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diff --git a/40567-8.txt b/40567-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ef3b8c8..0000000 --- a/40567-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11722 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mercenary, by W. J. Eccott - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Mercenary - A Tale of The Thirty Years' War - -Author: W. J. Eccott - -Release Date: August 23, 2012 [EBook #40567] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MERCENARY *** - - - - -Produced by Sandra Eder, sp1nd and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - The Mercenary - - - - - _WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR._ - - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - FORTUNE'S CASTAWAY. - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - HIS INDOLENCE OF ARRAS. - Popular Edition, 6d. - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - THE HEARTH OF HUTTON. - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - THE RED NEIGHBOUR. - Popular Edition, 1s. - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - THE BACKGROUND. - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - A DEMOISELLE OF FRANCE. - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - THE SECOND CITY. - - - WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, - - EDINBURGH AND LONDON. - - - - - The Mercenary - - A Tale of - The Thirty Years' War - - BY - - W. J. ECCOTT - - AUTHOR OF 'HIS INDOLENCE OF ARRAS,' - 'THE RED NEIGHBOUR,' ETC. - - William Blackwood and Sons - Edinburgh and London - - 1913 - -_ALL RIGHTS RESERVED_ - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - CHAP. PAGE - - I. IN SEARCH OF BOOTY 1 - - II. NIGEL COLLECTS HIS DUES 10 - - III. TILLY, COUNT OF TZERCLAËS 17 - - IV. ON THE ROAD TO ERFURT 24 - - V. TWO OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH 32 - - VI. AT THE CASTLE OF HRADSCHIN 42 - - VII. THE ROAD TO EGER 53 - - VIII. INTERLACING DESTINIES 61 - - IX. AN ITALIAN AND A SPANIARD 73 - - X. FATHER LAMORMAIN 81 - - XI. THE LOST DESPATCHES FOUND 92 - - XII. NIGEL MEETS FATHER LAMORMAIN 99 - - XIII. A FATHER, A CONFESSOR, AND A DAUGHTER 107 - - XIV. IN THE CIRCLE OF THE EMPEROR 114 - - XV. THE ARCHDUCHESS AND WALLENSTEIN 125 - - XVI. NIGEL'S NEW REGIMENT 133 - - XVII. FAREWELL TO THE ARCHDUCHESS 140 - - XVIII. NIGEL'S INSTRUCTIONS, WRITTEN AND UNWRITTEN 149 - - XIX. THE GUESTS OF THE ABBOT OF FULDA 156 - - XX. CASTING OUT A DEVIL 165 - - XXI. INTO THE FOREST'S HEART 176 - - XXII. THE DRAGON'S GORGE 184 - - XXIII. A CLASH OF HEARTS 190 - - XXIV. MISTRESS AND ENEMY 198 - - XXV. BREITENFELD 206 - - XXVI. AT HALBERSTADT 214 - - XXVII. THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE 223 - - XXVIII. PREPARES THE GROUND 232 - - XXIX. ORBIT AND FOCUS 239 - - XXX. LOVE AND A LOCKSMITH 249 - - XXXI. AN ASSIGNATION 256 - - XXXII. PASTOR RAD AGAIN 263 - - XXXIII. THE PASTOR'S PILGRIMAGE 270 - - XXXIV. LUTHERAN AND JESUIT 278 - - XXXV. AN EMBASSY FOR STEPHANIE 286 - - XXXVI. A RECONNAISSANCE 293 - - XXXVII. THE DEFENCE OF THE LECH 301 - - XXXVIII. A SURPRISE AT RATISBON 307 - - XXXIX. THE CLOUDS AND SERGEANT BLICK 314 - - XL. RIDE, RIDE TOGETHER 320 - - XLI. A LATE ARRIVAL AT NICHOLAS KRAFT'S 329 - - XLII. IN THE ABBEY CHURCH 336 - - - - - THE MERCENARY: - - A TALE OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR. - - - [Illustration] - - - CHAPTER I. - - IN SEARCH OF BOOTY. - - -It was the evening of the second day of the sack of Magdeburg. Nigel -Charteris, soldier of fortune by profession and in rank captain of -musketeers, sought a certain house in the Kloster Strasse, if haply it -were still standing. - -It troubled the captain little that Magdeburg should be sacked. He was -of the Catholic faith. And Magdeburg had proved herself malignantly -Protestant. She had flouted the Edict of Restitution. The Emperor -Ferdinand II., Habsburger by race, Catholic to the marrow, had -proclaimed that the possessions, wrenched from the grasp of the -Catholics a hundred years before by the Lutherans and Calvinists, should -be restored to Catholic hands, that the mass bell should tinkle in every -chancel, and all be as if that pestilent monk, that Junker Georg of the -Wartburg, had never been. Rome had bided her time, as Rome can always -bide her time, and seize her opportunity. The Emperor found himself -with a right good flail and a stout husbandman, Count Tilly, to wield -it. The husbandman with his flail had arrived before the -threshing-floors of Magdeburg in bleak March. It had taken him to jocund -May to force an entrance, and then the threshing and the winnowing -began. - -It was a question if the house in the Kloster Strasse still stood, for -even before the turbulent entry of the Emperor's troops fires had broken -out, and still burned furiously. It was a city of shards and carcases. -Here and there streets still stood, as a patch of corn stands, left for -to-morrow's cutting, amid the prone swathes. Nigel wondered if he would -be able to recognise the street that he had left as the dawn broke that -morning. - -"This is the street, Captain. The spire's had a shake!" said Sergeant -Blick. - -Nigel nodded, and strode over the stones, and the sheet-lead, and the -broken images of stone and of human flesh that lay in his path. But for -the loss of its church-tower the street was still passably whole. -Clambering over the barrier of ruins, a half company of musketeers -followed in loose order, expectant of more plunder. All day they had -spent in camp, and were now let out for their share in the ruthless -harvesting. There was method too in their captain's gleaning. - -He halted his men, and addressed Sergeant Blick in the tone of a man -used to command and accustomed to be obeyed. - -"Now, Sergeant, you and two men come with me. The rest may help -themselves in this street. It is now seven o'clock. At nine they will -fall in, and march back to camp. No throat-cutting! No drunkenness! And -no mishandling of women!" - -Sergeant Blick wheeled about, marched three paces to the front, and -repeated the orders in a fine sonorous voice. By way of making them more -intelligible, he called his men "drunken pigs" and "little calves" and -"blunderheads," and added a few very personal admonitions to the more -wilfully or weakly inclined of the flock. Then he wheeled about again, -his two picked men followed, and Nigel, in front of the three, marched -up the street till he came to a tall house which stood with projecting -upper storeys and an almost magisterial aspect amid its smaller fellows. - -The massive door yielded to a push, admitting them to a stone-paved -hall, on either side of which there were some very meagrely furnished -rooms, and behind it kitchens, larders, and servants' quarters equally -bare. Nothing of potable or eatable was to be seen. Nor was there a -single kitchen wench. - -Having made this reconnaissance, Nigel mounted the wide open staircase -with Sergeant Blick at his heels, and the two musketeers, two steps -behind, to preserve the distance prescribed by the sergeant's rank. - -They halted at the first landing. From behind the first door came the -stifled cry of a woman, and a dull sound of a fall. Sergeant Blick -essayed to open it in vain. - -Nigel Charteris rapped upon it with the hilt of his sword. - -"Open in the name of the Emperor!" he demanded. - -A key turned in the lock. - -"I warn you!" said a haughty voice, the voice of a woman of rank, rich -and full. "You enter at your own peril!" - -For answer Nigel thrust his foot and his steel cap into the opening as -the door gave way a span, and a dagger descended with the breathless -fury of a woman's onset, only to glance off the casque, while the -assailed swung round and seized the wrist of the thruster. The dagger -fell to the floor. Blick stooped and picked it up and thrust it into his -belt, where it had company of the same sort. It was worth a guilder, he -reflected; and stood waiting just inside the door, his men without. - -The soldier of fortune was a tall man, and she who faced him, flushed -and disappointed, was a tall woman. The soldier of fortune was a -handsome fellow of a dark russet upon olive complexion, with a crisp -curl to his moustaches and his hair, though little of that emerged from -the steel cap inlaid with gold that had so well protected him. Her eyes -ran over him and said to her "Lineage." His eyes in turn told him that -the woman was sprung of a ruling race, incapable of fear, unused to any -domination: told him also that she had dark hair in abundance, dark -mist-laden eyes, a clear paleness of complexion which was neither white -nor yellow nor pink nor olive; told him that her carriage was that of a -queen, and that she was as virginal as the dawn. - -If the eagle in her held his eyes in its imperious clutch, hers -encountered a spirit just as much an eagle's. High lineage and high -poverty had been his portion, and no Charteris had ever feared to look a -haughty beauty in the eyes. - -It was the matter of an instant. Nigel looked round. - -In the embrasure of the principal window, seated in a great chair, was -the figure of an old man, whose dress denoted a Lutheran pastor. His -head was fallen helplessly sidelong on the pillows that had but a few -moments ago supported it. He was dead. At his feet, half on the dais of -the window, lay a golden-haired girl. The great white kerchief that -covered her shoulders and bosom showed a red spot over the heart, and a -little dagger was still enclosed by the listless fingers that lay quiet -in her lap. She too looked like one that is dead. - -"Your handiwork, brave captain!" said the dark lady bitterly. "Pastor -Reinheit died of shock as you halted without. Elspeth stabbed herself to -save her honour as soon as she heard your footsteps on the stair. It was -well done!" - -"Count Tilly does not make war upon girls!" said Nigel angrily, striding -across and kneeling beside the girl. "Bring water, linen, and salve!" -Gently he laid her flat upon the floor with a cushion beneath her head. -Quickly he unfastened the neckerchief and staunched the blood till he -could see the wound, of what width it was, and how the blood welled up -into its mouth. Then he looked at the dagger. - -"Blick! Look you here! A flesh wound! A thumbnail's depth? What say -you?" - -Sergeant Blick gently pinched the wound. - -"Aye, is it! More fright than hurt! A barber's stitch of a silk thread. -A bandage and salve! 'Tis all she needs." - -Nigel looked up. The lady of the misty eyes looked down. - -"She lives!" said he. "You have but to wash the wound, put in three -stitches, lay salve upon it and a bandage of linen. She will not bleed -to death this time." - -The woman knelt down and did as she was bidden with deft long fingers -and without a word. - -Before the bandage was made secure the girl Elspeth opened her eyes and -her gaze fell first upon Nigel. A red flush came to her cheek, perhaps -because of her neck lying so uncovered before a man, perhaps by reason -of other thoughts. And as the colour natural to her face, a healthy rosy -hue, came back, Nigel on his part gave a little start of surprise and -turned away. He wondered that he had not known her again. Yesterday she -had worn a healthy ruddiness in her cheeks and a white dress upon her -jolly plump form. To-day with the absolute pallor of her swoon and her -sombre grey clothes his eyes had been cheated, or was it that his eyes -had lost something of their natural sharpness in the duello with those -others of the race of eagles? - -The service rendered to her golden-haired friend, the snowy neck once -more shrouded in its covering kerchief, the dark lady resumed her -haughty aloofness. A flash had broken through the mists of her eyes, as -a passing gleam of the moon breaks for an instant through fast scudding -clouds, when she saw the recognition pass. Perhaps she wondered. Elspeth -was of the burgher-class, well-to-do it might be, and she who looked was -noble by every outward token, and might well disregard such affairs as -brought a poor gentleman of the sword, and an outlander to boot, into -contact with a burgher-maiden at the sack of Magdeburg. - -Nigel Charteris was indifferent. He concerned himself as little with the -thoughts of either girl. His present business was the gathering of -booty. No man became soldier or officer in Tilly's army for his pay. Pay -was a mighty uncertain thing. So was the sack of a town. So many were -the avenues to perdition, or to salvation, according to one's views of -the future state, and of one's own destination in it. A shot from a -window, a tile from a roof, a stab in a dark corner, any of the three -might "his quietus make." It was only common justice in the soldier's -rough code that, when Dame Fortune came his way and opened a town's -gates to him, he should fill his pockets, and any odd sack he could bear -with him on his march. How should he pay Peter for the ultimate repose -of his soul if not by relieving Paul of those riches that were an actual -impediment to Paul's salvation? - -Nigel took a brief survey of the room, and his eyes rested upon the -motionless figure of the dead pastor, unreal-looking in posture and in -face. He frowned and crossed himself. - -The proud lady followed his glance. - -"A brave piece of work your Edict of Restitution! Is it not time to get -on with your trade?" she taunted. - -"In good time!" he said curtly. "Call in two men!" was his order to -Sergeant Blick. - -The two men came in, muskets at the ready. - -"This lady will show you where to lay the old man!" he said. - -As before she obeyed, stepping across the room to a door which opened -into a small bedchamber. The two men-at-arms at a sign from the sergeant -lifted the body and laid it on the bed. Elspeth of the golden-hair made -an effort to rise, bent on following, but her strength had not yet -returned. She lay back again on her cushion and wept silently. - -"Peace! Lie still, dear heart!" said the dark lady, kneeling beside her -and holding her hand, raising about her the bulwark of her own -compassion, as who should say to Nigel Charteris that he was without the -pale. - -When the door of the dead man's chamber closed and the musketeers stood -once more to command he bade them make ready their weapons. Without a -look at the women he strode across the chamber to another door at the -opposite side of the room to that which he had entered and flung it -open. - -In the doorway stood three very determined-looking men armed with pikes, -and behind them a motley assembly of burghers, some armed, some not. - -A curiously interested expression came upon the face of her who knelt. -To her mind Tilly's captain was in the toils. - -But Tilly's captain had quick ears. He had divined something of what lay -behind the door. When he stepped backward three paces and drew his -sword, there stood covering the door with their muskets his two men. - -The three men looked at one another. It was certain death for two out of -the three. Which two? Would the others, their comrades, face it out and -cut down the hated Catholics? There was a certain disadvantage in -knowing their fellows. They were not sure of them. They were quite sure -about the musketeers and Tilly's captain. Nigel Charteris had led a -round dozen of storming parties. - -"Come you!" said he with the short stern note of command. - -The man indicated came sullenly forward, laid his weapon in a corner and -stood upright against the wall. One by one the rest did the same as he -did. - -One of them was a young pastor whose thick, coarse, straw-coloured hair, -heavy brow and lower jaw, companioned by two cold blue eyes, proclaimed -physical energy and dour obstinacy to be his, whatever theology he -carried in his wallet. - -"My Bible is my weapon," he said, looking his captor in the face. "Woe -unto you who wound maidens and spoil the houses of the true faith! Woe -to the Edict of Restitution, edict of robbery and murder in the name of -which you come! Woe to the Emperor, rightly named of Rome, for from Rome -he has his orders, and from Rome his monstrous superstitions!" - -His intention was to kneel beside Elspeth, but Nigel pointed to the -wall. - -It was a medley of weapons; an old halbert or two, some ancient bows, -swords of divers patterns, daggers not a few, pikes and hunting knives, -two heavy smith's hammers, and half a dozen pistols and firelocks of -ponderous make and uncertain utility. These made up the tale of them. - -It was a medley of men who surrendered them. Some of their belts and -other accoutrements proclaimed them the organised defenders of the city, -other than the Swedish soldiery that Gustavus had thrown into the place -together with his devoted officer Falkenburg. The rest were merchants, -artificers, apprentices, of whom some had doubtless assisted in the -defence of the city, and others probably had continued to ply their -callings with what peace they could. - -Why they had mustered in this house round their old pastor, and with -what hope remained, Nigel could only guess. In fact he cared nothing to -know. It was but a nest of hornets to destroy. - -Sergeant Blick whistled from the window. Two more men appeared to guard -the door. Then he went off to gather the rest of his half company. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - NIGEL COLLECTS HIS DUES. - - -Nigel's quick eye roved over the throng. - -"Now, Master Scrivener!" he said, picking out a lean-faced worthy who -shrank behind a burly citizen. "Sit you at this table and write down the -names and conditions of the prisoners!" - -The scrivener drew forth pen and inkhorn. - -"Now, madame! Yours!" - -"Ottilie of Thüringen!" She had risen to make the reply, and again their -eyes met in silent combat. - -"It would be as well, your Highness, if you carried your friend to -another room! What is her name and condition?" - -"Elspeth Reinheit, daughter of Andreas Reinheit, farmer, of Eisenach in -Thüringen!" - -Then she motioned to the young pastor, who came forward with an air of -defiance which sat ill upon him, and together they lifted the girl. At -the mention of her name she had opened her still tear-laden eyes and let -them seek those of Nigel, who appeared not to see; but the young pastor, -as he and the dark lady lifted their charge, knitted his brows as if a -spasm of jealousy had waylaid him, who had some right to the feeling -where the sick girl was concerned. They passed out by the door of the -room which had harboured the Magdeburgers. - -"Now, sirs, step hither to the scrivener one by one; let him write your -name and calling. And whatever of money or money's worth you carry on -your persons place it here on the table." - -There was a low murmuring, but no open dispute of his will. - -A grim smile relaxed the features of the musketeers. - -A grave portly merchant came forward and announced himself as "Ulrich -Pfeifer, silk mercer," and deposited a gold chain and a purse of money. -The eyes of the soldiers glistened as they heard the clink of the good -metal. If they had thought their captain was, though a hearty fighter, a -somewhat indifferent gatherer of the spoils, they were ready to retract -their opinion. As for Nigel's face, it showed no eagerness or greed. - -The merchant of silk was followed by a tanner, a hosier, an armourer, a -shoemaker, and a maker of gloves. There were a few gold chains in the -company, and the money was in purses of divers kinds and conditions, and -of all the currencies of Europe. After the merchants came the craftsmen -and artisans, who made but meagre contributions: and not a few lips -trembled as the hard-earned and hardly-kept florins rattled on the -table. Then came the apprentices, shamefaced, turning out their pockets -in proof that they had none but a few copper coins, which Nigel -Charteris bade them pick up again. - -The scrivener's task being completed, together with the heaping of the -spoil, Nigel called for Sergeant Blick and bade him conduct the -prisoners to the camp and set a guard over them, till he should come to -take Count Tilly's instructions for their disposal. At which order they -one and all looked more crestfallen than before, for it portended they -knew not what. Two months' leaguer with all its hardships, its alarms, -its hunger; a week's storming with its perils from without, two days of -horrors within, had left them all with a lively sense of the power of -the Emperor to