V
THE COUNTESS VON SAYN AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF COLOGNE
It was high noon when that great Prince of the Church, the Archbishop ofCologne, arrived at Castle Sayn, with a very inconsiderable following,which seemed to indicate that he traveled on no affair of State, for onsuch occasions he led a small army. The lovely young Countess awaitedhim at the top of the Castle steps, and he greeted her with the courtesyof a polished man of the world, rather than with the more austereconsideration of a great Churchman. Indeed, it seemed to the quickapprehension of the girl that as he raised her fair hand to his lips hisobeisance was lower, more deferential, than their differing stations inlife justified.
He shook hands with Father Ambrose in the manner of old friend accostingold friend, and nothing in his salutation indicated displeasure of anysort in the background.
Perhaps, then, that sense of uneasiness felt by both the aged FatherAmbrose and the youthful Countess Hildegunde in the Archbishop'spresence came from their consciousness of conspiracy, resulting in theill-fated journey to Frankfort. Nevertheless, all that afternoon the twowere oppressed by the shadow of some impending danger, and the goodspirits of the Archbishop seemed to them assumed for the occasion, andindeed in this they were not far wrong. His Lordship of Cologne waskeenly apprehensive regarding an important conference set down for thenext day, and the exuberance of an essentially serious man in such acrisis is prone to be overdone.
Father Ambrose, who, in the midst of luxury and plenty, lived with theabstemiousness of an anchorite, and always partook of his scantrefreshment alone in his cell, was invited by the Archbishop to a seatat the table in the dining-hall.
"So long as you cast no look of reproach upon me for my enjoyment ofSayn's most excellent cuisine, and my appreciation of its unequaledcellar, I shall not comment on your dinner of parched peas and yourunexhilarating tankard of water. Besides, I wish to consult with Ambrosethe librarian of Sayn, touching the archives of this house, rather thanwith Ambrose the superintendent of farms, or Father Ambrose the monk."
During the midday meal the Archbishop led, and at times monopolized, theconversation.
"While you were under the tutelage of the good Sisters at NonnenwerthConvent, Hildegunde, the Abbess frequently spoke of your proficiency inhistorical studies. Did you ever turn your attention to the annals ofyour own House?"
"No, Guardian. From what I heard casually of my ancestors a record oftheir doings would be scarcely the sort of reading recommended to ayoung girl."
"Ah, very true, very true," agreed the Archbishop. "Some of the Countsof Sayn led turbulent lives, and except with a battle-ax it wasdifficult to persuade them not to meddle with the goods and chattels oftheir neighbors. A strenuous line they proved in those olden days; butmany noble women have adorned the Castle of Sayn whose lives shine outlike an inspiration against the dark background of medieval tumult. Didyou ever hear of your forebear, the gracious Countess Matilda von Sayn,who lived some hundreds of years ago? Indeed, the letters I have beenreading, written in her quaint handwriting, are dated about the middleof the thirteenth century. I cannot learn whether she was older oryounger than the Archbishop of Cologne of that period, and thus I wishto enlist the interest of Father Ambrose in searching the archives ofSayn for anything pertaining to her. The Countess sent many epistles tothe Archbishop which he carefully preserved, while documents of muchmore importance to the Archbishopric were allowed to go astray.
"Her letters breathe a deep devotion to the Church, and a warmkindliness to its chief ornament of that day, the then Archbishop ofCologne. She was evidently his most cherished adviser, and in points ofdifficulty her counsel exhibits all the clarity of a man's brain, towhich is added a tenderness and a sense of justice entirely womanly. Icould not help fancying that this great prelate's success in hisArchbishopric was largely due to the disinterested advice of this noblewoman. It is clearly to be seen that the Countess was the benignantpower behind the throne, and she watched his continued advancement witha love resembling that lavished on a favorite son. Her writings now andthen betray an affection of a quality so motherly that I came to believeshe was much older than the great Churchman, but then there is the factthat she long outlived him, so it is possible she may have been theyounger."
"Why, my Lord, are you about to weave us a romance?"
The Archbishop smiled, and for a moment placed his hand upon hers, whichrested on the table beside him.
"A romance, perhaps, between myself and the Countess of long ago, for asI read these letters I used much of their contents for my own guidance,and found her precepts as wise to-day as they were in 1250, and to me... to me," the Archbishop sighed, "she seems to live again. Yes, Iconfess my ardent regard for her, and if you call that romance, it issurely of a very innocent nature."
"But the other Archbishop? Your predecessor, the friend of Matilda; whatof him?"
"There, Hildegunde, I have much less evidence to go upon, for hisletters, if they exist, are concealed somewhere in the archives of SaynCastle."
"To-morrow," cried the girl, "I shall robe myself in the oldest garmentsI possess, and will rummage those dusty archives until I find theletters of him who was Archbishop in 1250."
"I have bestowed that task upon one less impulsive. Father Ambrose isthe searcher, and he and I will put our wise old heads together inconsultation over them before entrusting them to the perusal of thatimpetuous young noblewoman, the present Countess von Sayn."
The impetuous person referred to brought down her hand with a peremptoryimpact upon the table, and exclaimed emphatically:
"My Lord Archbishop, I shall read those letters to-morrow."
Once more the Archbishop placed his hand on hers, this time, however,clasping it firmly in his own. There was no smile on his face as he saidgravely:
"My lady, to-morrow you will face three living Archbishops, moredifficult, perhaps, to deal with than one who is dust."
