THE NIGHT ESCAPE OF THE EMPEROR.
When the Black Count had shouted his defiance to the tent of the
Archbishop, he stood there in the calm moonlight with his clenched fist
raised high above his head, while a deep silence held in thrall all who
were on the roof of the northern tower. Suddenly his upstretched hand
dropped to his side, and the wild exultation faded from his fiery eyes.
He turned, and curtly bidding the others to follow, clanked down the
circular stone stair, and presently entered the courtyard he had so
recently quitted. All his men there assembled stood motionless as he had
left them. The yellow bits of gold lay where they had fallen, no man
having had the courage to stoop and pick up a single coin.
Heinrich flashed a contemptuous glance at the scattered metal, and said:
"Lieutenant, see that this trash is gathered up. Give half of it to the
honest fellow who discovered the plot, and divide the rest among
yourselves. You will take temporary command until I have further
investigated this treachery."
"My Lord," interrupted Rodolph, "Conrad is my man, and I will myself
undertake to compensate him for what he has undergone. I beg of you to
divide the Archbishop's gold entirely among those who have stood so
faithfully by the castle. If you give orders to that effect, I would be
glad to have a word with you in private."
"What is done, is done," replied the Black Count, frowning. "There is
little good in further talk about it. I mean with regard to the sending
away of the traitor; that's past praying for; the dividing of the gold
shall be according to your wish."
"What is done, is done, as you most truly say, and I have no comment to
make upon it. If a man is to be killed, and Steinmetz richly merited
death, I suppose it matters little how his taking off is accomplished so
that it be speedy, and none can complain that he was kept long in
suspense. I shall have the honour of following you to the council
chamber, my Lord."
The Black Count strode up the stone steps and entered the now deserted
room, turning round upon his guest with some apprehension on his brow.
"Well, my Lord," he said, and from his tones had departed all their
former truculence.
"I have to ask your permission to leave the castle to-night. The time is
ripe for my departure, and I think during the commotion that will
inevitably ensue in the enemy's camp after the receipt of your startling
message, I may the more surely make my way through the lines. I shall,
with as little delay as need be, bring up my own men, and I imagine we
will have small difficulty in raising the siege, or at least in getting
through to you some necessary provender, if you can but hold out for a
few days longer."
"How many men answer to your command?"
"Enough to make their Lordships regret that my followers are thrown in
the scale against them."
For a moment an elated gleam of hope lit up the dark eye of the Count,
but it soon died away as unbelief in the other's ability to do what he
had promised reasserted itself.
"You have been here for two years: your men are now most likely
scattered, or may indeed be in the Archbishop's own camp. When the hand
of the master is withdrawn, his mercenaries look to themselves!"
"True, my Lord; but I have been in constant communication with my trusty
lieutenant, and he now informs me that everything is ready."
"How can you have been in communication with him?"
"The good monk, my Lord, was my secret messenger."
"Ah! That accounts for his frequent visits, then. Well, go, in God's
name, if you think you can benefit us. I trust you all the more because
I believe there is one within these walls whom you would wish to see
neither harmed nor starved. I am not blind, although I say little."
"You are right, my Lord, and your observation has not misled you. But I
would like you to credit this; that even if there were none such, I
would gladly come to your aid, on your account as well. I propose to
take Conrad and the archer with me, for we may arrive at blows in the
getting away, and I wish two followers in whom I have confidence.
Besides, the departure of three will relieve, to that extent, the
slender resources of the castle. I hope I have your approval of my
project."
"Surely, surely. May prosperity attend you, and may I meet you at my own
gate with your lancemen at your back. You will be most heartily
welcome."
The two shook hands and parted with much cordiality. Rodolph made his
way to his room in the tower, followed by Conrad. There they found the
archer, seemingly in deep dejection.
"Well," cried Rodolph, "are you returned already? What luck have you had
with the poet?"
"Roger is as stubborn as a mule, my Lord, and insists that his oath to
the Archbishop will not allow him to let me pass through the lines. A
plague on his good principles. I never let my principles interfere with
the serving of a friend."
"Is it so, honest John? You would, then, at the request of Roger, allow
me to be captured by the Archbishops?"
"Oh, no, my Lord," replied the archer, in astonishment at the bare
suggestion. "Not for all the friends that were ever weaned in England
would I betray your Lordship."
"I am sure of it. Therefore must we not be too severe on the poet if he
refuses to do for one friend what you would not do for a whole regiment
of them. Where is our faithful rhymester on guard?"
"He stands in the valley of the Thaurand, in a most excellent position
for our escape, and that is the pity of it, curses on his stubbornness.
We could slip through to the stream and either up the opposite hill or
along the water course to the Moselle quite unmolested, once we were
past the lines. If your honour commands me to do it, I will send an
arrow through his unfriendly heart, although I must say I would loosen
string with grief and bitterness in my own; then we may pass unchecked."
"No, no. Such a trial shall not be put upon you. The arrow is silent,
and if it be necessary we will send it through the heart of another on
the line, and step over his body. But it is best to attain our object
bloodlessly, if possible, for a man killed may cause the hue and cry to
be raised after us. Has Roger no poetry to recite to you? No new verses
or changes in the old, regarding which he wishes your sage opinions?"
"Oh, he has plenty of new verse, curse him, but I told him I would not
wait to hear, saying I believed him no true poet at all, thus leaving
him in deep melancholy, leaning on his bow regardless of the strain upon
it, as I bent my way up the hill."
"'Tis a pity author and critic should part in anger. Will you then make
your way to him again, taking your bow and a well-filled quiver with
you. Apologise for your remarks reflecting on his quality as poet; say
your bad temper made you speak, and not your critical judgment. Induce
him to recite all that is new in his composition, and also some of the
old verses, until you hear my signal on the other side of the valley.