enforce his edicts. And in their ears the name of Count -Tilly was a synonym for an incarnation of the powers and practices of -the Evil One. - -But there was no appeal from the Catholic captain. The young pastor, who -had returned, and the scrivener headed the procession. The soldiers -below received them. Sergeant Blick gave the orders, and the noise of -their retreating feet came through the open window to the ears of Nigel. - -"Now," said he to the two men-at-arms, who had been with him from the -beginning of the episode, "you can search the house for yourselves. -Touch nothing of that which belongs to the ladies who were here; nor -load yourselves with that which is heavy to carry and of no certain -worth. Say to the Lady Ottilie of Thüringen that I crave her presence -here in a quarter of an hour. The other two of you remain on guard -without." - -The order obeyed, he poured out his booty into a heap, picked out the -gold pieces and the chain, that had been so cherished an adornment of -the silk weaver, and put them in a purse of leather, which he fastened -securely and disposed with equal care about him; then the silver pieces, -which were far more numerous and bulky, he divided into four parts, two -for Sergeant Blick, and one each for the musketeers, in case their -ransacking of the house under the conditions laid down should provide -them with but a meagre reward. These three weighty and bulky parcels, -tied in separate purses, he fastened beneath his cloak to his -sword-belt, and he had scarcely done so before the haughty Ottilie made -her entry. Her bearing was serene and high. - -He rose from the chair and bade her be seated. She accepted the offer -without thanks but without any show of disdain. She seemed to have -allowed herself to enter upon a softer mood. - -"I have asked for an audience, your Highness----" - -"Why Highness?" she asked. "In German lands that is for princesses." - -"It accords with your bearing! The grades of rank in these countries are -bewildering. What would you be called?" - -"In Thüringen I am styled plainly, madame!" - -"Madame, be it then! Are you the daughter of the Landgrave of -Thüringen?" - -"In what way does that concern one of Tilly's captains of musketeers? I -go where I choose, and own no man for my master." - -Nigel smiled at her petulance. - -"It concerns me in this way. Magdeburg is a heap of ruins. It is true a -few streets remain, but I have no mind to leave you and your friend -Elspeth Reinheit to be the chance prey of fire, or of plunder-seeking -cut-throats." - -"You describe your soldiery with admirable precision!" she interrupted. - -"I was referring to the human vermin that swarm from their haunts in -cities whenever order gives way to disorder, and to camp-followers who -are like unto them." His voice took on a deeper seriousness. "Come to -the window, it is beginning to get dusk, you will see them." - -She rose and moved across in her stately way to the casement. He pointed -to the street. - -"Do you see those?" - -Three nondescript tattered ruffians and a woman with half-naked breasts, -clad in remnants, gave vent to raucous laughter, and each man fingered a -long knife at his girdle. On the back of each was a stuffed wallet, and -at the sight of the lady they raised a shrill cry of glee, and made -across. The lady shuddered. - -"I have men outside," he said. "But if they were not, do you think your -puny dagger-play, or your proud tongue, would save you? They would hack -off your slender fingers for their rings, strip you for your fine linen, -and if they left you your life...." - -The girl's face blanched. - -"You need not go on! I understand. What are we to do?" - -"Your friend Elspeth Reinheit dwells at Eisenach? And you, madame, at -some castle near by? Is it not so?" - -"I have friends at the castle of the Wartburg!" she said. - -"Good! I will arrange an escort and send you both to your friends. It is -about three days' journey." - -"Elspeth will not be able to ride!" - -"Then she must have a coach, if one can be found." - -"And the pastor?" - -"I cannot answer for him. There are too many of them as it is." - -"As to that," she said, "it depends on one's faith. But there is talk of -a betrothal between them." The girl watched his face with a close -scrutiny as she said it. - -"I do not know what Count Tilly may order concerning him. She is quite -welcome to her pastor," he said with indifference. "As I said, there are -far too many pastors, and priests too for that matter, for quiet living. -If they would baptise the children, marry the youths and maidens, -administer the sacraments, and amuse you women in between without -interfering with the other business of the world, it would be far -better." - -"We had better make ready!" she said. "And the dead pastor?" - -"He must be left to his flock. Count Tilly will dismiss the poorest -prisoners. Do you, madame, get your charge ready at once for her journey -to the camp. The men shall make a litter!" - -"You are more an officer of Wallenstein than of Tilly!" she said. "Were -I you, I should seek employment with the former." - -"Wallenstein! I was with Wallenstein till the Emperor accepted his -resignation!" - -"The Emperor will recall him!" she said confidently. - -Nigel sprang towards her eagerly. - -"Is this true? And if true, how do you know it? Who are you?" - -She smiled a lofty, condescending, tantalising smile and left him. - -Wallenstein! Wallenstein in chief command again! Wallenstein the supreme -general of generals, the man who could pick men, place them in the exact -rank they could fill, caring nothing for archdukes or landgraves, only -for soldiers,--the man who could make war itself an orderly thing, not -quartering rough soldiers promiscuously upon quiet burgher families, but -levying contributions and spending them in pay and provisions like any -merchant, getting good value for them. Wallenstein appealed to the Scot -in Nigel as a thorough man, no less brave than Tilly, but a genius for -organising armies, a good Catholic, but no fanatic. It was like a shrill -summons to Nigel to hear that Wallenstein might take the field again. -But how could this proud damsel of Thüringen know? Who was she? - -To be the daughter of the Landgrave of Thüringen was to be almost the -daughter of a prince. She had not admitted it, but that she came of very -noble birth he was sure. She must be steeped in Lutheranism to be in -Magdeburg during the siege. Yet she seemed not to regard either the dead -pastor or the living with the respect that one who was strong in the -faith would be likely to show. - -His men-at-arms came in, doublets and pockets stuffed. They had found no -wine at all events. - -He bade them take two of the old pikes from the pile of arms, tear down -a curtain, and with them make a rough litter. - -"I must take one more look at my uncle," Elspeth murmured when her -companion returned with her, and Nigel opened the door. She paid her -last dues of affection, loth to leave her dead to a possibly -unceremonious burial at strange hands. But Ottilie had explained the -matter to her. Then she came out and lay down upon the litter. - -The two musketeers lifted her as if she had weighed but a few pounds, -and tramped towards the door. - -Her friend walked just beside her. Nigel cast one look round and -followed. - -Then they made their way to the outskirts of the town beyond the -ramparts and the fosses. - -When Nigel had with infinite trouble found them privacy and housing for -the night, the lady of Thüringen responded graciously enough to his -"good night!" adding, "I am glad my dagger failed me, Sir Captain. You -are too courteous to die by a woman's hand." - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - TILLY, COUNT OF TZERCLAËS. - - -"So, sir, you would leave me for Wallenstein!" said the dry, wiry old -man with the short grey beard resting on a charger of ruff, looking -keenly out of a pair of very sharp eyes, which were the eyes of General -Tilly, Count of Tzerclaës. "What in thunder made you think Wallenstein -was in favour again?" - -"It is true then, General?" - -"It may prove true in time. It depends on Gustavus, on Magdeburg, on -Saxony. Are you by chance a necromancer? Your calf country has produced -a brood of them at times. And your King Jamie, who was father-in-law to -our famous Winter King by the way, made rather a name for himself -rooting out the witches, didn't he?" - -Nigel Charteris knew Count Tilly's predilection for a gird at foreign -officers. But as the old general was in a good vein he made no attempt -to defend the memory of King Jamie, who was dead, and had died a -Protestant, to Nigel in itself a proof of something lacking in his -intelligence. - -"Not I, General! I had it from a haughty damsel I found in the same -house with the nest of Magdeburgers I brought you." - -"Who was she, captain?" - -"She gave herself out to be the Lady Ottilie of Thüringen! She is of a -surety highly-born. But I didn't know what to make of her. She is not -given to much speech, and what there is is tart in flavour. Would she by -chance be a daughter of the Landgrave? She hinted at the Wartburg." - -"Not she! The Landgrave has no daughter. I should like to see this -damsel. She may tell an old man more than she would tell a young one -like yourself. Send for her!" - -Nigel gave an order to a soldier. - -"As for Wallenstein, it may well be later on. At present it behoves me -to let the Emperor know fully about Magdeburg, what men we have lost and -what dispositions I am making, for, look you, this matter must needs -rouse Gustavus and bring him about my ears. I can well spare you for a -matter of ten days to ride to Vienna to bring me word again. What say -you? Will you be the messenger?" - -"With the greatest goodwill, General!" There was no mistaking the -sentiments of the younger man. He was a soldier, and knew that this way -leads to advancement. - -"It should serve your turn. I know a soldier when I see one, and you -have quitted yourself manfully." - -"Thanks, General!" Nigel glowed all over with his commendation. - -At this moment the unknown lady made her entrance. Count Tilly signed to -Nigel to stay: raising his fine eyebrows with a movement that gave him a -quizzical air, and a slightly amused look crept into his face. He rose -and bowed politely-- - -"The Lady Ottilie of Thüringen?" - -A look flashed from her eyes to Count Tilly's as she bowed in return. - -"It is the name by which I am known to your officer here!" - -"There is a singular likeness between your face and that of a lady I -once met at the court of Vienna," said Count Tilly, as if it were a -matter of no moment. - -"Indeed!" she said unmovedly. "At the present moment I am seeking a -safe-conduct to Thüringen, for myself and two persons in whom I am -interested." - -"To what part?" - -"To Eisenach, or, if not, then to any point on the frontiers!" - -"And your business, madame?" - -"To restore my friends to their families, and rest, after the horrors to -which you have subjected us, Count." - -Tilly made no sign of displeasure. The air of amused courtesy still sat -in his eyes, in his manner. - -"How long have you been in Magdeburg?" he asked. - -"Ten days, reckoned by time," she said with meaning. - -"You must have changed into a cat, or an owl, to get into the city ten -days ago!" he said, surveying her calmly. "Yes. It was possible to -_you_. Now, are you ready to start at once?" - -"Within an hour, Count!" - -"Good! Captain Charteris here will escort you and your party as far as -Erfurt. After that you must make your own plans!" - -The Lady Ottilie von Thüringen did not look overjoyed at the news. She -stole a glance at the captain, who on his side evinced no rejoicing, and -then at the general. One might have supposed that she suspected some -design on the part of the elder man. - -"It is the utmost I can hope for, I suppose," she said grudgingly. - -"Women should stay at home!" said the Count. "Especially girls of your -age and condition," he added, waving his hand in token of dismissal. - -The lady's lips curled as she bowed and withdrew. It was plain she was -accustomed to having her own way, and not accustomed to being rebuked by -generals, however eminent. - -"My young friend," the Count went on to Nigel, "you will have a curious -convoy as far as Erfurt. When you leave them at Erfurt, see that some -trustworthy men are to accompany them. I seldom forget faces, and more -rarely voices. Be careful. Look closely after her. Find out what you -can! Don't make love to her! It is of no importance to you what I think. -I may be misled by a resemblance. It is a thousand chances that I am. -But for you, the less you know at the outset the better for you. It is a -great protection sometimes not to know anything. Here is an order for a -lieutenant and twenty troopers. Take any travelling carriage and four -horses you can lay hands on. And stay, here are a hundred gold crowns -for your expenses. On leaving Erfurt you will go as fast as possible to -Vienna, after which, God be with you till we meet again!" - -Nigel pocketed the crowns and the blessing with a good grace, thanked -Count Tilly, and saluted. It was not often that an officer found such -favour with the dry old general. - -He was too busy during the next hour with his preparations to trouble -his head with the speculations of Count Tilly as to the identity of -"dark Ottilie," as he called her to himself. In point of fact he was -rather disappointed to be called upon to act as escort even as far as -Erfurt. He would so much more willingly have ridden by the shortest road -to Vienna, where his ambition was already, if we may speak of a man's -desire outstripping his body by three days or so. - -For his secret heart sang "Wallenstein," and not "Ottilie" dark or fair. -Yet Wallenstein, for the little that Nigel Charteris had seen of him, or -knew of him through others, was not a man to be beloved of men. He had -been twice married, which might prove that he was beloved of women, or -not, according to the side the pleader took. Nigel could recall without -difficulty the long narrow face with the large ears set close back -against the head, the high deeply-furrowed brow, the thoughtful -scrutinising eyes from which all laughter was absent, the plain linen -collar turned flatly down over his cuirass, the little tuft on his chin, -the look of solid power about the face as a whole, a face dominated by -resolution rather than pride. - -What was it then that drew Nigel Charteris to him? It was perhaps the -sense of the orderliness and discipline that prevailed about the famous -general and emanated from him. It was perhaps the audacity that had led -him to offer, in the dark days of the empire, to raise an army of twenty -thousand men which should cost the Emperor nothing but his mandate, or -the sound foresight that in fact provided thirty thousand for the war of -'26. Nigel Charteris had marched with him as a mere subaltern to the -crushing defeat of Mansfeld at Dessau on the Elbe, had joined in the -resistless pursuit through Silesia, through Mähren into Hungary, where -Mansfeld was striving to unite with Bethlem Gabor of Siebenbürgen, most -turbulent of Electors. Nigel had seen the army of thirty thousand grow -into seventy thousand, and the Emperor able to dictate in the affairs of -Europe. There had been nothing to equal Wallenstein's army in the world. - -And then the Habsburger, listening to jealousies, to his own fears -perhaps, to the Jesuits certainly, to Maximilian of Bavaria, had bidden -Wallenstein, laden as he was with honours and riches, lay down his -baton. Wallenstein had made no demur, raised no standard of rebellion, -had gone into retirement. The army mouldered away regiment by regiment. -Some had joined Tilly, like Nigel. More had become idlers in the great -cities. It had been Wallenstein's army. Without him to command even the -Emperor could not keep the snows from melting. - -And now came this mysterious message that Wallenstein would be summoned -again. His old officers would be flocking back. Nigel felt it in his -bones. Loyalty to a great leader is one of the strongest engines in the -world, least visible to the eye, most potent in effect. - -A travelling carriage was found, the body hung by leathern straps, -steadied by light chains, to the solid box and hinder seats, which were -just above the axles. From somewhere had sprung two serving maids, the -one a plump, wide-chested, short Saxon girl, evidently a retainer of -Elspeth Reinheit; the other, an older, slightly-wizened woman of dark -complexion, with a certain air about her of one accustomed to the -chambers of great ladies, of one above the common herd of waiting women, -and as plainly the attendant of Ottilie of Thüringen. The two had -probably been hidden in some garret of the house in Magdeburg, and -followed their mistresses, having no other goal to make for, to the -outskirts of the camp. The Saxon girl was already on terms of -familiarity with the troopers. The other held herself pursed up and -aloof. - -Nigel mounted the two on the hinder seat of the coach, their mistresses -within, and presently gave the order to the lieutenant, who sent on two -men in advance. Nigel and the lieutenant followed at the head of ten -troopers. The other eight rode behind as a rearguard. - -They gave a glance back at the smoking ruins of Magdeburg, out of which -still rose some spires of churches which had successfully defied the -conflagration, and were no longer the objective of Tilly's cannon, and -rode along the level road towards Strassfurt, comparing their military -experiences of the last three days. - -The young pastor had been mounted on a horse of indifferent mettle, and -rode as well as he was able behind the coach just in front of the -rearguard. It was clear that he was not in a grateful frame of mind, -notwithstanding his freedom. Nor had he any great reason to be, for was -not the fall of this great city of Magdeburg, this stronghold of -Protestantism, an open and visible sign of the hated Edict? - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - ON THE ROAD TO ERFURT. - - -Let your journeying be never so brief, it need not be tedious. The road -was as flat from Magdeburg to Strassfurt, and that was twenty miles, as -is the great plain that stretches from the Zuider Zee to Warsaw and on -and on. There were undulations. It was not as flat as a backgammon -board, nor had it a hill that would have made an old horse out of -breath. - -It was a sunshiny morning towards the end of May, and the sun rises -early over the German lands in May, and shines hotly towards noon on the -great plain. There was little or no shelter, but horses and men, even -the pastor, though he came from the pine forests of Thüringen, thought -little of the heat and the dust. To the men it was a holiday jaunt after -the military turmoils of the past two months. To the pastor it was a -return to his flock with a wallet full, not of indulgences like that of -Johann Tetzel, the Dominican, of Luther's day, but of doings and -sufferings. How he would be able to point his sermons with what he had -seen and heard! How he would inflame the whole forest with it! The -fires, the murders, the even blacker horrors of the sack of Magdeburg, -should be caught up into the trumpet of his prophecy and belched forth -in his own sonorous, if not altogether silvery voice, till every valley -of Thüringen and every hamlet in the hills rang with the fame and the -shame of the Edict. He conceived himself as a brand plucked from a -literal burning. As he rode, innumerable texts rose to his remembrance; -and pathways of thought, full of intricacies, opened out therefrom, till -his head almost ached by reason of the fixity with which he gazed upon -the hinder seat of the coach, while in his imagination he saw a mass of -upturned faces on the hillside upturned to _him_. The beauty of the -morning and the monotony or interest of the road were not for him. - -Nor did they affect the Saxon maid-servant, who from her high perch -behind the coach could see every now and then the steel caps of the -troopers in front glancing in the sun, and, when she felt sure the Herr -Pastor was not thinking about her, she twisted her stout body about and -twisted her short neck till she could win a good satisfying look at the -foremost couple of horsemen behind him. As for her companion, the -high-born lady's tiring woman, the Saxon girl