn as far as Limburg, and there await my arrival.We will enter Frankfort by the north gate instead of from the west."
The Archbishop sat on his horse for some minutes, watching the departingforce, then called Roland to his right hand, and Hildegunde to his left,and thus the three set out on the short journey to Sayn.
"Your Highness," began the Archbishop, "I find myself in a position ofsome embarrassment. I think explanations are due to me from you both.Here I ride between two escaped prisoners, and I travel away from,instead of towards, their respective dungeons. My plain duty, onencountering you, was to place you in custody of a sufficient guard,marching you separately the one to Pfalz and the other to Ehrenfels.Having accomplished this I should report the case to my two colleagues,yet here am I actually compounding a misdemeanor, and assistingprisoners to escape."
"My Lord," spoke up Roland, "I am quite satisfied that my ownimprisonment has been illegal, therefore I make no apology forcircumventing it. Before entering upon any explanation, I askenlightenment regarding the detention of my lady of Sayn. Am I right insurmising that she, like myself, was placed under arrest by the threeArchbishops?"
"Yes, your Highness."
"On what charge?"
"High treason."
"Against whom?"
There was a pause, during which the Archbishop did not reply.
"I need not have asked such a question," resumed the Prince, "for hightreason can relate only to the monarch. In what measure has her ladyshipencroached upon the prerogative of the Emperor?"
"Your Highness forgets that there is such a thing as treason against theState."
"Are not members of the nobility privileged in this matter?"
"They cannot be, for the State is greater than any individual."
"I shall make a note of that, my Lord of Cologne. I believe you are inthe right, and I hope so. During my lonely incarceration," the Princelaughed a little, "I have studied the condition of the State, arrivingat the conclusion that the greatest traitors in our land are the threeArchbishops, who, arrogating to themselves power that should belong tothe Crown, did not use that power for suppressing those othertreason-mongers, the Barons of the Rhine."
"What would you have us do with them?"
"You should disarm them. You should exact restitution of theirillegally-won wealth. You should open the Rhine to honest commerce."
"That is easy to enunciate, and difficult to perform. If the Castleswere disarmed, especially those on the left bank, a great injusticewould be done that might lead to the extinction of many noble families.Why, the forests of Germany are filled with desperate outlaws, whorespect neither life nor property. I myself have suffered but recentlyfrom their depredations. In broad daylight an irresistible band of theseruffians descended upon and captured the supposed impregnable Castle ofRheinstein, shamefully maltreating Baron Hugo von Hohenfels, tying himmotionless, and nearly strangling him with stout ropes, after which thescoundrels robbed him of every stiver he possessed. The followingmidnight but one they descended on Furstenberg, a fief of my own, andnot contenting themselves with robbery, brought red ruin on the Margraveby burning his Castle to the ground."
"My Lord, red ruin and the Red Margrave were made for each other. It wasthe justice of God that they should meet." The young man raised alofthis swordarm, shaking his clenched fist at the sky. "That hand held thetorch that fired Furstenberg. The Castle was taken and burned by threesword makers from Frankfort, who never saw the Hunsruck or the outlawsthereof."
The Archbishop reined in his horse, and looked at the excited young manwith amazement.
"_You_ fired Furstenberg?"
"Yes; and effectively, my Lord. I shall rebuild it for you, but the RedMargrave I shall hang, as my predecessor Rudolph did his ancestor."
An expression of sternness hardened the Archbishop's face.
"Sir," he said, "I regret to hear you speak like this, and your safetylies in the fact that I do not believe a word of it. Even so, such wildwords fill me with displeasure. I beg to remind you that the Election ofan Emperor has not yet taken place, and I, for one, am likely toreconsider my decision. Still, as I said, I do not believe a word ofyour absurd tale."
"I believe every syllable of it!" cried the Countess with enthusiasm,"and glory that there is a mind brave enough, and a hand obedient to it,to smoke out a robber and a murderer."
