THE TRAITOR AND HIS PRICE.
Of all those gathered in the large tent, the Archbishop of Treves was
the first to realise that the bundle which had so unexpectedly dropped
down upon them, as it were, from the skies, was a man. The dismal groan
of agony which had marked the sweep of the strange missile along the
table, followed by the distant words from the direction of the castle,
caused von Isenberg to fear that his envoy had been captured by the
Black Count, probably betrayed by the captain, and had thus been flung
back defiantly to his master by means of the tower catapult. Whilst the
others stood horrified and amazed, crossing themselves devoutly, the
Archbishop gave a quick command to Bertrich.
"It is a man, inhumanly bound, and thrown thus to his death. Cut the
cords that imprison him. Call hither a physician, although I fear
nothing can be done for him."
Two of Bertrich's men lifted the bundle from the chair and placed it on
the table. Bertrich himself, drawing a dagger, at once severed the
ropes, and the body, of its own accord, relaxed and straightened out,
the limbs falling into a natural position after their constraint. To all
appearances the man was dead. They turned him over, his ghastly purple
face appearing uppermost in view of those who craned their necks to see.
"It is Steinmetz, captain of the castle," said Bertrich, who recognised
him.
"The man we bought?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Ah." The Archbishop's interjection was long drawn out. "That explains
the words we heard. The mission has been bungled, and probably the
envoys are prisoners."
But as he spoke the physician entered, followed by the envoys
themselves, who had just arrived up the hill from their interrupted
conference. The physician announced that the man was not dead, but he
gave little hope of his recovery after such frightful usage. He did
recover, nevertheless, and lived to build the chapel on the Bladenburg,
standing exactly where the great tent stood, to mark the spot where he
had fallen and had been so miraculously saved, his descent being broken
by the tent itself. The Archbishop enriched the traitor, as he enriched
all those who served him, whether they were successful or the reverse,
and part of this ill-gotten gold Steinmetz expended in the erection of
the stone chapel, thus showing gratitude to the saint who had intervened
on his behalf in the hour of his direst strait.
The chief of the two envoys told von Isenberg how their meeting with the
captain under the walls of the castle had been interrupted. The gold had
been given to Steinmetz, they said, and this the Archbishop believed,
because he had heard the wild cry of the Black Count.
The Archbishop of Treves turned to his colleague of Cologne, and said:
"This unlooked-for incident may make an entire change in my plans. I
must have further information before deciding what I shall do. If
Steinmetz lives, and is in his right mind, we shall, for the first time,
have accurate tidings of the state of things in the interior of Thuron.
It may be that the Count has supplies we know not of; if such is the
case, and if you still hold it well to raise the siege, we will then
leave this place together, you for Cologne, I for Treves. I trust, my
Lord, that you will agree to do nothing definite until we have further
consultation with each other."
"I will so agree," replied the Archbishop of Cologne.
With this the high dignitaries parted for the night, to meet next
morning in the conference tent. Day had broken before the unfortunate
Steinmetz was able to speak. All his former truculence had departed, and
although his bones were whole, thanks to the intercepting tent, his
nervous system was shattered, and he seemed but a wreck of the bold
soldier he had once been. When brought before the two Archbishops,
supported by a man on either side of him, there was alarmed apprehension
in his roving eyes, and he started at the slightest sound.
The Archbishop of Treves questioned him gently, speaking in a soothing
monotone.
"I surmise that you were thrown hither from the catapult on the north
tower. Was that the case?"
The captain bowed and shuddered, making no audible reply.
"Your master, then, discovered that you intended surrendering the castle
to me. How did this knowledge come to him?"
Captain Steinmetz moistened his lips and in halting words related what
had occurred in the courtyard of the castle.
"The money sent by me has therefore been lost to you?" said the
Archbishop, when the recital was finished.
"Yes, my Lord."
"I would like to say that I make the loss mine, and will pay to you the
whole sum originally agreed upon, as I am convinced you have done your
best to terminate a struggle which, so far as Count Heinrich is
concerned, was hopeless from the first. I have some curiosity to know
how near starvation is to those within the castle."
Captain Steinmetz hesitated.
"There are two reasons why you may be loath to answer truthfully. The
first is loyalty to your late master, but circumstances have caused me
to apprehend that this consideration does not press heavily upon you.
The second is that if starvation is within measurable distance, you may
imagine that I repent paying good gold for a place shortly to be mine
for nothing. It was to remove this impression that I stated to you a
moment ago that the stipulated amount will be paid in full, not
deducting the coins scattered in the castle yard. Therefore, answer
truly; how stands Thuron as regards famine?"