Then break his bow so that he may not injure you, and fly to us. During
the recital we will steal through as silently as we can, trusting to the
poet's fervour of genius for our being unseen and unheard. Win to us
then if you can; should this be impossible, Conrad and I will have to
make our way down the Moselle without you. I will give you an hour to
make your peace with the offended Roger, then, when you hear the night
bird's cry, know that we are about to steal through the lines. Keep
Roger busily engaged without rest until the cry comes to you again from
the other side of the valley. If he discover us and is about to give the
alarm, I trust that you will let friendship fly to the winds for a short
time and promptly throttle him, escaping after, as best you may."
"I will do all I can, even if I have to wring his long neck," said the
archer, buckling quiver to his back and taking up his bow. When he had
gone Rodolph turned to Conrad.
"Hilda has had a somewhat exciting evening of it, and will be glad to
have assurance that you are unhurt. Seek her out, therefore, and bid her
farewell for a few days. Ask her, so that you may not be interrupted
during your parting, to deliver a message to the Countess Tekla from me.
Tell the Countess that I am on the battlements and beg of her indulgence
that she meet me there. I value you so highly, Conrad, that I will
myself engage the Countess in conversation, so that Hilda may not be
called upon by her Ladyship, until your conference is ended. Thus I hope
to merit the gratitude of both Hilda and yourself."
"Thank you, my Lord," said Conrad, with a smile as he departed on his
mission.
The young Emperor, his hands clasped behind him, paced up and down the
broad promenade in the moonlight. He was now at last on the eve of
achievement; about to return to his capital and take his rightful place
at the head of the State. An army awaited him, quietly accumulated and
efficiently drilled. This huge weapon was ready to his hand to be
wielded absolutely as pleased him, for the good or for the evil of his
country. The young man pondered gravely on the situation. What would be
the result? Bloodshed and civil war, or peace and prosperity in the
land? Would the Archbishops fight when he ordered the siege to be
raised, or would they obey his command? Only a few more moonlight nights
lay between him and this knowledge. As he meditated on his danger and
hopes, the white slender figure of the Countess came up the steps to the
promenade, and he rushed forward to meet her with both hands
outstretched.
"Ah, Tekla," he said, "it is kind of you to come."
The girl put her hands in his, but there was an expression of concern on
her face.
"What has uncle done with Captain Steinmetz?" she asked.
"He was a traitor," said Rodolph, sternly.
"I know, I know, but for long he was in my uncle's service, and he has
been these two years one of our defenders. Perhaps, half starved, he
succumbed to the temptation of a moment. His years of good faith should
not be forgotten at this time. Is he in prison?"
"No. The Black Count bound him and sent him, with a warlike message, to
the Archbishop of Treves."
"Oh," cried the girl, much relieved, "I am glad that nothing more severe
was done. I feared my uncle, in his just anger, might have acted
harshly, but I think you have had a good influence on him, Rodolph. I
have noted, with gladness, how he defers to you."
"I suppose we influence more or less all those with whom we come into
contact. I should be glad to believe that I had a benign effect upon his
conduct, but, before arriving at a definite conclusion in the matter, I
shall await further proof of his Lordship's leaning towards clemency and
softness of speech."
"What further proof could you wish than the incident to-night? I assure
you, and you are yourself very well aware, that two years ago, yes, and
often since then, my uncle would have killed Steinmetz on evidence of
such treachery."
"I think he would have deserved his fate, Tekla; and now I beg of you
dismiss the traitor for ever from your mind, and give your unworthy
lover some space in your thoughts. I am about to quit the castle, and I
ask your good wishes in my venture. I hope shortly to return at the head
of my own men, and have some influence on the siege if I have little
with your uncle."
"To leave the castle? Does my uncle know?"
"Yes, and he cordially approves my scheme. Furthermore, he has no doubts
about my loyalty, for he says he is cognizant of the fact that I leave
one within the castle to whom I shall be most eager to return, which is,
indeed, the case, my Tekla."
"He knows that also, does he?" replied the girl, blushing, and hiding
her blushes on the shoulder of her lover.
Rodolph, bending over and caressing her, undid a knot of ribbon at her
throat, kissing the white neck thus laid bare.
"I shall wear your colours on my arm, Tekla, till I return, if you will
but tie them there and entangle your good wishes with the knot."
The girl tied the shred of ribbon on his arm, daintily pressing her lips
to the knot when it was in place.
"There," she cried, looking up at him with moist and glistening eyes,
"that will bring you safely to me; but, Rodolph, you will be careful and
not rash. Do not jeopardise your own safety for--for us. I fear your men
are but few, and if that is the case, do not, I beg of you, adventure
life in a hopeless enterprise. Let us rather surrender and throw
ourselves on the mercy of the Archbishop."
"I should scarcely care to trust to his tender heart, but you may be
sure I shall use all caution. I think my men will be ample in number for
the task I shall set to them, and in any case we will be strong in the
justice of our cause and the prayers of our Lady. And now Tekla, I must
be gone and trust myself to the outcome of the night. I hear Conrad
approaching with a clumsy noisiness that betokens a desire to deal with
others as he would be dealt with himself. His coming shows that the
moment of parting is at hand, for another awaits us, and our success
depends on our being at our post in the valley at the exact time, so
kiss me, my Tekla, before the faithful head of Conrad appears above the
battlements."
The kiss and others to supplement it were given and taken.
"We shall always remember these battlements, Rodolph," she whispered to
him.
When Conrad at last came, Rodolph and he disappeared over the wall
together: Tekla, leaning against the parapet, little as she imagined it,
bade farewell for ever to her Knight of the Moselle. It was destined
that the next lover she was to meet would be no unknown Lord, but the
Emperor of Germany himself.