The tension this astonishing revelation caused was relieved by a laughfrom the Archbishop.
"My dear Hildegunde, you are forgetting your own ancestors. I venturethat no woman of the House of Sayn talked thus when the Emperor Rudolphmarched Count von Sayn to the scaffold. You would probably sing anothersong if asked to restore the millions amassed by Henry III. of Sayn andhis successors; all accumulated by robbery as cruel as any that the RedMargrave has perpetrated."
"My Lord," said the Countess proudly, "you had no need to ask thatquestion, for you knew the answer to it before you spoke. Every thaler Icontrol shall be handed over to Prince Roland, to be used for theregeneration of his country."
Again the Archbishop laughed.
"Surely I knew that, my dear, and I should not have said what I did. Isuppose you will not allow me to vote against his Highness at the comingElection."
"Indeed, you shall vote enthusiastically for him, because you know inyour own heart he is the man Germany needs."
"Was there ever such a change of front?" cried the Archbishop. "Why, mydear, the charges you so hotly made against his Highness are as nothingto what he has himself confessed; yet now he is the savior of Germany,when previously--Ah, well, I must not play the tale-bearer."
"Prince Roland," cried the girl, "my kinsman, Father Ambrose, said hemet you in Frankfort, although now I believe him to have been mistaken."
"Oh no; I encountered the good Father on the bridge."
"There now!" exclaimed the Archbishop, "what do you say to that, mylady?"
She seemed perplexed by the admission, but quickly replied to hisLordship:
"'Twas you said that could not be, as he was a close prisoner inEhrenfels." She continued, addressing the Prince: "Father Ambroseasserted that you were a companion of drinkers and brawlers in a lowwine cellar of Frankfort."
"Quite true; a score of them."
The girl became more and more perplexed.
"Did you imprison Father Ambrose?"
"Yes; in the lowest wine cellar, but only for a day or two. I am verysorry, Madam, but it was a stern necessity of war. He was meddling withaffairs he knew nothing of, and there was no time for explanations. He,a man of peace, would not have sanctioned what there was to do even if Ihad explained."
"He says," continued the girl, "that he saw you rob a merchant of a bagof gold."
"That is untrue!" cried the Prince.
"My dear Hildegunde, what is the robbing of a bag of gold from amerchant when he admits having stolen gold by the castle full?"
"I robbed no merchant," protested the Prince. "How could Father Ambrosemake such a statement?"
"He mounted an outside stairway on the Fahrgasse, and through lightedwindows on the opposite side saw you place the point of your sword atthe throat of an unarmed merchant, and take from him a bag of gold."
Roland, whose brow had been knitted into an angry frown, now threw backhis head and laughed joyously.
"Oh, that was a mere frolic," he alleged.
It was the girl's turn to frown.
"When you took stolen treasure from thievish Barons and Margravesprotected by scor
es of armed men, with the object of breaking theirpower, for the relief of commerce, I admired you, but to say that thedespoiling of a helpless merchant is a frolic--"
"No, no, my dear, you do not understand," eagerly corrected the Prince,unconscious of the affectionate phrase that caused a flush to rise inthe cheeks of his listener. "The merchant was, and is, my partner; ablameless man, Herr Goebel, who came near to being hanged on my behalfwhen these Archbishops took me captive. I sought from him a thousandthalers; he insisted on learning my plans for opening the Rhine, andstill would not give the money until, reluctantly, I was obliged toconfess myself son of the Emperor. This he could not credit, stipulatingthat before giving the money I must produce for him a safe-conduct,signed by the Emperor, and verified by the Great Seal of the Empire.This document I obtained at dire personal risk, through the aid of mymother. Here it is."
He thrust his hand into his doublet, and produced the parchment inquestion, delivering it to the lady, who, however, did not unfold it,but kept her eyes fixed upon him.