could make nothing of her. -She belonged to the east, she said. The Saxon girl had once been to -Dresden. Further east was a mystery of all manner of strange peoples. -The woman spoke German, but she did not look German, and she did not -chatter, an unhealthy sign to the mind of the Saxon girl. She had not a -look for the troopers nor for the country-side. She was thinking of the -little hoard of florins and kreuzers she had left in the hands of a -respectable goldsmith before she set out on this ridiculous journey with -the highly-born lady, who, subject to the god of greed, owned her body -and soul. The writings relative to the hoard were in a little bag, which -she wore in a secure place beneath her outward and visible garments. -Every now and again she pinched the spot to make sure they were there: a -fact the Saxon girl noticed, but forbore to question for the reason. - -For the lady and the farmer's daughter the road had different messages. -Both in their ways felt the loveliness of the morning and the welling up -of Spring in the blood. To the lowlier-born a little farmstead with its -yellowish clayed walls and great black beams, its thatch of many -seasons' straw, spoke of men and women and babes and kine. Then she -remembered, and called softly out of the window "Pastor Rad," and the -pastor urged his horse beside her and said a few words, but soon dropped -behind again. She could make nothing of him. He did not even ask after -her wound. - -And "dark Ottilie" of Thüringen? The beauty of the morning set her -pulses thrilling, and chanted in her ears a song of freedom. She knew -well that she was not free, that she was playing the rebel against all -orthodoxy of courts and the rule of princes for their women-folk. She -had but these few weeks essayed the game of freedom, which had already -led her into strange accidents, but danger and Spring and pride made a -heady mixture. She loved this flat open road because it was new to her, -and led to strange little towns. "Did that stupid old General Tilly -recognise her?" She asked herself the question, and answered that these -old generals and statesmen were all full of craft and ruse, and it was -impossible to say. Why, if he did, should he let her go? Then her -thoughts evidently fell upon the Scot: and, since he showed no sign of -coming to her of his own accord, she had the word passed to him. Nigel -wheeled his horse and waited till the coach was abreast. The coach was -high and he needed not to bend. He saluted and said-- - -"Madame?" - -"What is the name of this place we make for?" - -"Strassfurt!" - -"Is it much farther?" - -"A league or so, madame!" - -"And then?" - -"We shall dine and proceed to Aschersleben. Then, if you are not too -fatigued, we shall go on to Sangershausen." Then he looked across to -Elspeth and a look of friendliness came into his eyes. "How is your -wound to-day, Fräulein?" - -"Better! Much better, captain!" Elspeth had another access of blushes. - -"Of a truth," said "dark Ottilie" to herself, "there must have been some -passages between this gentleman and our pastor's niece;" and she herself -began to observe him more closely, how well he sat his horse, what a -figure he had, as gallant a soldier as she remembered to have seen. - -"Captain!" She threw aside her haughtiness for a moment as she would -have dropped a cloak when she had loosed the clasp. "Whence came you?" - -"From Scotland, madame!" - -"The country of Marie Stuart?" - -"She was the grandmother of our present king, Charles!" - -"And what brought you here?" - -"A younger son's lack of fortune, and a taste for sword-play!" - -"But surely at the English court!" - -"There were already too many Scots, too many younger sons, and a king -who had no taste for sword-play, madame!" - -"They say the English ladies are rich and beautiful! Were there none who -would keep a Scottish gentleman from crossing the seas to find a -fortune, when she held one in her lap?" - -"I would not have looked beyond her face, madame, and, wanting a fortune -of my own, would never have looked her in the face to ask for hers." - -"You are too proud, sir! And how long have you plied the trade of a -soldier?" - -"Since Wallenstein raised his army and fought with Mansfeld. Five years, -madame!" - -A strange rapt gleam came into her eyes at the name of Wallenstein. - -"And the fortune?" she asked. - -"My Lord Verulam in his book tells us 'if a man look sharply and -attentively he shall see Fortune: for though she be blind yet she is not -invisible,'" said the Scot. "I am still looking for her." - -"It is a good saying: and your Lord Verulam plainly had a shrewd notion -that Fortune walks abroad in petticoats as often as she hides herself in -the treasure-house of a king." - -Nigel Charteris looked into her face, wondering exactly what she meant -by her commentary, and the dark eyes held a lurking demon of laughter -somewhere about them for an instant, but the mist came over the twin -lakes and her face resumed its lofty repose. - -They were not the only wayfarers: though the little groups were getting -more and more infrequent. For the final attack on Magdeburg, which had -let loose into its streets and places thousands of soldiery on plunder -intent, careless of violence to women and to babes, had also opened its -gates for the egress of fugitives. Those who had friends or relatives in -the country made such haste as was possible in the deadly hubbub of the -sack to steal out with their bare lives on to the roads and walk fast -and far. - -Many were the glances of hate at the troopers, and of wonder at Elspeth -Reinheit, who was known to many as the "pastor's niece." As for the -young pastor, the fugitives bowed or curtsied to him, and pitied him -because they supposed him a prisoner; whereas they themselves possessed -a precarious freedom, won out of the press of death that had confronted -them in so many forms on the grisly days of the sack. - -The pastor, buried in his indignation, and in his thoughts of stirring -themes for congregations not yet assembled, sometimes acknowledged their -salutations, sometimes missed seeing them. One question in the intervals -of his professional wrath came into his mind every now and again, and he -was indignant at the intrusion. It was this: What had happened that -Elspeth should have had any dealings with Tilly's captain? He had seen -how her eyes had sought the captain's, the eyes of an accursed Catholic, -accursed in that his hands were imbrued, actually or vicariously, in the -bloody wine-presses of the wrath of man, still more accursed that he had -done what he had in furtherance of the policy of Rome. And Elspeth -Reinheit, though not formally betrothed to him, Pastor Rad, was looked -upon as his by others than himself or herself. How was it possible that -the soldier and she could have met, and he the pastor and lover not know -it? How could there be a look of understanding or of gentle inquiry pass -from her to him to his own exclusion? It filled him with vague -uneasiness. It hurt his pride of possession. It raised suspicion of her -integrity. - -No doubt Pastor Rad would have been still more surprised had he known -that the highly-born sympathiser--he was not sure enough of her -spiritual leanings to call her adherent,--Ottilie of Thüringen, was at -this moment questioning Elspeth on that very matter. - -"Dearest Elspeth, you have met yonder captain before yesterday? I am -sure of it." She nodded towards his back as he trotted forward to the -head of his men after the little conversation. - -"That is true!" said Elspeth. "There is no need to keep it secret from -you, though I dare not tell Melchior Rad. He would never understand." - -"As to that," said her companion, "I cannot advise you. You know the -pastor. But your eyes have a most eloquent speech of their own, and are -not easily veiled, and, when he and I carried you to your chamber, your -eyes sought the captain's, and I could have sworn your pastor marked -it." - -"Oh dear!" said Elspeth. "And he is so harsh; well, not exactly harsh, -but you know what I mean." - -"These good men are hard in judgment!" said the other. "Like diamonds -for rarity and hardness. As for sparkle ... well, I should not say -Pastor Rad sparkles, but never mind." - -"This is Thursday!" said Elspeth. "Well, it was on Tuesday night and -nearly midnight. I had been sitting watching my uncle in too great -anxiety to leave the dear old man, and went down into the kitchen to -make him a warm posset. - -"As I crept into the kitchen in my night-rail and slippers, my hair down -even, imagine, Ottilie, with a candle in my hand, a man stood there in -the outer doorway. He seized my hands in his and looked me straight in -the face, the candle-light between us. - -"'No word, maiden!' he said in a low tone. 'Give me food! Give me a -couch to lie upon! I am wearied to death!' - -"His face was blackened with smoke and streaked with sweat. His cloak -and doublet and gauntlets were stained with I know not what. His voice -was hoarse and weak. He was clearly wellnigh done for. I was frightened -out of my life, but not out of all pity. And he was young and had fine -eyes, Ottilie. What could I do?" - -"And what did you do?" - -"'If thine enemy hunger, feed him,'" said Elspeth. "I did not ask him on -which side he fought. I gave him bread and meat and drink, and took him -by the little stairs to my own chamber. It was the only safe place, and -I bade him sleep there till I wakened him in the morning. - -"I spent the night watching my uncle and dozing by his bedside. In the -morning, when it was an hour past dawn, I thought of my other charge and -went to my chamber. He was gone." - -"God in heaven!" said Ottilie. "And that was the captain there?" - -"I could not swear to it!" said Elspeth, blushing again. "I think it -was." - -"It is possible also that he came back to the house to see what had -happened to you on the second day of the sack!" - -"I wonder if he did," said Elspeth. "I should like to think so!" - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - TWO OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH. - - -Strassfurt gave the travellers too poor an entertainment to make them -tarry by it. They got a change of horses and pushed on another ten -miles, the ground rising steadily as they began to leave the plains and -cross the eastern spurs of the Harz mountains. At Aschersleben the air -was noticeably purer and laden with the resinous smell of the pines. -They made a long rest here for the evening meal and then rode slowly, -for the troopers' horses were tired and sore with the weight of men and -mail. The lieutenant made his men walk up the steep hills, but it was -late when they clattered and rumbled into little Sangershausen and came -to a good inn in the shadow of St Ulrich. - -The inn was not large but the stables were spacious enough to take in -all the troopers as well as their horses: a fortunate thing, since, at -the late hour it was, to have made any endeavour to quarter them on the -inhabitants would have been a possible cause of tumult. They were -already sufficiently near to Thüringen, a Protestant state in the main, -for Protestant feeling to be uppermost. Some news of the vengeance -executed on Protestant Magdeburg would have preceded the travellers even -at this remote town on the borders of the Harz, and Nigel and the -lieutenant were both aware of the danger they ran, peaceful as their -errand was. - -Despite their fatigue they set off again early, covering the ten miles -to Frankenhausen with ease. Then the road began to wind in and out among -the hills, which lay across their path to Erfurt. The lower slopes of -the hills already showed corn ripening; the grass stood knee-deep in the -valleys, but above the cornlands on every hillside rose the forest. -There were a few woodcutters in the forest, a labourer or two here and -there in the fields, and at long intervals tiny hamlets, with perhaps a -mill or an indifferent inn. To the travellers one and all, the -continuous ascents to high ground, the long forest roads, the descents -into new valleys, became monotonous and seemingly interminable. They -made no haste. It was no countryside for haste. At the best Nigel -expected to reach Erfurt at sundown: for the horses had not thrown off -the weariness of yesterday, and they could not expect to get a relay for -the coach. At the inn where they made what midday meal the place was -capable of they could get nothing but smoked ham, little tough cheeses, -rye-bread and beer. Fortunately there was plenty of the latter, and the -troopers made no grumbling at its quality. Elspeth Reinheit appeared to -be blessed with a good appetite, and found ham and rye-bread and cheese -to her liking, for she did well by them. The other and more highly-born -girl ate little and drank goat's milk, which has a sustaining quality -for those who can put up with its richness. Pastor Rad was no more -talkative than he had been the day before, and brooded alike in valley -and on hill-top with a morose perseverance that foreboded a wealth of -prophetic outburst, whenever he should come to his opportunity and to -his flock. He watched Nigel in all his approaches and conversation with -Elspeth, which the chance or the tedium of the journey brought about. -Nigel was on his side quite natural and unconstrained in his behaviour -to the girl, who had done him a vital service which he had in his turn -requited. There was no feeling except that of human kindness, which -perhaps runs a little thicker as between man and woman, more so still if -the man be comely and the woman not less well-seeming than a woman -should be. - -The longest day of travel comes to an end: and at last they spied the -cathedral and the sister church of Saint Severus perched on its -eminence. Then the spires of St Martin, St Michael, St Laurence, and -later on the walls of Erfurt, rose to view. There were gates to pass, -two waterways to cross by little bridges, which let one see a wilderness -of little streets, and then they drew rein at a demure hostelry in the -Prediger Strasse, well thought of by the Protestant community of Erfurt. - -Nigel and the lieutenant having seen their charges safely housed, rode -on with their escort, and readily found quarters for them with the -soldiers of the garrison; for Erfurt, if it showed no active -partisanship at this time, was passively more for the Emperor than for -the cause of Gustavus. Originally one of the free cities of the -Hanseatic League, it had become annexed by some threads of service to -the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector being the Archbishop, and so able -to exercise influence, if not precisely dominion, by the spiritual arm -as well as by his considerable secular forces. Despite Luther, Erfurt -was still to be reckoned as a Catholic city, and not many months after -this very day Gustavus treated it accordingly in the swift foray that -followed his victory of Breitenfeld. - -The lieutenant being by habit a good companion and a great man at a -bottle, where he could find both company and bottle, having once sat -down with the officers of the garrison, was in no mood to leave them. -Nigel Charteris, on the other hand, like many of his fellow-countrymen, -was prone to content himself with his own company rather than make -himself profoundly uncomfortable for the sake of being sociable. Wine, -Woman, and Song, as the triune object of German idolatry, especially in -garrisons, camps, and universities, did not evoke any enthusiasm in him. - -He drank wine for good cheer. Song he could bear rather than love, so it -had a lilt in it. As for woman, as she followed the camp, or in the -character of the helpless quarry of the licentious chase of officers and -soldiers alike, or again as the fat helpmeet of the German burgher, -redundant with all the virtues but lacking equally all the graces, Nigel -Charteris paid her no heed. His gorge rose from one cause or another at -all three. Through all the coarse scenes of camp life, the brutalities -of the sack of cities, he had preserved with religious fervour the -memory of his mother, and of the maidens of gentle quality whom he had -known in his own land, tall, straight-limbed women with broad foreheads -and blue-grey or dark-brown eyes, looking boldly out upon a world that -dared not asperse them. - -In Ottilie von Thüringen he had recognised at a glance one of their -peers, with less of their frankness, with more of their pride of race, a -woman of rare beauty, mysterious, tangible yet intangible. For the first -time in his prime of manhood did he feel troubled in spirit by the -consciousness that something in him strove towards the infinite that is -the spirit of woman. - -But whether it was this, or the consciousness that of late he had been -remiss in his devotions, he stole out beneath the intense blue of a -starlit sky towards the cathedral, in the precincts of which he trusted -to find a priest to hear his confession. - -The builders in their desire to set their holy city on a little hill, -and the only hill having a steep declivity to more mundane levels, had -constructed a series of under-buildings, called _cavaten_, till they got -a continuous level on which to build the cathedral. And a penitent who -has to mount a matter of fifty steps, and does so, certainly deserves -well of Mother Church. So at least thought Nigel Charteris, as, somewhat -breathless, he peered in and found it almost dark. A lantern standing on -the floor in a corner announced the presence of some one, who proved to -be the sacristan coming out of the sacristy. - -By the aid of a few small coins the sacristan remembered that Father -Felix lodged at the priest's house close by, and offered to fetch him. -While he was gone Nigel made the round of the nave, the side-aisles, and -the chancel. So lofty was the roof his eye could not pierce the gloom, -but the cathedral was of no great extent, the chancel being in fact very -nearly as large as the nave. The faint rays of the lantern lit up the -carved and polished ages-old woodwork of the choir seats. Beyond was a -shadowy land round which he walked in the space of a few minutes. - -From the still deeper shadow of a group of pillars Nigel was startled by -a woman's sobbing. Out of the great silence of the place it was audible, -when his own footfall ceased for an instant, and then it ceased -suddenly, as if the woman, learning that she was not alone, had regained -command of herself. There ensued a soft murmur as of a recited prayer, -one long familiar to her who prayed, and then as of some concluding -personal petition, in which Nigel was almost certain that he heard the -name of Albrecht von Waldstein. His mind being intent upon this name, -that he should think to hear it even in this solemn environment was not -in itself strange, but Nigel was inclined to regard the fancied -recognition as having something of a supernatural significance. - -At this moment the priest and the sacristan entered, and the holy -father and his soldier penitent entered the confessional. - -When Nigel came out he walked slowly to the door, where he was joined by -the priest, who, his office performed, was cheerfully curious as any -layman to hear the latest details from Magdeburg. News of the victory of -the Church, as every Catholic was bound to esteem it, had reached him. -He was willing to hear more, but made no comment. His sympathies, it -appeared, were mainly confined to his own surroundings, his personal -charge in Erfurt, and did not travel outward to the greater world. He -was curious to hear whether the Jesuits were jubilant over the new phase -in politics. It was clear that he at least was no Jesuit. The priest -_secular_ has always had a certain jealousy of the priest _regular_. - -Nigel received his "Pax vobiscum," and turned away to make for his -quarters. A few, and those feeble, lights burned at a distance from the -cathedral. There was the blue sky, starlit as when he had entered. -Standing still a moment or two to make sure of his direction in this -solitary part of the city, he heard a light step beside him, and a tall -closely-veiled lady asked him to set her on her way to the Prediger -Strasse. - -Muffled as the tones were, Nigel recognised them. - -"Then it was your ladyship in the cathedral a while ago?" - -"Sir! I do not know of what you speak! Can you not point me to the -Prediger Strasse?" - -"It is useless to pretend! You are she who calls herself Ottilie of -Thüringen! And you are of the Holy Catholic faith! I am Nigel -Charteris!" - -"Had the night been lighter," she said in a tone of vexation, "I should -have asked no man! Now I am forced to confide what I wished not to tell; -I _am_ of your faith." - -"You may trust me!" said Nigel, taking her by the arm and making across -the Mainzerhof bridge over the Bergstrom, a branch of the main waterway -that threads the town as a string does a row of paunchy beads from -Leipzig Fair. - -"'Tis not the shortest way, but it is the least lonely. Tell me why you -consorted with Protestants even to the risk of death or worse in -Magdeburg?" - -"Captain Charteris!" She spoke in low clear tones which could reach his -ear alone. "It is no article of our compact to tell you these things. It -is just as well for you to know nothing. It is a great protection -sometimes not to know anything." - -"Count Tilly said that same thing!" said Nigel. "Is it a password of the -Rosicrucians?" - -"Then he warned you against me!" she said in a tone of triumph. - -Nigel bit his lip for its indiscretion. - -"He gave it as a piece of general advice," he said. "But what is in our -compact?" - -"Merely this!" she replied. "You were to conduct us to Erfurt. You were -to put us into the company of trustworthy people so that we might pursue -our way to Eisenach." - -"That is true!" said Nigel. "Yet it is not to be wondered at if I cast -about to know more of a noble lady who first tries to stab me with a -dagger, then takes a passing interest in my parentage, whom next I find -by an extraordinary chance sobbing in a dark corner of a cathedral, -whom, finally, I have the honour of conducting to her lodging at an hour -when most noble ladies are glad to be within doors." There was a vein of -humour in his tone rather than in what he said. - -"You think I owe it to you, sir?" - -"Does woman ever owe anything to man that she does not pay a -thousand-fold? I count no woman my debtor!" He said it in a tone of -tenderness she had not heard before from this soldier of fortune. - -"Trust me then in turn! I tell you nothing! Believe me, there are things -I dare not tell my confessor that I _could_ tell you; only it is better -not." - -"Let it be so, madame! 