mighty who ruled the Empire, or among the merchants who trafficked
therein, or among the people who starved when there was no traffic. The
most anxious man was a small, fussy individual of great importance in
his own estimation, cringing to those above him, denouncing those
beneath; Herr Durnberg, Master of the Romer, in other words, the Keeper
of the Town Hall. The great masters whom this little master served were
imperious and unreasonable. They gave him too little information
regarding their intentions, yet if he failed in his strict duty towards
them, they would crush him as ruthlessly as if he were a wasp.
Unhappy Durnberg! Every morning he expected the Electoral Court to be
convened that day, and every evening he was disappointed. It was his
first duty to lay out upon the table in that great room, the Kaisersaal,
a banquet, to be partaken of by the newly-made Emperor, and by the seven
potentates who elected him. It was also his duty to provide two huge
tanks of wine, one containing the ruby liquor pressed out at
Assmannshausen; the other the straw-colored beverage that had made
Hochheim famous. These tanks were connected by pipes with the plain,
unassuming fountain standing opposite the Town Hall in that square
called the Romerberg. The moment an election took place Herr Durnberg
turned off the flow of water from the fountain, and turned on the flow
of wine, thus for an hour and a half there poured from the northward
pointing spout of the fountain the rich red wine of Assmannshausen, and
from the southern spout the delicate white wine of Hochheim. Now, wine
will keep for a long time, but a dinner will not, so the distracted
Durnberg prepared banquet after banquet for which there were no
consumers.
At last, thought Herr Durnberg, his vigilance was about to be rewarded.
There came up the broad, winding stair, to the landing on which opened
the great doors of the Kaisersaal, two joyous-looking young people,
evidently lovers, and with the hilt of his sword the youth knocked
against the stout panels of the door. It was Herr Durnberg himself who
opened, and he said haughtily--
"The Romer is closed, and will not be free to strangers until after the
Election."
"We enter, nevertheless. I am Prince Roland, here to meet the Court of
Electors, who convene at midday in the adjoining Wahlzimmer. You,
Romer-meister, will announce to their august Lordships that I am here,
and, when their will is expressed, summon me to audience with them."
Herr Durnberg bowed almost to the polished floor, and flinging open both
doors, retreated backwards, still bent double as he implored them to
enter. Locking the doors, for the Electors would reach the Wahlzimmer
through a private way, to be used by none but themselves, the bustling
Durnberg produced two chairs, which he set by the windows in the front,
and again running the risk of falling on his nose, bowed his
distinguished visitors to seats where they might entertain themselves by
watching the enormous crowd that filled the Romerberg from end to end,
for every man in Frankfort knew an Election was impending, and it was
after the banquet, when the wine began to flow in the fountain, that the
new Emperor exhibited himself to his people by stepping from the
Kaisersaal out upon the balcony in front of it.
"Do you feel any shyness about meeting this formidable conclave?
Remember you have at least two good friends among them."
The girl placed her hand in his, and looked affectionately upon him.
"When you are with me, Roland, I am afraid of nothing."
"I should not ask you to pass through this ordeal were it not for your
guardian. His astonishment at the announcement of our marriage will be
so honest and unacted that even the suspicious Mayence cannot accuse him
of connivance in what we have done. Of course, the strength of my
position is that I have but carried out the formal request of their
three Lordships; a request which has never been rescinded."
Before she could reply the hour of twelve rang forth. The deferential
Herr Durnberg entered from the Wahlzimmer, and softly approached them.
"Your Highness," he said, "my Lords, the Electors, request your presence
in the Wahlzimmer."
"How many are there, Romer-meister?"
"There are four, your Highness; the three Archbishops and the Count
Palatine."
"Ah," breathed Roland, relieved that Mayence had not called up his
reserve, and assured now that the seventh Elector had not arrived. With
a glance of encouragement at his wife, Roland passed into the presence.
Herr Durnberg, anxious about the outcome, showed an inclination to close
the door and remain inside, but a very definite gesture from Mayence
wafted the good man to outer regions.
Mayence opened the proceedings.
"Yesterday I received a communication from your Highness, requesting me
to convene this Court. I am as ignorant as my colleagues regarding the
subjects to be placed before us. I therefore announce to you that we are
prepared to listen."