"This distrust annoyed me; it should not have done so, for he was merelyacting in the cautious manner natural to a merchant. With a boyishness Inow regret, I put my sword to his throat, demanding the money, which Ireceived. I took only half of it, for my mother had given me fivehundred thalers. Oh, no; I did not rob my friend Goebel, but merelytried to teach him that lack of faith is a dangerous thing."
If the old man who listened could have exchanged confidences with theyoung woman who listened, he would have learned they shared the samethought, which was that the young Prince spoke so straight-forwardlyneither doubted him for a moment. The old man, it is true, felt that histalk was rather reckless of consequences, but, on the other hand, thisin itself was complimentary, for, as he remembered, the Prince had beencautious enough when catechized by the three Archbishops together.
"I have often read," said Cologne, with a smile, "pathetic accounts ofprisoners, who in extreme loneliness carved their names over and overagain on stone as hard as the jailer's heart, but your Highness seemsrather to have enjoyed yourself while so cruelly interned. May I furtherbeg of you to enlighten us concerning a somewhat bibulous youth who atthe present moment is enjoying, in every sense of the word, thehospitality of Ehrenfels Castle?"
It was now the Archbishop's turn to astonish the Prince.
"You knew of my device, then?"
"'Knew' is a little too strong. 'Suspect' more nearly fits the case. Youwon over your jailer, and some one else took your place as prisoner."
"Yes; a young man to whom I owe small thanks, and with whom I have anaccount to settle. He is son of the custodian, and thinks he has us bothunder his thumb, Heinrich drinks as if he were a fish or a Baron, but Ishall cure him of that habit before it becomes firmly established."
"Am I correct in assuming that you found your liberty only after yourinterview with the three Electors?"
"Oh, bless you, no! I was free months before that time. Indeed, it isonly since then that my substitute is practically useless. Heinrichmight have passed for me at a pinch, but only because neither you noryour colleagues had seen me. I have kept him under lock and key eversince, because I dare not allow him abroad until the Election has takenplace."
"I see. A very wise precaution. Well, your Highness, I shall say nothingof what you tell me; furthermore, I still promise you my vote; that is,if you will obey my orders until you are elected Emperor. I foresee weare not going to have the easy time with you that was anticipated, butthis concerns Mayence and Treves, rather than myself, for I have noambition to rule by proxy. And now, my lady of Sayn, when we journeyedsouthward that day from Gutenfels Castle I gave you some informationregarding the mind of Mayence. You remember, perhaps, what I said abouthis quandary. I rather suspect that he admires you, notwithstanding yourdefiance of him; but there is nothing remarkable in that, for we allappreciate you, old and young. I, too, carry a document of safe-conduct,like Prince Roland here, although I see that his Highness has placed hissafety in your hands."
The old man smiled, and Hildegunde found herself still carrying theparchment Roland had given her. For a moment she was confused, thensmiled also, and offered it back; but the Prince shook his head. TheArchbishop went on:
"Mayence sent down to me your written release, signed by himself andTreves. He asked me to attach a signature, and liberate you on my way toFrankfort, which I intended to do had this impetuous young man notforestalled me. By the way, Highness, how did you happen to meetCountess von Sayn in Pfalz?"
"We will tell you about that later, Guardian," said Hildegunde, beforeRoland could speak. "What instructions did his Lordship of Mayence giveconcerning me?"
"He asked me to bring you to my palace in Frankfort, and subtlyexpressed the hope you had changed your mind."
"You may assure him I have," said the Countess, again speaking rapidly;"but let us leave all details of that for the moment. I am then to gowith you to the capital?"
"Yes; to-morrow morning."
"To remain until the coronation?"
"Certainly; if such is your wish. But do you not see something verysignificant in my brother Mayence's change of plan, for you know he didnot intend to release you until after that event?"
"Yes, yes," replied the Countess breathlessly. "I see it quite clearly,but do not wish to discuss the matter at the present moment."
"Very well. I intended to enter Frankfort from the west, but meeting youso unexpectedly, I have deflected my troops up the Lahn to Limburg, atwhich town we will join them to-morrow night, thus following FatherAmbrose's route to the capital."