'Trust me all in all or not at all' is a proverb -of my country." - -They had reached the further end of the street called Fischersand and -turned on to the Long Bridge, from which it was but the length of a -small side street to the Prediger Strasse. - -They halted on the bridge and looked over the balustrade, up the -waterway. There was candlelight here and there in the back windows of -the houses that abutted on the water. Their gaze could only penetrate a -little way along the dark space between the houses. A few stars -reflected themselves in the water at their feet. The Lady Ottilie of -Thüringen was in a restless mood, in that mood when a woman wants -everything and nothing, when she is eager to reveal and careful to hide -everything but her eagerness. To an older man perhaps there would have -been no puzzle, but to Nigel Charteris, who had never known the spell of -woman, she was a mysterious child following her own phantasies. - -She gazed into the dark vista for a full minute or so of silence--a -silence only broken by the tramp of the guard going its rounds. Then she -said-- - -"Have you ever known what love is?" - -Nigel started at the question, for he was conscious of the exaltation of -spirit that he felt at being alone with this mysterious child, who was a -woman who had proud eyes, that he felt at being her protector in this -old garrisoned city that was strange to both of them. - -"No, lady!" He spoke truth, and she knew it. - -"It is like this!" she said, and pointed downwards. "It is dark and in -movement, and you see stars in it glittering,--wavy stars that you know -are not real, though they look so near. You know that it would be cold -to plunge in, and that you would not get your stars. There are the stars -above in the blue at an immense distance.... It's like that too!" She -pointed up the waterway into the darkness. "You can see a little of the -way, and then it is all dark, all a mystery, and yet you know that you -are eager to go, and that if you go far enough you will expect to reach -the stars." - -Nigel listened and was troubled--troubled because he was not by nature a -poet, and could not well follow her thought, and troubled because he -felt that her note was impersonal as relating to himself. If she was -referring to a particular man it was not himself. - -"To think," she went on, "that a woman could be so stirred, so set above -herself by any man that she would become even as his slave in return for -nothing but his barest thanks, that her mind could be full of him day -and night, that all he might do or say, were it to her own injury, would -be right in her eyes!" - -"And yours--your mind is full of Albrecht von Waldstein, if I guess -rightly?" Nigel asked. - -"Sir!" She flashed upon him, turning towards the pathway. "Go you and -seek your Wallenstein! What think you that Ottilie von Thüringen can -have in common with that cold seeker after power, with him who would use -the Habsburgs for a stepping-stone, and play the Cæsar?" - -Nigel was silent. He was confident that he had struck the keynote of her -meditation, but refrained from placing his finger upon it with -insistence, as he might have done, from fear that he should find that -she resounded to none other. For he began willy-nilly to desire that -this harpsichord of hers should give forth melody beneath his own -fingers. But after a moment or two, with the directness of the Scot, -without irony, stating a fact, he said-- - -"Lady, I would gladly be the man you spoke of!" - -She turned towards him, hurling him a look through her veil. - -"My tall captain! You would be a fool even to dream of it!" - -"So be it!" he said in his plain way. "Here is your inn. To-morrow your -escort will be here. At what hour?" - -"At eight, sir, if you can so contrive." - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - AT THE CASTLE OF HRADSCHIN. - - -It was not difficult to find at the sign of the Lily a couple of worthy -merchants who were returning on the morrow to Gotha, and they readily -promised Nigel to act as escort so far. From Gotha it would go hard if -the girls did not get a safe journey to Eisenach. - -The parting was brief. Some tears sprang to the ready eyes of Elspeth. -Ottilie's eyes showed nothing. Her lips repeated, "Till we meet again, -captain!" The pastor nodded sulkily. No sooner had the coach rumbled off -than Nigel sprang to his saddle, and together with his comrade, the -lieutenant, and the escort, trotted to the merry jingle of the -accoutrements and the clash of hoofs out of Erfurt over Steiger Hill on -the road for Rudolfstadt. In consultation with some of the garrison he -had planned to ride through the forest to Rudolfstadt, thence to Plauen, -pass the night there, cross the Erzgebirge on the next day, and push -into Bohemia as far as Pilsen; by good fortune they might be at Budweis -on the evening of the third day and in Vienna by the afternoon of the -fourth. - -After surmounting Steiger the road lay straight enough across a broad -valley through a round dozen of hamlets, and at the tenth mile they -crossed the Ilm and began to ascend a more winding road, which, six -miles farther, brought them to Rudolfstadt. Here they made their midday -meal, and without delaying over the wine-pot, made good speed into the -hills that lay between them and Plauen, the chief city of the Vogtland. -The Vogt had been careful to choose a high country for his dwelling, and -so the horses found it no easy finish to their day's work to climb as -they had to do to bed and fodder. - -So far Nigel had paid little heed to any demonstrations of Lutheran -spirit. Erfurt, for all it had nursed Luther out of monkhood into flat -heresy, was still Catholic. Rudolfstadt was towards the outskirts of the -Thüringer Wald and a mere hamlet, though it bore a kingly name. The -other villages that lay between it and Plauen were inconsiderable, and -Nigel did not let his men linger when traversing them. It was quite -possible that the news of the sack of Magdeburg had preceded him, but it -was unlikely that any force of the soldiers of Gustavus or of his allies -were in the neighbourhood, and against any undisciplined throng of -turbulent Protestants Nigel felt secure, if he were not greatly -outnumbered. - -But as soon as the gates closed behind him and his men, he became aware -from the looks of the people and their answers to his questions that he -had come into a very hornet's nest. Arms seemed to be the customary -wear, and in at least two of the squares he noticed stout burghers and -apprentices practising drill under the guidance of men of martial -bearing. - -Instead of making, as he would have done, for an inn, he rode right -through the town to the castle of Hradschin, which was the one place -inside the town that promised security, if not good cheer, and was held -on behalf of the Emperor by an officer who represented in a shadowy way -the ancient dignity and function of the Vogt of long ago. - -There he found the drawbridge up and the sentinels on guard, but he was -admitted without much parley to find that the officer in question was an -old comrade of his Wallenstein days, one Hildebrand von Hohendorf, who -received him with open arms and a full flagon, and whose eyes roamed -over the twenty well-appointed troopers with much satisfaction. - -The burly Commandant's eye, as he sat back in his great chair after the -first part of the supper was despatched, lit upon Nigel with great -good-humour. - -"So you are a captain of Tilly's, my boy! And I warrant you get another -step if you carry despatches safely to Vienna! Some people have all the -luck. And I wager you've a good round bag of golden crowns in your -wallet as it is." - -"As to that," said Nigel, "I left a few odd thalers with an honest -banker at Erfurt. I know better than to carry much gold about me." - -"Sly fellows, you Scots! Ha! ha! ha! A few odd thalers! Why, the sack of -miserly Madgeburg must have been like drawing water in a bucket from a -brimming well! And here I sit cooped up in Hradschin, and draw a few -groschen a day for running the risk of a Lutheran bullet, or a crack -from a sledge-hammer every time I go into the town, and the saints above -know when I shall be able to get back to the wars." - -"Why didn't you do the same as the others, and join Tilly?" - -"In the first place, I got the offer of Hradschin, and in the second -place, my own little estate of Hohendorf is but a few miles to the -north, over by Elsterberg, and I can keep a better eye upon it than if I -were wandering about with Tilly. And in the third place, when one has -served with Wallenstein, it isn't the same thing to serve with Tilly." - -"And in the fourth place, Hildebrand, you seem to have a good larder and -a good cellar!" - -Hildebrand laughed a hearty contented laugh. - -"I like them better than your Restitution Edict! Well, Hendrick?" - -A soldier had come in and stood at attention. - -"There is a tumult in the town, Commandant. They have assembled on the -other side of the moat with torches and weapons." - -"Bid them all go to the devil and come back to-morrow morning!" - -"Yes, Commandant!" - -The soldier returned in a few minutes. - -"They will have speech with you, Commandant!" - -"Confound them all for disturbers of the peace! I am coming. This is a -new caper!" - -The Commandant donned his corselet and headpiece, and accompanied by -Nigel came out on the roof of a small tower that overlooked the -drawbridge. - -There was the moat below and a narrow one at that. But it was a -sufficient barrier. - -"Silence for the Commandant!" shouted the sergeant of the guard. There -was silence in the grim-looking crowd that stood many deep on the other -side, torches and lanterns lighting up the faces of some and leaving -others mere shadowy patches, lighting up, too, the faces of many steel -weapons and the barrels of many firelocks. - -"Now Johann Pfarrer! In God's name tell us what this is all about, and -let a man get back to his supper!" - -"Magdeburg!" shouted Johann Pfarrer with a voice like a deep-toned -trumpet. - -"Aye! Magdeburg!" The crowed echoed and roared it lustily with a curious -note of wild anger in the throat. - -"Well, friends? What have I to do with Magdeburg?" - -"Just this!" said Johann Pfarrer. "To-night we have heard an exact -relation of the sack of Magdeburg. You have with you one of Tilly's -captains and twenty of his hell-born riders." - -"Faith, Johann! you may be right! I don't know where they were born. -They are all good Germans!" - -"The more shame!" growled Johann. "Now, Commandant, we are not joking. -Deliver them all up to us, officers and men!" - -"For what? Who ever heard of a German delivering up his guests? Tut! -tut! man!" - -"There is no 'Tut! tut!' about it," retorted Johann. "We are going to -hang them. Blood for blood! Vengeance for Magdeburg!" - -"What nonsense you talk," said Hildebrand in his jolly cajoling fashion. -"Why should you or I trouble about Magdeburg? Let the Brandenburgers -look after themselves. You don't owe them anything!" - -"They are our brothers in the faith," said another voice, and a Lutheran -pastor stood out from the throng. - -"Yes! Yes! Our brothers in the faith." The bystanders took up the cry -till it reached the outskirts of the throng, seemingly a long way back. - -"Well! I take my orders from the Emperor!" said Hildebrand. "You had -better go and ask him! I give up my guests for no one. Now go away home -to your suppers and your wives and don't trouble your heads with -politics!" - -"You hear, friends?" shouted Johann, turning to his comrades. "You hear -what Commandant von Hohendorf tells us. Shall we?" - -"No! A thousand noes!" was the reply from hundreds of throats, and the -ominous rattle of weapons gave it emphasis. "Storm the castle! Burn -down old Hradschin! Death to the hell-riders," came from all sides. - -Nigel, standing on the battlements in the rear of the Commandant, was -not recognisable from below, but could very well distinguish the faces -of most of those who stood in the front of the throng. They were drawn -from all classes in the town, which, it was clear, was stirred to its -depths. There were few women, and only two of these had ventured near to -the leaders. Nigel surveyed the assembly with the indifference of the -soldier to the execrations of a crowd of citizens, and the added feeling -of detachment from the exasperation which they felt at the slaughter of -some of their own countrymen by others of their own countrymen in the -pay of the Emperor, who was far on the other side of the mountains. His -curiosity was alert, however, and when his eyes rested on the two women, -whose heads were enveloped in hoods that left most of the face in -impenetrable shadow, he strove to estimate their condition, whether -gentle or simple. In bearing they both seemed apart from the burghers -with whom they mingled. One of them was tall for a woman, and, when she -moved, did so with a gesture that marked her at least as no housewife. -The other's movements were quick, and reminded Nigel of a hen moving and -pecking with sudden jerks of fussiness. Then for a moment, as the -Commandant was speaking, the tall woman looked upward and the ruddy -light from a neighbouring torch fell upon her face for a mere instant, -but it was long enough. Nigel drew his cloak about him with a shiver. -The woman appeared to have the eyes and mouth of Ottilie von Thüringen. - -He was sure it was not she. She had started for Gotha. He had seen her -in the coach, and at the head of his men had ridden, not, it was true, -at breakneck speed, but at a good pace, wasting no time. - -Some one, it was clear, had arrived in the town who had witnessed the -sack of Magdeburg, and striven to and contrived to inflame the -townspeople to a fever point. But even supposing, what was impossible, -that the mysterious Ottilie had ridden by other roads and reached Plauen -at his heels, what could her errand be? She was a Catholic. It was -unthinkable to believe that she could be seeking to inflame the minds of -Protestants to the butchery of a score of troopers in the service of the -Emperor out upon a peaceful task of escort duty. - -It passed through his mind and was dismissed. Hildebrand turned to him. - -"The pigs! They will be less noisy in the morning. Let us go in and -finish our wine. Hradschin can stand a few hard words and even a few -knocks such as they can give, unless Gustavus sends them a few cannon." - -As they went in the tumult grew in volume, but it was soon lost to their -ears as they once more resumed their wine within the thick walls. - -"The devil of it is," said the Commandant, "that there will be no -getting out of the place while they are in this mind. They will guard -all the roads. And your men are all needed here if they make an attack -in force to-morrow." - -"The despatches do not admit of delay," said Nigel, who had no mind to -be cooped up in Hradschin for a week. "If I cannot leave with the men, I -must leave without them." - -"But how are you going to get out of the town? You must cross the river, -and the bridge will be guarded. There's your horse, too. Still, as you -say, there are the despatches." - -"Surely, if I start two hours before dawn, I can get the gates open -after overpowering the guard. My twenty troopers ought to manage that. -How far is it from here to the bridge?" - -"Four hundred yards! But four hundred yards, of which at least a hundred -are down a narrow street to the bridge-head, supposing the pigs are on -the watch, are as bad as four miles. You know what it is to ride through -a press of people. You and your troopers would be pulled from your -horses in no time. We must think! Pass the flagon, comrade!" - -"Lieutenant! Make the round of the ramparts with one of the Commandant's -soldiers and see what the dispositions are, whether one can leave the -castle and how. One cannot make one's plans for leaving the town if one -cannot first leave the castle." - -"True!" said Hildebrand, who was secretly desirous of retaining the -twenty troopers to defend Hradschin. "And sound your men as to whether -they will risk a rope with Captain Charteris or remain here with me." - -Nigel would have been inclined to resent this, but as Hildebrand was his -host he said nothing, only being quite resolved that in the end his men -should obey orders, hanging or no hanging. - -Then they fell to discuss the road Nigel should take. - -"Pilsen is a long journey through the hills!" said the Commandant. "Why -not make for Eger? There is a strong garrison at Eger. If you reach -there in safety you can get another escort to Vienna, and when things -are quiet your men can slip out and go there to await your return." In -this way the Commandant made it a more familiar idea to Nigel's mind -that he should go alone. And Nigel, on his part, resolved that alone, or -accompanied, it would be easier to escape that night, when the citizens -would be drowsy with their unwonted watching, say two hours before dawn, -than on the morrow when the threatened attack began. The heart of the -difficulty to his mind would be the gate at the bridge-head. Even if -the guard were overcome there would still be delay, and delay would be -fatal. - -The lieutenant returned and reported that watch-fires were lit and -burning at all the four avenues which gave egress from the neighbourhood -of the castle, and at each was a strong guard, all armed with muskets. -Any one coming from the castle could be seen. The crowd had dispersed. - -The three soldiers put their heads together over a plan of the town, and -Nigel asked question after question till he had extracted all the facts -he could from the Commandant. Then he asked the Commandant for the -quickest-witted of his men, and sent for Sergeant Blick, one of the -escort, by special request of Nigel, who had great confidence in his -fidelity. - -In a quarter of an hour the two men dropped into a flat-bottomed boat -kept at a small back gate of the castle for the convenience of the -kitchens. And mooring it carefully on the other side, they stood -half-way between the fires and the guards to the north and those to the -south. The soldier belonging to the