"Three!" she cried, startled, a gleam of apprehension troubling her fineeyes. "My Lords of Mayence, Treves, and yourself? Are they coming here?"
"The conclave of the Archbishops will be held at Castle Stolzenfels, theRhine residence of my brother of Treves."
"Why is this Court convened?"
"That will be explained to you, Hildegunde, by his Highness of Mayence.I did not intend to speak to you about this until later, so I willmerely say that there is nothing to fear. I, being your guardian, amsent to escort you to Stolzenfels, and as we ride there together I wishto place before you some suggestions which you may find useful when themeeting takes place."
"I shall faithfully follow any advice you give me, my Lord."
"I am sure of it, Hildegunde, and you will remember that I speak asguardian, not as Councilor of State. My observations will be requestsand not commands. You see, we have reversed the positions of mypredecessor and the Countess Matilda. It was always she who tenderedadvice, which he invariably accepted. Now I must take the role ofadvice-giver; thus you and I transpose the parts of the formerArchbishop of Cologne, and the former Countess of Sayn, who, I am sorryto note, have been completely banished from your thoughts by mypremature announcement regarding the three living Archbishops."
"Oh, not at all, not at all! I am still thinking of those two. Have youtold me all you know about them?"
"Far from it. Although I was handicapped in my reconstitution of theirfriendship by lack of the Archbishop's letters, he had nevertheless madea note here and there upon the communications he received from theCountess. Throughout the letters certain paragraphs are marked with across, as if for reperusal, these paragraphs being invariably mostdelicately and charmingly written. But now I come to the last veryimportant document, the only one of which a copy has been kept, writtenin the Archbishop's own hand.
"In the year 1250, the Countess von Sayn had ceded to him the Rhine townof Linz. Linz seems to have been a rebellious and troublesome fief,which the Sayns held by force of arms. When it came into the possessionof the Archbishop, the foolish
inhabitants, remembering that Cologne wasa long distance down the river compared with the up-river journey toSayn, broke out into open revolt. The Archbishop sent up his army, andmost effectually crushed this outbreak, severely punishing the rebels.He returned from this subdued town to his own city of Cologne, andwhether from the exposure of the brief campaign, or some other cause, hewas taken ill and shortly after died.
"The new Archbishop was installed, and nearly two years passed, so faras I can learn, before the Countess Matilda made claim that the town ofLinz should come again within her jurisdiction, saying that thisrestitution had been promised by the late Archbishop. His successor,however, disputed this claim. He possessed, he said, the deed of giftmaking over the town of Linz to his predecessor, and this document wasdefinite enough. If then, it was the intention of the late Archbishop toreturn Linz to the House of Sayn, the Countess doubtless held somedocument to that effect, and in this case he would like to know itspurport.
"The Countess replied that an understanding had existed between the lateArchbishop and herself regarding the subjugation of the town of Linz andits return to her after the rebellion was quelled. But for the untimelydeath of the late Archbishop she did not doubt that his part of thecontract would have been kept long since. Nevertheless, she did possessa document, in the late Archbishop's own hand, setting out the terms oftheir agreement, and of this manuscript she sent a copy.
"The crafty Archbishop, without casting doubt on the authenticity of thecopy, said that of course it would be illegal for him to act upon it. Hemust have the original document. Matilda replied, very shrewdly, that onher part she could not allow the original document to quit her custody,as upon it rested her rights to the town of Linz. She would, however,exhibit this document to any ecclesiastical committee her correspondentmight appoint, and the members of the committee so chosen should be menwell acquainted with the late Archbishop's writing and signature. Inreply the Archbishop regretted that he could not accept her suggestion.The people of Cologne, believing that their overlord had rightfullyacquired Linz, cheerfully consented to make good their title by battle,thus having, as it were, bought the town with their blood, and indeed, adeplorable sacrifice of life, it would become a dangerous venture togive up the town unless indisputable documentary evidence might beexhibited to them showing that such a bargain was made by the deceasedprelate.
"But before proceeding farther in this matter, he asked the Countess ifshe were prepared to swear that the copy forwarded to him was a full andfaithful rendition of the original. Did it contain every word the lateArchbishop had written in that letter?
"To this the Countess made no reply, and allowed to lapse any title shemight have to the town of Linz."
"I think," cried the girl indignantly, "that my ancestress was in theright, refusing further communication with this ignoble Churchman whodared to impugn her good faith."
The Archbishop smiled at her vehemence.
"I shall make no attempt to defend my astute predecessor. Amoney-lender's soul tenanted his austere body, but what would you say ifhis implication of the Countess Matilda's good faith was justified?"
"You mean that the copy which she sent of the Archbishop's letter wasfraudulent? I cannot believe it."
"Not fraudulent. So far as it went her copy was word perfect. Sheneglected to add, however, a final sentence, and rather than make itpublic forfeited her rightful claim to great possessions. Of theArchbishop's communications to her there remains in our archives a copyof this last epistle written in his own hand. I cannot imagine why headded the final clauses to what was in essence an important businesscommunication. The premonition he admits may have set his thoughts uponthings not of this world, but undoubtedly he believed that he would livelong enough to conquer the rebels of Linz, and restore to the Countessher property. This is what he wrote, and she refused to publish:
"'Matilda, I feel that my days are numbered, and that their number isscant. To all the world my life seems to have been successful beyond thewishes of mortal man, but to me it is a dismal failure, in that I diebachelor Archbishop of Cologne, and you are the spinster Countess vonSayn.'"