"I thank you, my Lord of Mayence," began the Prince very quietly. "When
first I had the honor of meeting your three Lordships in the Castle of
Ehrenfels, I signed certain documents, and came to an agreement with you
upon other verbal requests. I am not yet a man of large experience, but
at that time, although comparatively few days have elapsed, I was a mere
boy, trusting in the good faith of the whole world, knowing nothing of
its chicanery. Since then I have been through a bitter school, learning
bitter lessons, but I am nevertheless encouraged, in that for every man
of treachery and deceit I meet two who are trustworthy."
"Pardon me," said Mayence suavely, "I did not understand that the
discourse you proposed was to be a sermon. If your theme is a lecture on
morality, I beg to remind you that this Wahlzimmer is a place of
business, and what you say is better suited to a chapel or even a
church, than to the Election Chamber of the Empire."
"I am sorry, my Lord," said Roland humbly, "if my introduction does not
meet your approval. I assure you that the very opposite was my
intention. My purpose is to show you why a change has come over me, and
in order--"
"Once more I regret interrupting, but the reason for whatever change has
occurred can be of little interest to any one but yourself. You begin by
making vague charges of dishonesty, treachery, and what-not, against
some person or persons unknown. May I ask you to be definite?"
"Is it your Lordship's wish that I should mention names?"
Cologne showed signs of uneasiness; Treves looked in bewilderment from
one to another of his colleagues; the Count Palatine sat deeply
interested, his elbows on the table, massive chin supported by huge
hands.
"Your Highness is the best judge whether names should be mentioned or
not," said Mayence, quite calmly, as if his withers were unwrung. "But
you must see that if you hint at conspiracy and bafflement, certain
inferences are likely to be drawn. Since the time you speak of there has
been no opportunity for you to meet your fellow-men, therefore these
inferences are apt to take the color that reference is made to one or
the other of the three personages you did meet. I therefore counsel you
either to abstain from innuendo or explain explicitly what you mean."
"I the more willingly bow to your Lordship's decision because it is
characterized by that wisdom which accompanies every word your Lordship
utters. I shall therefore designate good men and bad."
Mayence gazed at the young man in amazement, but merely said:
"Proceed, sir, on your perilous road."
"I am the head of a gang of freebooters. When this company left
Frankfort under my command we appeared to be all of one mind. My gang
consisted entirely of ironworkers, well-set-up young fellows in splendid
physical condition, yet before I was gone a day on our journey I found
myself confronted by mutiny. A man named Kurzbold was the leader of this
rebellion; a treacherous hound, whom I sentenced to death. The two who
stood by me were Greusel and Ebearhard, therefore I told you that when I
met one villain I encountered two trustworthy men."
"When did this happen?" asked Mayence. "And what was the object of your
freebooting expedition?"
"High Heaven!" cried the Archbishop of Cologne, unable longer to
restrain his impatience when he saw the fatal trend of the Prince's
confession, "what madness has overcome you? Can you not see the effect
of these disturbing disclosures?"
The Prince smiled, and answered first the last question.
"'Tis an honest confession, my Lord, of what may be considered a
dishonest practice. It is information that should be within your
knowledge before you sit down to elect an Emperor.
"When did this happen, my Lord of Mayence?" he continued, turning to the
chairman. "It happened when you thought I was your prisoner in
Ehrenfels. Never for a day did you hold me there. I roamed the country
at my pleasure. I examined leisurely and effectively the defenses of
nearly every castle on the Rhine from the town of Bonn to your own city
of Mayence. The object of our expedition, you ask? It was to loot the
stolen treasure of the robber castles, and incidentally it resulted in
the destruction by fire of Furstenberg. The marauding excursion ended at
Pfalz, where I lightened the Pfalzgraf of his wealth, and liberated the
Countess von Sayn, unlawfully imprisoned within that fortress."
"By the Three Kings!" cried the Count Palatine, bringing his huge fist
down on the table like the blow of a sledge hammer, "you are a man, and
I glory that it is my privilege to vote for you."