castle tapped at a window in the -street which faced the castle again and again. Presently the knock was -answered. The casement opened. The soldier got through, and burly -Sergeant Blick waited for the door to open. Then he entered too. A few -words with the goodwife, who supplied the soldiers of the garrison with -spiced sausages, and they departed through a door at the back of the -house into a darkness that could scarcely have been bettered. - -As the clock of the Rathhaus struck one past midnight there gathered in -its shadows a knot of men. By a quarter past there were twenty, and at -half-past there were forty. Every man came by himself and stealthily, -and every man came armed, and was surprised to find so many others -there before him, except only the first three, and they were very old in -comradeship. As each man came up he murmured "Waldstein," and waited in -the gloom in silence. - -As the clock of the Rathhaus struck one past midnight Sergeant Blick and -two or three men who, like him, knew something about horses, were as -silently as possible yoking horses, and in some cases oxen, which had -complacently folded their legs and gone to sleep chewing the cud as -industriously as usual, to the waggons that stood in the market street -and market-place. The noise of horses and waggons clattering or creaking -was nothing to the dwellers in that part of the town. - -One of the ostlers led away a waggon creaking and rumbling. The ostler -was a good Catholic, and had a solid crown piece in his breeches. Then -the other led away a waggon. Then when the first ostler had returned, -Sergeant Blick started, and by half-past one eight waggons were disposed -across the streets that led to the castle and not far from the men round -the watch-fires. The horses were brought back again. - -At half-past one the men in the shadows of the Rathhaus saw one who -walked like a soldier come towards them, and as he halted just outside -the shadows they could see the glint of his casque and heard him call -them sharply to attention. In a trice they had arranged themselves in -two lines as they had been used to do in Wallenstein's army. They had no -doubt it was one of Wallenstein's officers, and one or two thought they -remembered the voice. - -They marched without hesitation towards the castle, and creeping past -the waggons ranged up again in order. One or two of the guard not so -overcome with sleep as the others--for your watch-fire, especially if it -be smoky, as it can easily be, is a monstrous soporific--glanced round -uneasily at the clink of arms and peered into the shadows and saw -nothing. Then came a word of command, and, before they could all spring -to their weapons, Nigel and his levy were upon them, had beaten every -man to the earth, scattered the watch-fire where it would, and then, -re-forming, passed on. They halted in front of the drawbridge of the -castle. It was let down, and nineteen troopers and the lieutenant came -over the moat and formed up. Nigel said a word to the lieutenant and -passed on with his footmen till he sighted the second watch-fire. Once -again his besom of men swept the watchers, and this time they were -caught by the barricade of waggons, and every man, who was not laid flat -and helpless by sword or pike or stave, was trussed up till further -need. The waggons were dragged aside, and the horsemen trotted towards -the narrow street that led to the bridge-head and the old soldiers -marched behind as a rearguard, still led by Nigel. When they got within -bowshot of the gate the horsemen rode down upon the guard and made them -deliver up the keys. - -The gates were opened. Nigel sprang to the spare horse, and said a -thankful farewell to the old soldiers and to Plauen. - -His last words to the old soldiers had been-- - -"If Wallenstein wants you again, will you come?" - -And every man had growled out, "Aye, with a will!" - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - THE ROAD TO EGER. - - -Once clear of the town and on the open road to Olsnitz Nigel's immediate -anxiety was ended. He did not fear the pursuit of the townspeople. Not -despicable in quality is the valour which rouses and fills a man, and a -man's fellows, in sight of their common hearthstone at the Rathhaus, or -of that, possibly dearer, rallying-place the Rathskeller, where the -favoured vintages of the burghers lie snug in cobwebs, only to be -brought forth from the complete darkness of their resting-places to the -still dim and broken daylight of the afternoon, or to the lantern-light -cloven by the massive pillars of the low arches into patches of ruddy -glow and pools of shadow. Not despicable in quality is it, but it -carries a mighty stroke only within the town's walls. To pursue with -success a troop, however small, of trained mounted men, one must have -the like. Nigel and his men rode on into the darkness, which was just -sufficiently permeated by the faint light of stars to let them see the -road at their horses' feet and a few yards ahead; they rode sleepily, -but feeling secure. The road they followed was the road to Hof, which a -few miles out throws out a branch to Olsnitz, and this again at Olsnitz -fathers two younglings, the road to Graslitz and Pilsen, and the road to -Eger. - -Nigel meant to bivouac by the roadside, beneath the pine-trees, where -the bed was soft with the pine-needles and dry, and horses and men alike -could sleep till an hour after dawn. He was not in the mind to lock -himself in any more walled cities till he was in safer country. He had -also resolved to make for Eger rather than Pilsen, because, from Eger, -which was a frontier post of some quality, he could perhaps send -Hildebrand von Hohendorf some assistance. - -So having put an hour's riding between his troops and Plauen he called a -halt, and the men led their horses up the sloping banks into the forest, -where they unsaddled, tethered their horses, and lay down quite -contentedly. Nigel, with his head on his saddle-bags and two sentries -within hail, was asleep in a few seconds. A few seconds of sleep, so it -seemed to the sleep-hungered soldier, and the persistent twittering of -the birds, that outburst that hails the almost imperceptible rolling up -of the night clouds, awoke him. The birds could see up there in the -branches. Where he lay it was dark enough to swear it was still night. -Out of the darkness he heard the voice of Sergeant Blick drowsily -calling the birds "fools and heretics" for waking him, and he fell -asleep again. Another two or three seconds, which were an hour by the -clock at Olsnitz, and the birds, after their last nap, were again -calling one another to the duty of seeing after breakfast. Nigel rose -and stamped his feet and shook himself, listened for the trickle of a -spring, and went off to salute it. Then he returned to his saddle and -called for his horse. While this was being brought he put his hand into -his saddle-bags where he carried the bulky despatches of Count Tilly: -first the left, and then the right, then he searched his doublet, his -holsters. There were no despatches. Sleep had played him traitor, -delivered him bound into the enemy's hand. Into whose? - -Nigel was possessed of common-sense, but when common-sense could give -but a flimsy explanation, he was not disinclined to allow that the -powers of darkness and witchcraft might, notwithstanding King Jamie and -his pronouncements, be of some potency. He was cautious too. While not -suspecting any of his men, he thought that to keep the loss to himself -was the surest way to discover the culprit, if he was among them. So he -made no inquiry of the sentries. He had a sure memory, so clear and -flawless, that he could repicture himself as in a mirror placing the -papers in his saddle-bag. They were there when he placed his head upon -the saddle. They were not there now. He searched his lair for any sign -that it might give. There was still the impress where he had lain upon -the pine-needles but nothing else. The loss was inexplicable as it was -irreparable. His professional honour was in jeopardy. His reputation as -an officer of approved sagacity was gone. He must go on. There was no -help. He must go on and carry to the Emperor the tale of his misfortune, -which would sound but a sorry one in the light of Vienna, and, instead -of the despatches, such details as he could remember; wherein his -excellent memory would doubtless replace all that Count Tilly could have -set down. But Tilly's foreshadowed plans? Tilly's recommendation of -himself? Into whose hands had they fallen? - -If witches had stolen the despatches, were they Protestant witches? No -Catholic could be a witch. That was an incompatibility. - -The men paraded in the road, and he and the lieutenant looked them over -to see that every man was there and in marching order. And Nigel scanned -every face and pair of hands. - -No! They were as respectable a lot of ruffians in leather and headpiece -as one could pick. The order was given to ride, and they rode clanking -into Olsnitz, where at the first inn they demanded beer and sausages and -bread with the clamour born of a fast of eight hours and a night in the -forest. - -Nigel and his comrade were hungry too, and having satisfied the hunger -for food, he summoned the ostler, taking him inside and questioning him -if travellers had passed that way earlier in the morning. - -"Three! Two stayed on the road. The third came for a small truss of hay -and paid for it and went away again. He was not of these parts." - -"Which road did he take?" - -"The road to Eger." - -Nigel asked other questions, but the answer told him nothing except that -he got a minute description of the man and of the horse, the latter more -particularly being the ostler's business. It was a sorrel with one black -hoof and three white. There were other marks, but that was enough. - -Evidently the travellers were going far, and wished to go fast, and not -to call at any inn for the space of a horse's feed and watering. - -Nigel wasted no time getting to horse again. One of those three had the -despatches. He must overtake them. So he rode on briskly, wondering who -would steal them and why. To the first question he answered: "The -Protestants! For they would be in communication with Gustavus, and would -wish to be beforehand in the matter of Tilly's plans." - -But why should they take the road to Eger when Gustavus was far to the -north? Rather should they ride north to Saxony. The road, however, was -plain enough along the valley of the Elster, always rising a little, and -steep hillsides on either bank. Of bridle-tracks there were many -without doubt, for those who knew the intricacies of the pine-covered -hills. But it was not likely the three unknown would take to them. - -At Adorf, Nigel learned that three horsemen had passed an hour before. -He was gaining upon them then. His men were somewhat surprised that the -march was being forced, but they scented rest and a German trooper's -welcome at Eger. Ten miles farther they had gained another half-hour. -Either the three had become careless, or their horses were tired, or -they were poor horsemen. Nigel would have them in the net at Eger, and -rode at a great pace. At one point, where the road took a wide bend, he -even caught sight of three horses, mere little black spots on the white -line of the road, and then he lost them. Trees intervened. At the long -last he saw them clearly enough pass through the gate of Eger, and in a -few minutes he and his troop clattered through the archway, and saw only -that the town had swallowed them up. There was still a sorrel horse with -one black hoof and three white ones for a clue. - -Nigel bade the lieutenant find quarters for the night, and let the men -eat and enjoy themselves. He also privately instructed Sergeant Blick to -find the sorrel horse and not miss getting into converse with its rider, -nor let him go before he could see him. Then he rode up to the castle, -the citadel of the town. He sought the commandant, and was surprised to -find in him a fellow-countryman, one David Gordon, a lean, lantern-jawed -fellow, whose uniform bespoke the professional soldier, but whose talk -reminded Nigel of the ultra-sanctimonious burghers of Edinburgh, on whom -the spirit of Knox in its narrowness had descended, but not the fire of -his conviction, while gaining a smoky stubbornness and sourness of which -Knox would have been little proud. - -"Sae yer Coont Tilly has warstled through into Magdeburg, Meester -Charteris?" - -"Aye, has he!" said Nigel, watching the cold glint of the little eyes -beneath the heavy brows. - -"And ye'll be carrying the despatches to the Emperor!" - -"Yes!" - -"Hooch aye!" The commandant rubbed a bristly chin, and watched Nigel's -face. "Did ye have a peaceful journey?" - -"Not exactly! I had trouble to get out of Plauen, and I think you should -send Commandant von Hohendorf a couple of companies. The townsfolk are -out of hand." - -"Ah! ha!" said the other. "Tis the working of God's wrath at the sinful -deeds at Magdeburg!" - -If David Gordon had been weighing out spices in a little shop in the -Canongate, the speech would have had its right surroundings. As it was, -issuing from the mouth of one of the Emperor's officers, it sounded out -of place. - -"Master Gordon! That's a queer speech!" said Nigel. "Count Tilly's been -carrying out the Edict." - -"Aye! That's just it, the most abominable Edict. Save us, mebbe ye're a -Papist yersel'!" - -"Yes! Or I should not be doing the Emperor's service!" Nigel retorted -with some heat. - -"Whisht! Whisht! man! A man must look to the bawbees, ye ken; but he -should aye hould fast to his opeenions!" - -"'Tis not for me to say what Mr Gordon should do, or not do," said Nigel -dryly. "My creed is where I take my pay, there I fight, and as for the -cause I say nothing." - -"Aye!" said Commandant Gordon with something like a sigh. "And what -brought ye to Eger, when it was a wheen shorter by Pilsen?" - -He scrutinised Nigel with a long careful scrutiny. - -"That I might tell you how matters stood with Hohendorf. Yours is the -nearest garrison." - -"Hooch aye!" The commandant appeared to be relieved of some anticipated -trouble. "I dinna think I can spare ony, but ye've done your duty in -reporting it. I thocht ye were maybe paying a veesit to yon warlock the -new Duke keeps at his hoose!" - -"What new Duke?" - -"Waldstein! Man! Waldstein! Duke of Friedland and the haill rickmatick!" - -"Waldstein!" said Nigel. "Here? Waldstein?" - -"Aye! He's studying the stars, he and his warlock. He's naething else to -do. He's just a spent cannon-ball: good iron but useless. Speiring at -the stars will he come back again or no, and speiring at Gustavus of -Sweden whether he'll give him all the kingdoms of the earth and the -glory of them, if he falls doon and worships him." - -"How do you know that he sends letters to Gustavus? Or what is in them?" - -"Is it sae unlikely?" the other questioned cunningly. "I could believe -onything of a Popish recusant! Waldstein was born a Protestant of good -Lutheran parents, and ganged to a Protestant University--Altdorf--and -then he wins clean over to the Papists. Noo I'm not saying onything -against Papistry, though I dinna believe in it mysel', but _ye_ come of -a Catholic family and have never known the truth. I peety but I dinna -blame!" - -"I am your very humble servant, Mr Gordon," said Nigel, bowing. "I am in -need of food and lodgment. Good-bye!" - -Nigel took horse again and rode down into the town, pondering many -things. - -At the foot of the hill he met Sergeant Blick. - -"The sorrel horse, captain, is in a stable at the White Lamb." - -"Good. We start to-morrow morning at dawn. Therefore have every man -ready!" - -"Yes, captain!" - -"The man who rides the sorrel horse will ride northward before dawn. By -whichever gate he passes, he must be caught and made to ride with us, -whether he likes it or not, without noise or fuss." - -"Yes, captain!" - -"Where is the lieutenant?" - -"He is at the Blue Angel, captain!" - -"Good! To-morrow at dawn!" - -Nigel found the lieutenant sitting down to a dish of scrambled eggs with -a plentiful dressing of chopped ham. - -"There is veal to follow, and then a couple of ducks!" said the -lieutenant, concluding the remark with a great gurgle of beer in the -recesses of a huge tankard. - -Nigel made haste to catch up with the lieutenant. - -He had travelled with his comrade through the egg country, the calf -country, and had reached duckland. Two legs, a slice of the broad brown -back, and some delicate spinach loaded up his plate, when the door -opened and a man-servant with the bearing of a soldier entered. - -"Captain Charteris!" - -"That is I!" said Nigel. - -"The Count Albrecht von Waldstein desires the favour of your company for -an hour." - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - INTERLACING DESTINIES. - - -Nigel looked ruefully at the duck. - -"Stay and eat it, comrade!" said the lieutenant. - -"I must leave it! One does not keep Waldstein waiting! I bequeath it to -you. See that you give a good account of it." - -"That I can promise you!" said the still hungry lieutenant. "At dawn, -you said?" - -"At dawn! And give a good look at the horses before you turn in!" - -Then casting his cloak about him Nigel went out into the deepening -twilight. - - * * * * * - -Nigel Charteris had once, and only once, spoken to Wallenstein face to -face. For although Nigel served as a subaltern all through the great -campaign, the large armies commanded by the great general operated over -tracts of country often miles apart, and months elapsed between one -glimpse of him and the next. Little by little, as the great game of war -had come to mean something to Nigel's mind, for at the first it had -seemed but a sadly confused business, it came to him that Albrecht von -Waldstein was a great player. Since his experience with Count Tilly, -Nigel had been able to agree that he also was no mean antagonist, but -not the equal of Wallenstein. In that curious welter of the Thirty -Years' War it wanted but little shaking of the dice-box for Tilly and -Wallenstein to have been pitted against one another. As the dice fell, -they never were so pitted, and by consequence what then might have -happened is left to those skilful in conjecture, and not for us the -chroniclers of what did happen. - -Nigel, ushered by one servant to another, and finally by some great one -to the presence of the great man, felt the awe that one does in meeting -the supremely great in one's own profession; but as to his being a Count -of the Holy Roman Empire, which the Emperor had made him, a Duke of -Friedland, which by comparison was a mere proclamation of landed -nobility, Nigel Charteris of Pencaitland in the Lothians cared little. -The man was gentle by birth as he himself was. Whether he was a degree -higher or lower was naught to a gentle Scot, for the Scot yields to no -man in the pride of race. - -The house was a great house, rather deep than wide, with gardens full of -trees behind. At some time it had belonged to the King of Bohemia, but -had been bestowed on one of the great nobles, and in the general -disturbance of things ensuing upon the Winter King's invasion of -Bohemia, Albrecht von Waldstein had bought it for a small part of its -value. It was not the only instance of that faculty the exercise of -which by the Jews has gained them the contemptuous names of brokers and -Lombarders. In other words, Wallenstein became rich, had become rich, -not because he was a great and successful general, but because the same -talents which enabled him to plan and organise his armies, enabled him -also to plan his own fortunes in matters of estate. - -Wallenstein received Nigel in a spacious chamber, which had been an -audience-chamber in older days. It was panelled with wood all round the -walls, and the flat ceiling was also of wood, but painted with the -royal arms of Bohemia and those of the chief vassals, much of them faded -and blackened. There was a great open fireplace with a goodly fire of -logs blazing in it, and at a convenient distance from it was a small -table, curiously carved as to the legs, a couple of flagons of wine, and -two tall goblets of fine glass curiously wrought. - -In a great chair sat Wallenstein, and at the door by which Nigel entered -stood two serving-men. - -Nigel saluted his old commander-in-chief. Wallenstein nodded, and