"Famine is now there, my Lord."
"You mean they are already on short rations?"
"We have been on short rations for a long time past. I mean there is not
enough food to keep the garrison alive for another ten days."
"You are sure of that?"
"Absolutely sure, my Lord."
"Were you never able to get into the castle even a scant supply from
outside our lines?"
"We tried it often enough, but never succeeded."
"Ah," ejaculated the Archbishop with satisfaction; then turning to his
Lordship of Cologne, he added:
"That is a compliment to our united forces, my Lord. I like to see a
thing well done, when it is attempted, although I confess a more active
campaign would have pleased me better. This close blockade, therefore, I
look upon as a triumph more personal to yourself, perhaps, than to me."
"I trust my natural humility of mind will keep me from being too proud
of it," replied his Lordship of Cologne, in dubious tones.
"You think, then, that Thuron cannot hold out many days longer?"
continued Treves, again addressing Steinmetz.
"If the surrounding line is held as tightly as it has been," answered
the captain, "Count Heinrich must surrender or starve."
"I see you are exhausted and will question you no more. You may retire."
Captain Steinmetz, assisted by his two supporters, left the Archbishops
together. Arnold von Isenberg sat silent in his place, making no comment
on the cross-examination. Conrad von Hochstaden walked up and down the
tent with bowed head, absorbed in thought. He was apparently waiting for
the Lord of Treves to speak first, but the other sat motionless and
speechless, narrowly watching the movements of his reluctant ally.
"I suppose," said von Hochstaden at last, pausing in his promenade,
"that you now expect me to remain in co-operation with you until the
castle falls."
"I am not sure that I expect anything. I am waiting to hear your views,
as all the circumstances of the case are now before you. I admit that I
am disappointed over the failure of my latest plan; still, such is the
risk all must run who attempt anything. The man who never fails is the
man who never tries."
"If I could be sure this fellow speaks the truth----"
"He does speak the truth."
"How can you know?"
"Because it is not to his interest to tell a lie. He has placed the
period of proving his words too near at hand to make dealing with
fiction entirely safe. A prophet who sets a day for the fulfilment of
his prediction must be either a true seer or a fool. Steinmetz is no
fool."
"You think, perhaps, that I should be a fool to stand by you for two
years and withdraw when the task is within ten days of completion."
The Archbishop of Treves spread out his hands deprecatingly, and
slightly shrugged his shoulders.
"I should hesitate before I ventured to express an opinion in terms so
strong as those you have suggested: I wait rather to hear your own
judgment, hoping the verdict will be one with which I can cordially and
conscientiously agree."
"Very well. It would be an act of folly to withdraw now that we are
apparently within sight of the goal. I will, therefore, double the time
held to be required, and will remain your faithful ally for twenty days
longer. If, at the end of that period, the castle is not in your
possession, you will place no obstacle in the way of my retirement to
Cologne. If that does not meet with your approval, then make a proposal
to me."
"I agree, and would have agreed had you placed the limit at ten days, so
confident am I that the garrison of Thuron are at this moment in the
direst straits. If unforeseen circumstances make it necessary for you to
retire at the end of twenty days, I also will retire at the same time,
and thus we will share defeat as we would have shared victory.
Meanwhile, I suggest that until the twenty days have expired, it is
necessary for both you and me to remain in this camp, for the castle may
fall at any moment, and I desire that we march through its gates
together, and raise the flag of Cologne on one tower and the flag of
Treves on the other. I trust there is nothing impending that will make
your return to Cologne, during this time, imperative?"
"No. It is not necessary for me to be in Cologne until the middle of
August. I have set the fourteenth of that month as the day on which the
corner stone of my cathedral is to be laid, and I wish to have my hands
free of blood and myself free from feud before then, so that God's
blessing may rest on the edifice."
"Such a condition is most exemplary and most necessary," said the
Archbishop of Treves, with some suspicion of a sneer in his tone. "I
make no doubt but your cathedral will be a beautiful building, and
thrice blessed in the admitted sanctity of its founder. Well; we shall
have ample time for the cleansing of hands before the fourteenth, not
that there has been much blood to smear them for the past two years, but
if your mind is ill at ease, I shall be happy, in the interests of good
architecture, to be your confessor, and send you to the laying of the
foundation stone fully absolved. It is then agreed that for twenty days
we remain partners."
Thus the two Archbishops concluded their bargain, thinking perhaps of
many events that might intervene between their hope and its
realisation, but giving no thought to the real thunder-cloud that had
been gathering so long to the south of them, and having no knowledge of
a young man at that moment making his way through the forest to the east
of the Rhine, his face set direct for Frankfort.