"I agree with my brother of Cologne," said Treves, speaking for the
first time, "that this young man does not properly weigh the inevitable
result of his terrible words. I vote, of course, with my Lord of
Mayence, but such a vote will be most reluctantly given for a
self-confessed burglar and incendiary."
"Be not too hasty, gentlemen," counseled Mayence. "We are not met here
to cast votes. Your Highness, I complained a moment ago of lack of
interest in your recital; I beg to withdraw that plea. After having
heard you I agree that the Countess was unjustly imprisoned. She was
accurate in her estimate of your character."
"I think not, my Lord, I do not regard myself as burglar, incendiary,
thief, or robber. I call myself rather a restorer of stolen property. I
shed no blood, which in itself is a remarkable feature of action so
drastic as mine. The incendiarism was merely incidental, forced upon me
by the fact that the Red Margrave tied up eighteen of my men, whom he
proposed presently to hang. I diverted his attention from this execution
by the first method that occurred to me, namely, the firing of his
Castle. In my letter to you yesterday, my Lord, I promised to clear away
certain obstacles from your path. I therefore remove one, by saying that
an object of this conference is my own renunciation of the Emperorship,
thus while I thank my Lord Count for his proffered franchise, I quiet
the mind of my Lord of Treves by assuring him his defection has no
terror for me. And now, my Lord of Mayence, will you listen carefully to
my suggestion?"
"Prince Roland," replied his Lordship, almost with geniality, "I have
never heard so graphic a narrator in my life. Proceed, I beg of you."
"When our band of cut-purses set out from Frankfort, they supposed the
gold was to be shared equally among us. Mutiny taught me to use the arts
of diplomacy, which I despise. I hoped to attain such influence over
them that they would agree to abjure wealth for the benefit of
Frankfort. I am happy to say that I accomplished my object, so that
yesterday and to-day you have witnessed the results of my efforts; the
relief of a starving city. I merely removed the wealth of robbers to
benefit those whom they robbed. Knowing the dangerous feeling actuating
this town against your Lordships, I caused proclamation to be made
crediting this relief to the Archbishops.
"My Lord of Mayence, when yesterday I saw you appear on your own
balcony, the most stern, the most dignified figure I ever beheld; when I
heard the ringing cheers that greeted you; when I realized, as never
before, the majesty of your genius, I cursed the stupid decree of Fate
that denied me your friendship. What could we not have accomplished
together for the Fatherland? I, with my youth and energy, under the
tutelage of your wisdom and experience. You tasted there, probably for
the first time in your life, the intoxicating cup of popularity, yet it
affected you no more than if you had drunk of the fountain in the
Romerberg.
"Now, my Lords, here is what I ask of you, and it will show how much I
would have depended upon you had I been chosen to the position at first
proposed to me. I request you, my Lord of Treves, to remove your three
thousand troops to the other side of the Rhine."
"I shall do nothing of the sort," blurted Treves, amazed at the absurd
proposal.
Roland went on, unheeding:
"I ask you, my Lord of Cologne, to march your troops to Assmannshausen."
"You indeed babble like the boy you said you were!" cried the indignant
Cologne. "You show no grasp of statesmanship."
A faint smile quivered on the thin lips of Mayence at his colleagues'
ill-disguised fear at leaving him the man in possession so far as
Frankfort was concerned. The naive proposal which angered his two
brethren merely amused Mayence. This young man's absurdity was an
intellectual treat. Roland smiled in sympathy as he turned towards him,
but his next words banished all expression of pleasure from the face of
Mayence.
"I hope to succeed better with you, my Lord. Of course I recognize I
have no standing with this Court since my refusal of the gift you
intended to bestow. I ask you to draft into this city seven thousand
men;" then after a pause: "_the seven thousand will not have far to
march, my Lord._"
He caught an expression almost of fear in the Archbishop's eyes, which
were quickly veiled, but his Lordship's tone was as unwavering as ever
when he asked:
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that the city of Mayence is nearer to Frankfort than either
Cologne or Treves."
"Your geographical point is undeniable. What am I to do with my ten
thousand once they are here?"