bade a -servant bring a chair. - -"You were with me in the late wars?" was his question, not in the abrupt -military fashion, though there were no more words, but in a tone which -bespoke a certain graciousness and a certain distance. - -"I was, your Grace--lieutenant, then captain of musketeers!" - -"And are now with Count Tilly? You were at Magdeburg?" - -"Yes! I am now riding with despatches to the Emperor!" - -This was the second time he had implied that he had the despatches to -deliver, knowing in fact that he had none. He had lied boldly to Gordon, -the commandant who should have been a shopkeeper, and thought nothing of -it. Besides, Gordon was a Protestant. He did not like lying even by -implication to Wallenstein, but he had the wish not to give the great -commander an ill opinion of his capacity. - -"It is well!" said Wallenstein. "I do not ask you to show them to me. -But I should like to know something of Count Tilly's dispositions. I am -out of harness. I am enriched and decorated with titles, and put aside. -The Jesuits would like to use me as a flail to beat the Protestants, but -they do not want the flail for itself, or to beat them. The flail is a -passably good flail, and will not wear out yet. How many men has Count -Tilly?" - -"Twenty thousand foot; two thousand horse!" said Nigel promptly. - -"And artillery?" - -"Fifty pieces of all kinds!" - -"And powder and ball and matches?" - -"Sufficient store!" - -"Ah!" said Wallenstein. "If Saxony and Brandenburg together make up -their minds they can find work for Count Tilly. And then there is -Gustavus! Who is to oppose him, and with what? Where do they say -Gustavus is?" - -"In Pomerania, your Grace!" - -"So I have heard, and is negotiating a treaty with France! If the -Protestants but knew it, they could beset Tilly and ruin the Emperor." - -"But you forget the Elector Maximilian?" - -"He is forgettable! He is a Jesuit, who should have been a priest, but -was unhappily born a prince. He has an arm, and that arm is Pappenheim. -With men enough Pappenheim could face Gustavus. But Pappenheim is with -Tilly. An army can have but one head." - -"When the Emperor's advisers grow frightened they will send again for -your Grace!" said Nigel. - -"They must pay dearly!" was Wallenstein's grim remark, with a curl of -his thick lower lip. Then he asked abruptly, in a tone which suggested -an amused contempt for such toys, "Do you believe in the stars?" - -Had Nigel been sitting over a flagon with Hildebrand von Hohendorf -instead of with Albrecht von Waldstein he would have laughed out a "No." -But two experiences, the sudden apparition of Ottilie outside Hradschin, -a possible delusion of the sense of sight, and the disappearance of his -despatches from beneath his head in defiance of sentries and all his -senses, which was no delusion, had shaken his hitherto light esteem for -witchcraft, star-gazing, horoscopes, alchemy, and all the other -ingenious paltering with past and future. It had been whispered too -among the armies that Wallenstein had commanded that he, like many other -great ones of the time, devout Catholics all, consulted necromancers, -and this came to Nigel's mind. He made a cautious reply. - -"I have never had my horoscope cast. Nor do I know anything of the -science of the stars. It is an old belief that the stars affect the -destinies of the great ones of the earth, and it would be a presumption -in me, who am nobody but a poor Scots gentleman, to treat it lightly." - -"Destiny? What is it?" Wallenstein asked. "Man makes his own path out of -the best materials to his hand or lets others buffet him into -nothingness. There is no third way. But every man who carves his own -pathway would fain learn by what implements he can arrive at the summit, -so that he may use them at the earliest." - -"And suppose," said the other, "the end be a cannon-ball that cuts one -in two, what better is a man for knowing it two years before?" - -"In truth," and into the eyes of Wallenstein came a strange look, "I -know not, but there is always the grim feeling that one may stumble upon -a most exact presage of fatality. It draws one on." - -"Then you have made some experiments, your Grace?" - -"One must do something when one has too much leisure. There is a learned -master, a Jew, I think, but he tells little of his origin, who is to be -found sometimes at Vienna, sometimes elsewhere, who calls himself Pietro -Bramante. He commended himself to me because he hates the Jesuits. He -showed skill in casting my horoscope, and has on several occasions given -me good intelligence. He is here now." - -Nigel involuntarily made the sign of the Cross. - -Wallenstein noticed it. - -"He does not traffic in devils, nor meddle with holy things. But he -professes great skill in the mathematics, which he says are the root of -all divination. He is learned in the Cabal, the unwritten tradition of -the Jews, whereby Solomon came to know the beginning, mediety, and -consummation of times." - -The chamberlain of the household now came in, and bowing low said, "The -learned Pietro Bramante bids me to acquaint you, my lord, that the -constellations are in a favourable aspect for you to enter the House of -Knowledge, but that the stranger must enter also, for the orbit of his -star conjoins with your lordship's." - -"Come!" said Wallenstein, his eyes lighting up into a curious eagerness, -curious that is, in a man of his years, and more so to a Scot such as -Nigel Charteris was, for the Scots are not given to appearing -eager,--even of good fortune. And if the Scot were forty-eight, which -was the tale of Wallenstein's years, and he were told that some one was -ready to give him good news or bad, he would say, "Weel! weel! it'll no -lose in the tellin'," and never move his legs an inch faster. - -"Come! Let us see what this diviner has to say!" - -Nigel was in truth by no means pleased. For he was a devout Catholic, -and hated alike Jews and witchcraft, and thought little of horoscopes. -The stars were a good guide on a clear night crossing a moor or in a -strange country. That was all. But Wallenstein had once held all the -German lands in his hands, and might again. It was a waste of -opportunity not to second his whimsies: and if there was nothing in -divination but hocus-pocus, why, there was no harm could come of it. - -So he rose to his feet and followed: and Wallenstein led him upstairs to -a long gallery, and at the farther end was a curtain drawn across. -Portraits of many kings and princesses were ranged along the one wall, -and upon the other where the windows were not. The windows looked out -upon a balcony and the balcony upon a pleasaunce, but of this, it being -now night, Nigel could see little. At long intervals were lighted -candles, and many unlit between. And their footfalls, soldier-like and -decided, echoed by walls and ceiling, made a great noise in Nigel's ear. - -So they came to the curtain and a voice bade draw, and Pietro Bramante -stood there and moved not a whit. There were no candles alight near him, -and all the light that was came from a copper bowl in which he burned -some tow with a blue and now a green flame. - -The sage began a recitation in which he made much mention of the seventh -house and divers stars and constellations being in opposition or in -conjunction, and of this Abracadabra Nigel made nothing. The blue and -green flame played upon his naturally brownish face and it was grey, and -from Wallenstein's all colour seemed to be gone; instead was his face -like a parchment full of lines, all but the eyes, which glittered -blackly, never losing gaze upon the sage's face. Except for the latter's -utterances there was deep silence, and the three seemed to be alone, for -the chamberlain had retired, having ushered them into the gallery. - -Then the sage blew out the flame, and his finger faintly glowing began -to be visible writing on a wall, or some flat upright surface, and the -figure he made was a circle, as truly drawn an O as Messire Michelangelo -Buonarrotti might have made. And the circle was of light and glowed -through more strongly in one part than another. - -"Behold the orbit of the life of Albrecht von Waldstein, a perfect -circle. Those lines are perfect circles that make a multiple of ten. It -is in every tenth year that great causes may affect them--great -upliftings of Fortune, or great fatalities. - -"Now regard truly this orbit of another life, which passeth through the -centre of the first," and again with unerring finger he drew another -curve, which may have been a section of a greater circle, or of an -elliptical figure, or of a parabola, but it was a true curve, and cut -the circle at its centre. "This orbit passeth through the field of Mars -and ariseth beyond the plane of the first orbit, and this signifieth -that it is the life of a stranger by blood and nation." - -So the original glowed upon the void darkness, and the new line that -came from afar and passed through the centre of the circle glowed; and -yet another line Pietro Bramante drew, and this time it was an oval. - -"Behold now the orbit of yet another life. It is an oval and signifieth -the life of a woman. An oval hath two foci, and the one is the centre of -the orbit of Albrecht von Wallenstein and the other is upon the -circumference of the same circle. Now the actions of woman proceed from -two foci, the heart and the intelligence, and the heart focus is upon -the centre of the circle and the other focus of the mind is upon the -circumference or pathway of the same circle. Wherefore I deduce that -this woman, whoever she be, hath her affections firmly set upon the very -essence which is the spirit of Albrecht von Wallenstein, and her -intelligence is set steadfastly on the orbit of his destiny so that it -may go fast or slow as she willeth. - -"Now, sir!" he addressed Nigel, "what was the day and hour of your -birth?" - -"The year 1603. The month July. The day the 7th, and the hour 7!" - -"Behold figures full of portent," said Pietro. "The year's numerals -added together give ten, which is a complete number. Sixteen hundred -and three is a multiple of seven. The month is the seventh month. The -day is the seventh. The hour is the seventh. They are propitious times -and should give a favourable horoscope. Now I will cast it, and -calculate the orbit." - -Pietro turned to his copper vessel, and by means which neither of his -onlookers could guess the flame sprang up again, and taking a sheet of -parchment he made calculations, and set down the fixed points his -calculations showed. As the light burned, so the geometrical figures he -had drawn before faded from sight. - -The two sat silently. Nigel thus far was impressed against his will by -the mathematical methods of the learned doctor. He stole a swift glance -now and again at Wallenstein, who sat stiffly, absorbed in the doings. -Nigel was more interested in the figures of the circle and of the -ellipse as they applied to Wallenstein, for Wallenstein of all men was -as little to be swayed by any feminine influence as any man. He had -married twice. In both cases he had married a woman of noble birth, and -of moderate, almost of great, fortune. But no one called Wallenstein -uxorious or accused him of careless living in the article of women. No -one had imputed to him that he had mistresses, or that either of his -wives had ruled him. His face betrayed no tendency to passion. The eyes -had no amorousness. As to the lips, if the lower lip spoke of the -senses, it was rather of good living. The many lines upon his brow spoke -of thought and ambition. - -A smile or the semblance of a smile, and that sardonical, had passed -across his face when the doctor had spoken of the mysterious woman who -was to influence his life. - -At last Pietro looked up from his calculations. There was a slight gleam -in his worn eyes as of satisfaction, and he brought them his parchment. - -"The line of this life, sirs, from the figures of the birth, when -affected by the influences which the constellations exercise, must pass -through these points," and he showed points upon the parchment marked -with Greek letters. "Now if I join these points," and he did so with the -point of his pen, "a curve is produced." Again he extinguished the flame -of his lamp. - -"Now, compare it with the curve I have just shown to you," and it was -visible on the extinction of the other flame. "It is the same curve -without doubt!" - -Nigel was aware of some extraordinary exaltation of mind he could in no -wise account for. With his colder intelligence he yet seemed incapable -of resisting the belief that the conclusions of the reader of horoscopes -were true, that his own path of life was in some momentous way linked up -with that of Wallenstein, the idol of his professional admiration, and -that now and here that part of his earthly path had begun. - -"It seems," said Wallenstein, turning to Nigel, "that by all the rules -of divination as practised by the learned doctors of these times, and in -particular by Pietro Bramante, who has at divers times made notable -experiments at the court of Vienna and elsewhere, you are one of those -whose birth is fortunate, and that you are destined to cross my orbit at -its zenith and its nadir, and to pass through the very centre of my -intelligence for good or ill." - -"You read aright, sir!" said Pietro. "It is beyond my power to say if -for good or for ill." - -"I would fain know," said Wallenstein, "if you are a good Catholic." - -"I am!" said Nigel. - -"And have no dealings with the Jesuits?" - -"No! I have had no commerce with them at any time!" - -"It is well!" said Wallenstein. "For the rest you are a soldier of -fortune, and your greatest desire----" - -"Is to become a trusted officer in your Grace's service, whenever it -shall please the Emperor to recall you!" said Nigel heartily. - -"Then let us read the presage as a fortunate one!" said Wallenstein, -"and God speed the fulfilment of your desires! And now, most learned -doctor, surely your powers of divination do not end here. You have -spoken of some unknown lady or perchance some uncouth beldame, whom the -stars have chosen to become a benign power in my life. Does not your art -enable you to disclose at least her name? Tell me at least whether she -is of a dark and melancholic disposition, or of a sanguine inclination." - -Nigel could not tell from the dry passionless utterance of the speaker -whether irony lay at the root of his tongue: but he was at least as -eager as Wallenstein appeared to be indifferent as to the outcome. It -was the difference between youth and maturity. If it had been permitted -to look into the mind of that inscrutable man, one might have expected -to find that on a stage where strode so many principal and, in their -several parts, renowned actors, where war and high policy and ambition -were the themes, Wallenstein should count as nothing the staying or -speeding of his actions by any woman. - -Pietro Bramante turned again to his lamp, which he relighted, and, -drawing a curtain aside, the light fell upon a tall mirror of the height -of a man set at such an angle that at the present it reflected nothing. -At two paces from it he set a chafing-dish wherein burned glowing -charcoal, and upon it sprinkled some powder from a little box of ebony; -and from the dish rose up a white smoke of a sweet savour. And then -Pietro recited some Latin verses, which to Nigel, unversed in such -incantations, bore no meaning. - -Then, before they were aware, though both gazed intently upon the smoke, -the form of a majestic woman appeared to gather substance, and at length -her face in all its lineaments became plain to view. The eyes gazed in a -kind of ecstasy fixedly, gravely benignant, towards Wallenstein. - -Nigel leaped up, spurred by his astonishment, even in opposition to the -awe which the moment enjoined upon him, exclaiming "Ottilie von -Thüringen!" - -And Wallenstein, as if Nigel had not been there, still in his seat, but -filled with amaze, exclaimed under his breath-- - -"Ferdinand's Stephanie!" And then, "Let me have speech of her! Dost -hear! Pietro Bramante?" - -But the vision had disappeared. Pietro's voice made itself audible. -"This that you saw was but a vision called up by my art. I must confirm -it by my mathematics." - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - AN ITALIAN AND A SPANIARD. - - -An hour before dawn came Sergeant Blick to awaken Nigel with the news, -"We have the man on the sorrel horse!" - -Nigel awoke completely, sprang out of bed, and was attired, even to his -jack-boots and spurs, in a few minutes. Then getting astride his horse -he was out of Eger and a mile on the road to Pilsen in a very few more. - -"A kind of accursed Jew fellow! Some dark Moorish infidel of a heretic!" -was Sergeant Blick's summing up. - -Sure enough it was that learned Doctor Pietro Bramante himself. - -But this was not the field of prophecy or of divination. This was the -atmosphere of dawn, the kingdom of cold fact. Nigel nodded and said in -his brief military manner-- - -"Doctor! You must please turn out your saddle-bags and your pockets for -some papers which are lost. Sergeant, assist the doctor!" - -The learned doctor began to protest, as might have been expected, but -Nigel merely vouchsafed that it was "in the service of the Emperor." He -himself searched the prisoner, whose multifarious garments made the -matter one of difficulty. And the fact that, if not an Israelite, he -was a very near relation, did not make the operation to Nigel a pleasant -one. But when he had finished, he was sure that nothing so bulky as -Count Tilly's despatches were upon him. - -Sergeant Blick produced in his turn many curious vessels and books and -bottles from the saddle-bags, crossing himself at sight of anything -unusual, for he had no doubt that he was dealing, if not with the Evil -One, with one of his familiars. Nothing was found. Nigel with no excess -of courtesy bade him pack up his belongings. - -"From what town came you to Eger?" - -"Even from Hof by Olsnitz!" - -"And for what reason got you half a truss of hay?" - -"To save the inn charges and time!" - -"And your companions?" - -"They rest in Eger, being bound for Gräslitz. I know them not. We did -but join company for protection." - -"At what inn did they rest?" - -"I did not ask! Neither did I tell them that I had business with the -Duke." - -"Enough!" said Nigel, and wheeled his horse. - -With a rueful countenance the diviner began to replace his utensils, -carefully and patiently. He had at least learned two virtues. - -Nigel, gravelled, rode back into the town in an ill-humour and called -for his breakfast. By the time that was finished the troopers were at -the door. - -There was no help but to go forward, and one may be assured that neither -hill nor stream nor any wayside beauty of Bohemia could do aught to -bring his mind back to a calm mood. He suspected the "Jew," as he called -him. He suspected Gordon, and as for the phantasmagoria of last night, -he could make nothing of it. His tendency was to disbelieve, only his -respect for Wallenstein's powers of thought diminished his disbelief to -something approaching mere doubt. The one thing that stood out was the -vision of Ottilie von Thüringen. - -Surely it was her "wraith." And if it had by chance been that of some -familiar friend in Scotland, or of some one of his blood relations, he -would have been awed, but he would have regarded it, in accord with -tradition, as portending or announcing some stroke of fate. - -He had been carried too much out of himself to hear what Wallenstein had -muttered, to observe closely how that great one received the vision. -This at least he had garnered, that Wallenstein also recognised her. - -But who then was she? There was another feeling that sprang up in his -heart, an uneasy half-born pang, which he dismissed only to find it -knocking at the door again. The "wraith" of Ottilie had gazed at -Wallenstein, not with eyes of speculation, as the playwright Shakespeare -had it, but as one might gaze with open eyes in dream at some beloved -object limned only in the brain behind. - -But she had gazed at Wallenstein with a benignity which had softened the -whole countenance, a benignity which he himself in his two days' contact -with her had never surprised upon it. And this the geometrical -hocus-pocus of the vile Jew had foreshadowed when he contrived that the -right