"Ah, that will be very interesting. Prince Roland, you accompany us, Ihope?"
"Of a surety," replied the young man confidently.
"No," quietly said the Archbishop.
"Why not?"
"Because I say no."
The young man almost an Emperor drew himself up proudly, and his lipspressed together into a firm line of determination.
"Does your Highness so quickly forget your promise?"
"What promise?" asked the Prince, scowling.
"In consideration of my keeping silence touching your recent outrageouscareer of fire and slaughter, and the enslavement of Heinrich, youpromised to obey me until you became Emperor."
"I intend to obey all reasonable requests, but I very much desire toaccompany the Countess from her Castle to the capital, I have never seenLimburg, or taken that route to Frankfort."
"It is a charming old city," replied the Archbishop dryly, "which youcan visit any time at the expense of a day's ride. Meanwhile, I shallescort the Countess thither, and endeavor to entertain her with pleasingand instructive conversation during the journey."
The Prince continued to frown, yet bit his lip and repressed an angryretort.
"But," protested the girl, "would it not be much safer for his Highnessto enter the city of Frankfort protected by your army?"
The Archbishop laughed a little.
"My dear Hildegunde, the presence of Prince Roland causes you tooverlook a vast difference in the status of you both, but surely theexercise of a little imagination should present to you the true aspectof affairs. You are a free woman, and I hold the document by which youregained your liberty. Do not be deluded, therefore, by the apparentfact that his Highness can raise a clenched fist aloft and defy theheavens. It is not so. He wears fetters on his ankles, and manaclesround his wrists. Roland is a prisoner, and must straightway immurehimself. Your Highness, before us stands the stately Castle of Sayn,where presently you shall refresh yourself, and be furnished with anuntired charger, on which to ride all night, that you may reach thegates of Ehrenfels early to-morrow morning. Once there, place thewine-loving Heinrich out of harm in the deepest dungeon, and take hisplace as prisoner. It is arranged that the three Archbishops personallyescort you to Frankfort in the barge of Mayence, which will land you atthe water-steps of the Royal Palace. If it were known that I had beeneven an hour in your company your chances of reaching the throne wo
uldbe seriously jeopardized."
"Surely such haste is unnecessary," cried the girl. "He can set outto-morrow in one direction while we go in another. He traveled all lastnight, and for most part of it was paddling a boat containing fourpeople; has ridden almost since daylight, and now to journey onhorseback throughout the night is too much for human endurance."
The grave smile of the Archbishop shone upon her anxiety.
"For lack of a nail the shoe was lost," he said, "and you know theremainder of the warning. If Prince Roland cares to risk an Empire for anight's rest, I withdraw my objection."
The Prince suddenly wheeled his horse, and coming briskly round to theside of the girl, placed a hand on hers.
"A decision, Countess!" he cried. "Give me your decision. I shall alwaysobey you!"
"Oh, the rashness of youth!" murmured the Archbishop.
The girl looked up at the young man, and he caught his breath andclasped her hand more tightly as he gazed into the depths of herglorious eyes.
"You must go," she sighed.
"Yes, alas!"
He raised her unresisting hand to his lips, and again turned his horse.
"You will obey?" asked the Archbishop.
"I will obey, my Lord."
He flashed from its scabbard, into the rays of the setting sun, thesword he had made, and elevating the hilt to his forehead, saluted theArchbishop.
"I shall see you at Ehrenfels, my Lord."
"Ah, do not go thus. Come to the Castle for an hour's rest at least."
The young man whirled his sword around, and caught it by the blade,touching the hilt with his lips as if it were a cross.
"I thank God," said he, "that I can willingly keep my oath."
Then, looking at the girl--"For the Empress, and not for the Empire!" hecried.
The sword seemed to drop into the scabbard of its own accord, as Rolandset spurs to his steed and away.