"My Lord, I admire the rigid discipline of your men, and estimate from
that the genius of organization possessed by your officers; a genius
imparted, I believe, by you. No one knows better than I the state of
confusion which this effort at relief has brought upon the city. I
suggest that your capable officers divide this city into cantons,
proclaim martial law, and deliver to every inhabitant rations of food as
if each man, woman, and child were a member of your army. Meanwhile the
merchants should be relieved of a task for which they have proved their
incapacity, and turn their attention to commerce. This relief at best
must be temporary. The vital task is to open the Rhine. The merchants
will load every barge on the river with goods, and this flotilla the
armies of Treves and Cologne will escort in safety to the latter city.
In passing they will deliver an ultimatum to every castle, demanding a
contribution in gold towards the further relief of Frankfort, until
commerce readjusts itself, and assuring each nobleman that if this
commerce is molested, his castle shall be forfeited, and himself
imprisoned or hanged."
"Quite an effective plan, I think, your Highness, to which I willingly
agree, if you can assure me of the support of my two colleagues, which I
regret to say has already been refused."
His Lordship looked from one to another, but neither withdrew his
declaration.
"Prince Roland," continued Mayence, "we seem to have reached a deadlock,
and I fear its cause is that distrust of one human being toward another
that you deplored a while ago. I confess myself, however, so pleased
with the trend of your mind as exhibited in your conversation with us,
that I am desirous to know what further proposals you care to make, now
that our mutual good intentions have led us into an impasse."
"Willingly, my Lord. I propose that you at once proceed to the Election
of an Emperor, for the delay in his choosing has already caused an
anxiety and a tension dangerous to the peace of this country."
"Ah, that is easier said than done, your Highness. Having yourself
eliminated the one on whom we were agreed, it seems to me you should at
least suggest a substitute."
"Again willingly, my Lord. You should choose some quiet, conservative
man, and, if possible, one well known to the citizens of Frankfort, and
held in good esteem by the people everywhere. He should be a man of
middle age--" Mayence's eyes began to close again, and his lips to
tighten--"and if he had some experience in government, that would be all
to the good. One already married is preferable to a bachelor, for then
no delicate considerations regarding a woman can arise, as, I need not
remind your Lordship, have arisen in my own case. A man of common sense
should be selected, who would not make rash experiments with the ideals
of the German people, as a younger and less balanced person might be
tempted to do. That he should be a good Churchman goes without saying--"
"A truce, a truce!" cried Mayence sternly. "Again we are running into a
moral catalogue impossible of embodiment. Is there any such man in your
mind, or are you merely treating us to a counsel of perfection?"
"Notwithstanding my pessimism," said Roland, "I still think so well of
my countrymen as to believe there are many such. Not to make any
recommendation to those so much better qualified to judge than I, but
merely to give a sample, I mention the Grand Duke Karl of Hesse, who
fulfills every requirement I have named."
For what seemed to the onlookers a tense period of suspense, the old man
seated and the young man standing gazed intently at one another. Mayence
knew at once that in some manner unknown to him the Prince had fathomed
his intentions; that his Highness alone knew why the Election had been
delayed, yet the Prince conveyed this knowledge directly to the person
most concerned, in the very presence of those whom Mayence desired to
keep ignorant, without giving them the slightest hint anent the actual
state of affairs.
The favorable opinion which the Archbishop had originally formed of
Roland in Ehrenfels during this conference became greatly augmented.
Even the most austere of men is more or less susceptible to flattery,
and yet in flattering him Roland had managed to convey his own sincerity
in this laudation.
"We will suppose the Grand Duke Karl elected," Mayence said at last.
"What then?"
"Why then, my Lord, the three differing bodies of troops at present
occupying Frankfort would be withdrawn, and the danger line crossed over
to the right side."
Mayence now asked a question that in his own mind was crucial. Once more
he would tempt the young man to state plainly what he actually knew.
"Can your Highness give us any reason why you fear danger from the
presence of troops commanded by three friendly men like my colleagues
and myself?"
"My fear is that the hands of one or the other of you may be forced, and
I can perhaps explain my apprehension better by citing an incident to
which I have already alluded. I had not the slightest intention of
burning Castle Furstenberg, but suddenly my hand was forced. I was
responsible for the safety of my men. I hesitated not for one instant to
fire the Castle. Of the peaceful intentions of my Lords the Archbishops
there can be no question, but at any moment a street brawl between the
soldiers, say, of Cologne and Treves, may bring on a crisis that can
only be quelled by bloodshed. Do you see my point?"