focus of her orbit should also be the centre of Wallenstein's. As -Nigel had no knowledge of geometry, and regarded it as a cabalistic -invention, though he had heard of telescopes, and of Columbus, and -vessel charts, he esteemed this part of the diviner's doings as mere -trickery, akin to the old devices of the magicians before Pharaoh. But -by no explanation of mere artifice could he doubt that he saw the -"wraith" of Ottilie, and that Wallenstein also saw. While recognising -her as some one he knew, had Wallenstein thought of her in any close -relation to himself? His attitude of surprise said no. But was it -possible that Wallenstein could forget so mysterious an occurrence, -dismiss it as a mere dream? - -Nigel had had five or six years of close companionship with men. There -are men who, from their cradle to their grave, are attended and -companioned by women, and shrink from the rough and, on the whole, -kindly and bracing contact with their kind. Nigel had thrust himself -into the world of man at the dawn of manhood, and in the fellowship of -arms he had found as mixed a chance-medley as the world of men could -show, free from the namby-pamby of the courts, free from the court's -petty chicane, free from the emulous avarice of the mart; not in some -corners destitute of scholarship, though scholarship was rare; rejoicing -in bodily strength and skill in arms, in hearty eating, in wine, and -beer, and song, in which they honoured women much more than they ever -did in such commerce of love or licence as the fortune of war or the -conditions of the camp afforded. - -From his study of manhood this Nigel had observed, that whereas among -the younger men the talk of doings in the lists of love was as frequent -as their flagons, it was almost entirely to seek among the older -officers, as among the older soldiers, giving place to criticism of -their professional doings, the appraising of the abilities of those more -advanced in rank, to politics, to affairs more akin to those of that -world without, that in some shape or form paid the reckoning. - -He reasoned from the general to the particular, from those who had -failed to become Wallensteins to him who had not failed. He was -forty-eight, and if any man could find his interest in affairs of state -or war that man was Wallenstein. But the diviner had declared that -Wallenstein's future was bound up with a woman--had raised up, by what -witchcraft or geometry Nigel could give no guess, a vision of her with -rapt eyes bent on Wallenstein. Was Wallenstein at forty-eight proof -against the lure, proof against the charm of a majestic lovely woman, in -whom was nothing of Circe, nothing of that Helen of Troy, whose face, so -Kit Marlowe had phrased it, had - -"... launched a thousand ships, -And burned the topless towers of Ilium," - -yet whose bodily presence had left Nigel with a hunger of the heart and -an unrest unaccustomed, as it was unsought, and unappeasable? - -He knew it when he saw the vision, and he feared lest Wallenstein should -feel it, and, feeling it, stretch out his lion paw for the lioness -Destiny had offered. - -These thoughts occupied much of his time as he journeyed to Pilsen, and, -with the exception that a well equipped and horsed light travelling -carriage passed them on the road with curtains closely drawn, no -traveller had passed or met them. But nearing Pilsen a pair of cavaliers -on very excellent beasts overtook them, and, saluting Nigel, made as if -they would fain keep him company. He could not profess to be travelling -faster seeing they had overtaken him, and a look at their horses showed -that they were better-bred animals and in better condition than his own. -Their politeness was marked, and one of them appeared to be an Italian -and one a Spaniard by his accent, though they addressed Nigel and his -lieutenant in good German. This they presently confirmed, for the -Italian gave his name as the Cavalier Marco Strozzi and introduced the -other as Don Phillipo di Tortaugas. They were travelling to Vienna, and -their valets were coming behind, having been outstripped by their -masters, who were eager to reach that city. - -Nigel was bound to reciprocate their confidences by giving his own and -his companion's names and conditions, mentioning that a military errand -was taking him also to Vienna. - -They were well-bred men and well travelled, for they spoke with -assurance of many towns and cities and princes and gentlemen of repute -of their acquaintance. They were curious to know of this Edict of -Restitution, of which every one spoke, and displayed some measure of -sympathy with the Emperor, who was the instrument of the Pope in the -enforcing of it. In their countries they were thankful to say heresy was -practically non-existent. In them the Church was powerful and paramount, -and they had no doubt of the ultimate success of the Church in Germany. - -They spoke of Wallenstein, of whom they had heard much, and asked Nigel -if he thought Wallenstein was well affected towards the Edict. If so, -why had he been requested by the Emperor to give up his command? Nigel -cautiously answered that Wallenstein was before all things a -professional soldier, and had laid down his baton when the Emperor had -no more present need of him. - -By the time they arrived at Pilsen the four gentlemen were on good terms -and sat down together to the evening meal. The two cavaliers insisted on -ordering the wine, whereof they themselves drank but sparingly, and made -merry with numerous tales of Italy and Spain, so that Nigel and his -lieutenant thought that they had never spent a more sociable evening. At -length the two cavaliers professed themselves sleepy and called for -candles, and Nigel and his comrade, not only professing, but most -indubitably inclined the same way, also made for their night quarters. - -Now it was Nigel's custom to have his saddle-bags and holsters brought -to his own chamber, and this had been done. Sergeant Blick had always -this service to do, and Nigel dismissed him to a final quart of beer, -and was himself very soon asleep. In two hours he awoke,--a fact he set -down to the account of the unusual quality of the wine he had taken, -which was costly beyond his own purse limits, and some wines have the -nature to be greatly soporific, yet the effect is of somewhat brief -lasting. - -He turned on his side, and, as he did so, he thought he heard the -creaking of a leathern strap, for his saddle-bags and holsters were new -and did not easily open. Then he took a deep audible breath and made as -if he sank into sleep again. But his ears were fully alert, and he made -sure that the noise was real. Very silently he turned again upon his -right side, meaning to possess himself of his sword, which was always -placed near his right hand, stretching out to take it. In an instant his -hand was caught in a noose and fastened to the bedpost. Springing up to -release it, his left ankle was seized and tied to another bedpost, and a -very effective bandage pushed into his mouth. The rest of him was -secured very quickly, and, as he could not cry out, he had the felicity -of knowing that his possessions were being thoroughly ransacked by the -two marauders, whoever they were. - -Not a word was said. The room was in pitch darkness, and presently the -thieves stole away. For long he could not release himself by as much as -a single knot, but by infinite workings of his neck and chin and ankles -and wrists, till all were sore alike, he wore some fastening loose. And -just as he had attacked the last one, which bound his left leg, he heard -the sound of horses below in the courtyard, and presently the great -gates closed with a clang, and the hoofs of four horses sounded on the -cobblestones of the street. - -He struck a light. All that he carried was on the floor, and saddle-bags -and holsters were empty. Nothing had been taken. His money, his clothes, -his weapons were all there. It had not then been for these. - -It was a search for something, and that something was the despatches. -And these had been already stolen. It was evident that the first -plotters and the second were of diverse parties. The first might -conceivably be men who served the Protestant cause; but who were the -second? It was to the interest of the Protestant cause that their -leaders throughout Germany should know what forces they had to meet, -what Tilly was going to do next. But of whom else? - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - FATHER LAMORMAIN. - - -Ferdinand of Habsburg, King of Austria by heirship, King of Hungary by -default of a better, rather than by force of arms, was in the ears of -the world Emperor of Rome. Considering that he neither owned nor -governed a rood of land south of the Po, that the title signified the -headship of the German-speaking states, and that he had been elected to -the high office by his fellow princes, who were each and all supreme and -independent rulers over their own territories, and each and all eligible -for the same high office, the name seems something misplaced; but it is -not convenient to enter here into a historical dissertation showing how -it came to be so. - -Several generations of Habsburgs in turn had been elected Emperor, and -doubtless there was good enough reason. It was perhaps more easy not to -be jealous of a family which had borne the office for a century or two, -than of a new one, however deserving in other respects. And there was -this in addition, that Austria and Hungary were the outer wall of all -the German-speaking states against the Turk, and must in any case bear -the first brunt of his activities. In that connection too, whatever -dissensions might be rife, and there were always dissensions between -German-speaking states, it is evident that there must be some -organisation approaching to a mutual league against the Turk. Christians -have always possessed the privilege of and the instinct for fighting -amongst themselves, but a Christian, however black in his theology, is -still fairer than an infidel, and the infidels for very shame had to be -kept out of Christian German states at all costs. For one thing, they -would have ruined the trade in spices. - -So, as the Emperor resided at Vienna, he was very sure to exercise his -authority and demand aids for his own army from the others in sufficient -time to present a stout front to the Ottoman power, though on more than -one occasion he was rather late in doing so. But if the Emperor, who -alone could call out the quotas of men from all the states, had happened -to have lived, say, at Mainz, half of the German lands might have been -overrun before his army was collected. So on the whole the Habsburgs, -having begun to perform and got used to the exalted functions of the -Emperor of Rome, might, so the Electoral Princes seemed to think at -election after election, just as well continue to exercise them, and to -be the outer wall against the Paynim hosts. - -Ferdinand was a good son of Rome. Brought up at the Jesuit seminary of -Ingolstadt he had grown up strong in the faith, and had wasted no time, -on coming to man's estate and the enjoyment of dominion as an elector, -in purging his chief town of Gratz, and all the Habsburger land -committed to his charge, of all pastors, Lutheran or Calvinist. He went -to the root of the matter, and in all things deferred to his advisers, -the Jesuits, who went further than the root, and to Maximilian of -Bavaria, who had also imbibed the milk of the learning of Ingolstadt, -and was if anything of a deeper shade of Jesuitry, if that were -possible, than the Jesuits. - -But as Ferdinand was a good son of Rome, that meant in his case son of -the General of the Jesuits, the mysterious personality that even the -Holy Father might bless or ban as he would, but never reduce to that -exact degree of submission to his authority which is implied in any rank -of the hierarchy below that of Pontiff. - -Like a good father, the General of the Jesuits had no notion of allowing -so intelligent and obedient a son to run wild after his own conceits. So -he had wisely installed at the Court of Vienna Father Lamormain, one of -the order, to keep a watchful eye upon the steps of Ferdinand. - -Father Lamormain had that perfect confidence in Ferdinand which is built -upon a perfect understanding of character, with this reservation, that -he preferred to know everything that had happened at least a little -while, even if it were but a day, an hour, or even less, before his -august pupil, so that whereas the Emperor came to the subject ready to -be actuated by surprise, alarm, soreness, vindictiveness, or any other -human quality, Father Lamormain, who, if he ever felt these undesirable -emotions, had got over them, and already bent his brilliant intellect to -what was at issue, could at once gently and firmly insinuate a counsel -carefully considered, a counsel which Ferdinand would presently make his -own. - -Father Lamormain had as usual heard the Emperor's confession and retired -to his own suite of apartments. There he found awaiting him two brethren -of the order, who asked and received his blessing. Their manners were as -fine as Father Lamormain's. They exhibited just the shade of deference -due from a gentleman, who is an officer, to another gentleman who is his -superior officer. - -The reverend Father and his visitors sat down. He did not toy with his -correspondence, or his plans, or any other object. He sat reposeful in -his chair and embraced both his guests at the same time in his pleasant -smile, and his changes of bodily attitude were slight. - -"And you say he is really on his way?" - -"He cannot be many leagues away now!" said one. - -"And his name is Nigel Charteris?" In his mouth it sounded like -"Chartaire." - -"A Catholic family of the south of Scotland!" - -"Like this?" asking Father Lamormain, writing the name on his tablets -and erasing it. - -"Yes!" - -"Ah! Very interesting! He is not a recent convert?" - -"No, Father!" said the other one, catching his eye and smiling. "It is a -pity even to seem to discourage a loyal son in the faith!" His tone -conveyed a real regret. - -"You were obliged to resort to some slight measure of force? I trust it -was slight?" - -The two exchanged glances and smiled in their fine ingenious way, -showing their beautiful teeth. - -"We did nothing to disable him or to deface his coinage!" said the -first. - -"But we certainly had to use effectual force!" said the other. - -"He is a gentleman, handsome, and of good manners?" - -"He is all three! And a veritable Scot for caution! And for a soldier -quite free from the prevailing laxities." - -"You make me quite solicitous to see him! And you found nothing?" - -"Absolutely nothing! A few purely private papers, but no despatches!" - -"It is curious all the same that Count Tilly should send merely verbal -messages by the mouth of a captain of musketeers to the Emperor." - -"It is not likely that he had entrusted the writings to any of his -troopers!" said one of the visitors. - -Father Lamormain thanked them for their good intentions and the pains -they had been at, then dismissed them. There was no suggestion of blame -for failure. Infinite patience was the rule and practice of the -order,--infinite polishing of weapons. Subordinates are not polished by -rancour. Blame roughens the edge of service more often than it sharpens. -The Society of Jesuits, founded by an enthusiast who was almost a -fanatic, eschewed fanaticism, and provided channels for its enthusiasm -of such fine workmanship as ensured that that precious fluid should -reach the precise spot that was to be watered. The best that could be -found in birth, the best that could be nurtured of scholarship, the best -exponents of the social arts that make men charming companions for their -fellows, were enrolled in the ranks after years of youthful training. -Implicit faith in their leaders, implicit obedience, became not so much -a part of the rule of the order as a habit of the mind. No task was too -rough or too delicate but that the order could somewhere place its -finger on the man to execute it. And straightway he would rise and set -about it. Truly the Society of Jesus was an inspired engine which -possessed powers far exceeding the knowledge of its founder and -inventor. - -Being by himself, the Jesuit drew from a drawer a sheet of parchment -which had evidently been folded and sealed. It was in cipher, but it may -be held as certain that Father Lamormain possessed the keys of all the -ciphers in use among the politicians of Europe; and this was of no -surprising intricacy. His secretary had unravelled it in a few minutes. -He rang for him. He was a man of middle age, having the look of a -recluse and a priest rather than a man of affairs. - -"This purports to be a copy of Count Tilly's despatch which the Emperor -expects?" - -"Yes, Father, or rather a short summary of it. It gives you, as you see, -the numbers of all his troops and the disposition of them; indications -of his next movements, and some other details." - -"And it accords nearly with what we know from our own sources?" - -"Yes, Father!" - -"It was taken from a messenger who left Eger for the north?" - -"Yes, Father! The messenger was unfortunately killed!" - -Father Lamormain's lips moved in silence. He was offering up a prayer -for this poor adversary's soul, for this poor fellow who had come -unwittingly into contact with the engine invented by Ignatius Loyola, -and been broken. - -"It might have been a false document intended to deceive Gustavus and -the Protestants," said the Father again meditatively. Then he placed the -parchment on one side as if for further perusal and proceeded to read -over and sign a number of letters his secretary had brought him. - -The secretary having gathered up the papers, said-- - -"You were to have audience of the Archduchess Stephanie this morning!" - -"Oh yes! I remember! The time is nearly due. See that no one enters in -the interim." - -Even as he spoke a servant called the secretary and he returned -presently, ushering in with profound bows the Archduchess. - -Father Lamormain had again spread out the supposed summary of Tilly's -despatch before him in a good light. There was nothing else on his table -but the inkstand to distract attention. - -The Archduchess, who was young and tall and slender with wonderful dark -eyes, knelt and kissed the holy father's hand. - -As a good Catholic she was bound to reverence her father's confessor. - -But Father Lamormain stood for more than that. He had held the same -position when she was a mere poppet, marching about with an endless -company of gouvernantes and ladies, in an absurd stiff brocade dress, -which trailed on the ground just as theirs did, and her little neck -surrounded by a ruff, a sweet monstrous epitome of queendom. There had -been court functionaries in plenty, great officers of state then as now. -But it was Father Lamormain who reigned supreme as the confidential -counsellor of the family in all that pertained to the welfare of the -house of Habsburg; so that every member of the family of the Emperor -understood that Father Lamormain was a benevolent despot, who had always -smoothed over all kinds of family troubles. Dimly too they understood -that the Emperor himself, though a man by no means deficient in any -particular quality of kingship, respected the Jesuit's advice on matters -of state. - -The Archduchess seated herself. The secretary had withdrawn. - -"I should have craved audience of your Highness in your own apartments," -said Father Lamormain with great gentleness, "but what I had to say was -for your own ears, and I wished not to excite curiosity nor to gratify -it." - -The Archduchess inclined her head, and with just a perceptible pause -said, "Your secretary?" - -For answer Father Lamormain rose, opened the door by which she had -entered, a thick door, over which fell a heavy curtain of leather, and -pointed to a farther door, ten feet along the passage, beyond which was -the room where the secretary worked. - -She saw that they were indeed cut off from human earshot, for the room, -in which they were, projected, at a considerable height, beyond the -walls of the main building, and had nothing to right or left. - -Her eyes seemed to sweep casually over the table and incidentally over -the unsealed parchment, but with indifference. "Was that to be the -subject of the