"Yes, your Highness, I do, and your point is well taken. I repose such
confidence in our future Emperor that voluntarily I shall withdraw my
troops from Frankfort at once. Furthermore, I shall open the Rhine, by
sending along its banks the ultimatum you propose, not supported by my
army, but supported by the name of the Archbishop of Mayence, and I
shall be interested to know what Baron on the Rhine dare flout that
title. Will you accept my aid, Prince Roland?"
"I accept it, my Lord, with deep gratitude, knowing that it will prove
effective."
His Lordship rose in his place.
"I said this was not an Electoral Court. I rise to announce my mistake.
We Electors here gathered together form a majority. I propose to you the
name of Prince Roland, son of our late Emperor."
"My Lord, my Lord!" cried Roland, raising his hand, "you do not know
all."
"Patient Heaven!" cried the irritated Archbishop, "you make too much of
us as father confessors. Do not tell us now you have been guilty of
assassination!"
"No, my Lord, but you should know that I have married the Lady
Hildegunde, Countess von Sayn, whom you have already rejected as
Empress."
"Well, if you have accepted the dame, the balance is redressed. I am not
sure but you made an excellent choice."
It was now the turn of the amazed Archbishop of Cologne to rise to his
feet.
"What his Highness says is impossible. The Lady von Sayn has been in my
care ever since she entered Frankfort, and I pledge my word she has
never left my Palace!"
"We were married yesterday at three o'clock, in the chapel of the
Benedictine Fathers, and in the presence of four of them. We left your
Palace, my Lord, by a door which you may discover in the wall of your
garden, near the summer-house, and my wife is present in the adjoining
room to implore your forgiveness."
Cologne collapsed into his chair, and drew a hand across his bewildered
brow. The situation appeared to amuse Mayence.
"I wish your Highness had withheld this information until I was sure
that my brother of Treves will vote with me, as he promised. My Lord of
Treves, you heard my proposition. May I count on your concurrence?"
Treves' house of cards fell so suddenly to the ground that under the
compelling eyes of Mayence he could do no more than stammer his
acquiescence.
"I vote for the Prince," he said in tones barely audible.
"And you, my Lord of Cologne?"
"Aye," said Cologne gruffly.
"The Count Palatine?"
"Yes," thundered the latter. "A choice that meets my full approval, and
I speak now for the Empress as well as the Emperor."
"Durnberg!" cried Mayence, raising his voice.
The doors were instantly opened, and the cringing Romer-meister
appeared.
"Is the banquet prepared?"
"Ready to lay on the table, my Lord."
"The wine for the fountains?"
"Needs but the turning of the tap, my Lord."
"Order up the banquet, turn the tap; and as the new Emperor is unknown
to the people, cause heralds with trumpets to set out and proclaim the
Election of Prince Roland of Frankfort."
"Yes, my Lord."
The Archbishop of Mayence led the way out into the grand Kaisersaal, and
the new Empress rose from her chair, standing there, her face white as
the costume she wore. Mayence advanced to her, bending his gray head
over the hand he took in his own.
"Your Majesty," he said gravely, and this was her first hint of the
outcome, "I congratulate you upon your marriage, as I have already
congratulated your husband."
"My Lord Archbishop," she said in uncertain voice, "you cannot blame me
for obeying you."
"I think my poor commands would have been futile were it not for the
assistance lent me by his Majesty."
The salutations of the others were drowned by the cheers of the great
assemblage in the Romerberg. The red wine and white had begun to flow,
and the people knew what had happened. In the intervals between the
clangor of the trumpets, they heard that a Prince of their own town had
been elected, so all eyes turned to the Romer, and cries of "The
Emperor! The Emperor!" issued from every throat. The multitude felt that
a new day was dawning.
"I believe," said Mayence, "that hitherto only the Emperor has appeared
on the balcony, but to-day I suggest a precedent. Let Emperor and
Empress appear before the people."
He motioned to Herr Durnberg, and the latter flung open the tall
windows; then Roland taking his wife's hand, stepped out upon the
balcony.
THE END