interview?" she asked herself. - -Apparently not. - -"It behoves princes," said the priest, "to strengthen their families as -well by alliances as by leagues and treaties, and especially by the -marriages of their sons and daughters. And whereas the son of a prince, -if he be a good son, will always be a stay and support to his father's -kingdom, whomsoever he marry, a daughter may, by bringing him a stout -son-in-law, who is also a prince, in a measure add that princedom and -its power to her father's. Contrariwise she may, if she be ill-advised -or rash in her own choice, out of waywardness bring trouble to the -prince her father, and no measure of help to her husband, as was the -case of the Princess Elizabeth of England when she married the Elector -Palatine, the Pfalsgrave, whose dominion being but petty led him into -dangerous enterprises to gain others, and being too far distant from his -father-in-law, the King of England, was not afforded sufficient aid in -the time of his undertakings to ensure success." - -"A very wise homily, Father, and a most pertinent example!" the -Archduchess observed. "And now the application?" - -"Your Highness is of a ripe age for marriage!" said the priest gravely. - -"And has been," she rejoined, "these several years, according to the -custom of princes. My cousin of Spain was but sixteen when the King of -England was agog for her to wed his son, who is now King Charles, and -it was through no unwillingness of hers that the match fell through. But -I have had the more years of freedom. I am in no mind to be tied to any -beardless boy, and sit a-tapestry-sewing for the rest of my life." - -The priest pursued his way without comment. - -"The dangers that environ the empire make it necessary beyond the -ordinary to knit our friends to it by every means in our power." - -"The dangers would melt like the morning mist if the Emperor recalled -Albrecht von Walstein," she said with great decision. - -"It is for the Emperor to choose his captains," the priest rejoined -gently. "He is a possible servant, not a friend of the Emperor. When I -say 'knit our friends together,' I mean the princes, who are our peers -in blood and of our faith." - -The Archduchess was for a moment puzzled. - -"Is it of France or Spain you speak, Father?" She said it wonderingly, -because she knew of no princes of or nearly her own age in either -kingdom. - -"Of neither, your Highness, but of those houses that are equal with your -own in the right to be elected to the empire." - -"There are six electors! There are three archbishops--Mainz, Köln, -Trier--two are Protestants, the Palatine, the Saxon,... you cannot mean -the Wittelsbacher!" The disgust that she felt showed itself -unmistakably. - -"Who is a greater friend to the Habsburgs than Maximilian of Bavaria?" -Father Lamormain dwelt almost affectionately on the syllables. - -"Or a greater friend to your order?" the Archduchess asked. - -This was a sharp thrust, and showed that the lady was well aware of the -terms on which Maximilian and the Jesuits stood. - -Father Lamormain made a little gentle deprecating shrug. - -"Let me remind your Highness that, at the last election of the Roman -Emperor, Maximilian held the election in his hand, but he exercised his -own vote in favour of your father. Was this not proving himself a friend -to whom any gratitude is due? And this was not the last or greatest of -his services." - -"Indeed?" said the Archduchess. "What were the other services?" - -"Did he not defeat, nay crush, the Palatine on the white hills of -Prague?" - -"It was the work of General Pappenheim, was it not?" - -"The merit was his! Again I say, Pappenheim was merely his captain. The -Elector Maximilian found men and money for the campaign,--money which -the Emperor owes him to this day." - -"It has been sufficiently bruited about," the Archduchess commented. -"There is something of the Jew about your Maximilian." - -"He is a most noble worthy prince," said Father Lamormain, "and he is a -widower!" - -"It is time he was done with wiving. He must be sixty years old." She -gave a little shiver of disgust. - -"He is not so old as you think, your Highness, neither is his vigour of -mind and body much abated, but it is not becoming of me to discourse of -these things to your Highness. The Elector Maximilian desires to wed -again, and to one of the Emperor's daughters...." - -"And you wish me, the Archduchess Stephanie of Austria, to listen to a -proposal of marriage with Maximilian of Bavaria, whose grandson were a -more fitting match. Understand! I cannot and I will not. The Emperor may -assert his will, if he has any, apart from your order. But as for me I -will go into a nunnery, or marry a private gentleman, or turn -Protestant." - -"As to the first," said the priest, "you would thereby run the risk of -losing your soul instead of saving it, for you would be doing it out of -frowardness. As for the second, your pride would never brook the -extinction that would follow it. _As for the third, your Highness, it is -mooted that you have already strange leanings towards heretics if not -heresy._" - -The Archduchess flushed angrily. Her eyes flashed. Her whole face and -form, as she rose to her feet, took on an aspect of terrible majesty. - -"Enough, Father Lamormain! You trespass beyond your proper functions!" - -"No!" said the priest humbly enough. "Your soul is dearer to me than my -own. I can only pray that you do not jeopardise it." - -As if unconsciously his eyes fell from her own, which he had met with -calm benignity, to the papers on the table, and then he suddenly lifted -them and met her glance again. Again came the rush of crimson to her -cheeks, then pallor. - -She turned, and, sweeping aside the leathern curtain, passed out of the -chamber. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - THE LOST DESPATCHES FOUND. - - -It was evening when Nigel at length passed with his escort through the -gates of Vienna, and on arriving at the palace was received with -abundance of courtesies by some officer of the household, who ushered -him to a suite of apartments in the wing allotted to the gentlemen in -attendance on his Imperial Majesty. The Emperor was at dinner, and would -expect him at his audience at an early hour on the morrow. A sumptuous -supper was set before him, and he was assiduously waited on by two -pages. Dinner ended, the same officer appeared again, and asked if he -desired to deliver his despatches to the Emperor's secretaries, who -would wait upon him, but Nigel made excuse that his commission was to -deliver them to the Emperor. This answer the gentleman received civilly -enough, and saying he would send some officers to bear him company, -wished him a good night's rest after his journey. - -Presently three gentlemen came in and joined him at the table, where, -the remains of supper being cleared away and fresh wine set down, they -sat and played Skat, a game of cards which was then in great vogue among -all the people of the eastern part of Germany, and had wiled away the -tedium of many a long evening in camp for Nigel. With this and talk of -Magdeburg a couple of hours passed pleasantly, and then the party broke -up. Nigel was not sorry to be free to go to bed. - -It was a room of comfortable aspect. The walls were hung with embossed -leather in the Flemish manner; the bed was a wide and high four-poster, -and the other furniture consisted of a great chest, a chair or two and -some other necessaries. It looked out upon the courtyard of the palace, -a large open space surrounded on four sides by piles of building. Nigel -could dimly see so much. The rest he left till morning. - -Having performed his devotions he stretched himself out upon the bed, -drew up the heavy quilted counterpane and prepared to sleep. - -But sleep was not to be wooed easily; for what was to happen on the -morrow he could not foresee. The profound humiliation of having to -confess in open audience to the Emperor the loss of his despatches was -perhaps the most poignant of his anticipations. And this he had passed -through so often in his mind already that he could not imagine that any -worse pang than he had already experienced could arise out of the -reality. From this his mind roved to the punishment that might be -inflicted. He expected that some military penalty would be his lot, -confinement perhaps for a time, the loss of his rank as captain. The -worst would be dismissal from the Emperor's service; for like a true -Scot he had learned to love his profession, and the service he had -chosen had become that which commanded all his loyalty. As a soldier of -fortune, who had fought with Wallenstein, he could make his way in any -of the armies of Europe, but he was not by nature a mercenary. Dismissal -would be the heaviest punishment of all. And then his thoughts, tired of -dwelling on these painful themes, flew away to Erfurt and to Ottilie von -Thüringen, that mysterious high-born lady whose history was entwined -with his own and Wallenstein's. - -He had laughed scornfully as he rode to Vienna, thinking of the poor -figure Pietro Bramante had cut on the roadside among his pots and -phials, wondered how Wallenstein could ever have paid the attention to -his hocus-pocus that he had. He had blamed himself for his credulity -when the sunlight and the matter-of-fact incidents of his journey had -made the doings at Eger seem unreal. - -But Ottilie was real. Ottilie had left an abiding impression. For -Ottilie Nigel felt he could abandon even the service of the Emperor. -Could he but gain one look of rapt intentness, such as the vision of her -had cast upon Wallenstein, then all the world might go. The surprising -softness of her cheek, the great dark liquid eyes laden with mist or -charged with lightning, the rich tones of her proud voice,--he recalled -them and dwelt upon them one by one, and his whole being was full of the -delight of his contemplation. And then, bathed in a warm glow, he fell -asleep. - -In the morning he was awakened by Sergeant Blick bringing him his -holiday suit, or court suit, if it could be called so, for one who had -never been at court before, with its freshly laundered lace collar and -cuffs, its handsome doublet and breeches of dark-blue and silver, its -fine Spanish leathern boots with tiny gold spurs, its plumed hat to -carry out the vain conceit of one having come off a journey. Beneath the -collar he wore a silver gorget and his sword, with its silver-tipped -sheath burnished to the utmost, hung at his side. - -Sergeant Blick was determined that, as far as in him lay, his own -captain of musketeers should make a comely gallant show before the -Emperor. He stayed till the last strap was secure and in its place. - -"Now, captain, you look brave enough as far as outward fripperies go. -But the devil snatch me, captain, bear yourself less like a man that is -going to be hung. A little smack of the Italian would not be amiss. It -must not be said that Tilly's men cannot prank it with these Austrian -rascals." - -Then he stood back to see the effect, and even Nigel, whose -anticipations of evil had again possessed him but a whit less than they -had the night before, was forced to laugh. - -"You're like an old hen with one chicken, Blick. Call for a pint of -Tokay and you shall see how I will outdo Captain Bobadillo!" - -A brace of pages and a servant appeared at the same time. - -The servant led away Sergeant Blick, not unwilling, to the buttery. - -The pages conducted Nigel to his _salle à manger_, and furnished not -only the needful flagon of Tokay, but a substantial breakfast of smoked -ham and sausages, a cold capon and dried fish. By the time he had -finished he would have faced the Emperor and the whole Reichstag to -boot. - -Then the pages brought him scented water and soft linen to remove the -traces of breakfast, and asked if he were ready. - -They led him down the stairs, across the courtyard, in which the guard -of the palace were exercising, and Nigel's eyes roved over their -headpieces and corslets and muskets with the approval an officer must -always bestow on a well-accoutred and disciplined troop. The pages -crossed the courtyard and entered another door, again leading to some -stairs, and pushing open two high doors, they led him into another long -gallery, the walls of which were hung with many portraits of bygone -Habsburgs and of many grand dukes and princes with whom they had -contracted alliances. - -He cast a glance here and there, asking the pages questions as he went. -They told him that the hall of audience was at the other end, and that -he would be summoned presently. There being no need of haste, he -sauntered, giving more heed and indeed coming to a stand before a newly -painted canvas of a princess. - -"The Archduchess Stephanie!" exclaimed both pages. - -Nigel stood gazing at it. - -"By Signor Pourbus, a Spaniard, who has but just painted the Emperor!" -they went on. - -"Wondrous like!" was Nigel's exclamation. - -"Very like!" said the pages. "Here comes Her Highness. She walks here a -little while most mornings." - -And out of a chamber at the side the Archduchess Stephanie came, and -Nigel and the pages awaited her approach. She came with no hurried pace, -and as she came Nigel grew pale and red by turns, for here, if any one, -was Ottilie von Thüringen, gloriously apparelled, her hair framing her -face in a multitude of curling locks of raven hues, rows of pearls about -her neck, suspending against the whiteness of her throat a jewelled -dragon. - -The Archduchess stayed in her walk, and having cast a look at Nigel, -said gently to one of the pages-- - -"Hermann! Who is this gentleman who waits for audience?" - -"If it please your Highness," said the page, "it is Captain Nigel -Charteris, bearer of despatches from Magdeburg!" - -"Ah! I had forgotten." Then she turned to Nigel, who dropped upon his -knees, extending him her hand to kiss, and he accomplished the obeisance -with good grace, notwithstanding his lively emotion. - -"You are welcome to Vienna, sir!" - -Nigel was now uncertain. The tones of her voice seemed familiar, but not -convincing. - -"You have doubtless had a troublous journey?" - -"In some measure, your Highness!" He had gained courage to look straight -into her eyes, but there was no look or sign of recognition. - -She made a little gesture to the page, who withdrew to wait at the end -of the gallery. - -"Tell me, sir, did you pass through Eger on your way?" - -"Yes, your Highness!" - -"Count Albrecht von Waldstein, is he not there?" - -"Yes, your Highness!" - -"Did you see him?" - -"I did, your Highness! He is my old commander. He wearies for a renewal -of his service!" - -"Ah!" It was almost a sigh. "It will come again. It was but yesterday I -had a message from him asking me to use my offices with the Emperor. He -spoke of you and sent me a packet to give you." - -There was a cabinet much inlaid with ivory, from Milan, as the pages had -told him, which stood near by, and the Archduchess brought a little key -from her chatelaine wallet and opened it, as if to show him the curious -work within. - -In one of the drawers which she pulled out was a leathern wallet. -Nigel's eye fastened greedily upon it. For it was the wallet in which he -had carried the despatches. - -"It looks," said Nigel, "as if it and I, your Highness, were old -acquaintances thrust apart by circumstance. May I look within?" - -The Archduchess said, without any sign of interest, "It is for you, sir; -open it." - -Inside was the precious packet. Nigel could not restrain his eyes from -glowing, his face from flushing, or his fingers from a little tremor. He -turned it round. It was intact as he had lost it. The seal of Count -Tilly was perfect. - -"Your Highness is surely my good angel," he said gratefully, forgetting -for the moment the old Ottilie von Thüringen in the new and glorious -Archduchess Stephanie. "This that Wallenstein has sent me will justify -my coming hither. Without it I had been dubbed, and rightly, a -blundering knave, for your Highness should know I was robbed of it in a -forest while I slept, and with two sentries on guard." - -"It was a fault Albrecht von Waldstein would have borne hardly, had he -been Captain-General. But in this case Fortune has been kind to you." - -Nigel bowed. "I would that your Highness would continue to represent the -Goddess in my regard." - -She said nothing but some word of adieu, and passed on her way solitary, -gliding like a swan. - -And before Nigel could form any opinion on this strange rencontre with -the proud princess, one of the gentlemen-in-waiting came and begged his -attendance in the audience-chamber. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - NIGEL MEETS FATHER LAMORMAIN. - - -As Nigel passed out of the gallery and crossed the landing at the top of -another staircase, a door to the left of him opened from another gallery -at right angles to the one he had just left, and two Jesuit priests came -out in the dress of their order, shaven and tonsured. He saluted, and -they acknowledged his salutation with a brief benediction in the Latin -tongue and passed on. The eyes of both seemed familiar to him, though -for the moment, being bent upon his errand, he could not have told why. - -The doors of the audience-chamber opened, and an officer of the -household announced in a loud voice-- - -"Sire! The noble and high-born Captain Nigel Charteris with despatches -from Tilly, Count of Tzerclaës!" - -Nigel advanced, preceded by the gentleman-in-waiting, bowed three times -as he did so, following the example set him, and presently stood at the -Emperor's left hand, where stood the principal secretary, who received -the despatches, and, having glanced at the seal, handed it to the -Emperor, who, giving it to the Chancellor of the Empire, at his right -hand, commanded him to break the seals. - -The Emperor had acknowledged Nigel's presence at the side of his -secretary with a slight but perceptible movement of the eyes, which -rested upon him for a few seconds, and of the head, and then relapsed -into an austere aloofness. Nigel, standing alert and ready for further -business, if it should concern him, observed that Ferdinand was a man to -all appearance of some fifty odd years, lean, of yellowish complexion, -with eyes of a bluish tinge, dark-brown hair, a moustache twisted -fiercely upwards, a short pointed beard with strands of grey in it, and -dark scanty eyebrows. He wore a large stiff ruff about his neck. His -doublet was of dark Genoese velvet, and a single gold chain suspended a -medallion or badge of some order of knighthood. He sat in an easy -attitude, attentive, but as a man wearied of affairs, yet of that fixity -of will that lets nothing go by him that he should set his hand to. The -long, slightly aquiline nose, fleshy towards the point, together with -the projecting tufted lower lip, proclaimed him Habsburg. His chair was -raised upon a dais, so that he sat on a higher level by some inches than -the great officers of the council who sat at the table. - -Nigel could not help noticing the slenderness of his hands and the -length of the tapering fingers, which were beyond the common measure of -men's hands, and reminded him of the hands of Ottilie von Thüringen. - -From the Emperor his gaze fell upon a familiar figure that of a man who -sat back from the table, as if to give more play to his long legs, and -at the Emperor's right hand. - -It needed but a glance at the face, ennobled by its fine expanse of -forehead from which the hair had receded, and the flowing black locks, -still making a brave show of plenty, which fell to his deep lace collar, -to recognise Maximilian of Bavaria. The fine delicate dark brows, the -large humorous dark eyes, the aquiline nose, the pointed chin decked -with a pointed and unmistakably grey beard, the short upper lip with a -soft flowing moustache, composed a face easy to remember, and somewhat -suggestive of a life spent in thought and deep designs rather than in -the field, where, however, he had borne no mean nor infrequent burden. - -The Chancellor proceeded to read Count Tilly's despatch, which set forth -with a brevity worthy of his reputation as a general the final -operations before Magdeburg, the taking of the city, the number of men -killed and wounded on both sides. Count Tilly here strongly commended -the Bavarian General Pappenheim, who had rendered very notable -assistance in the siege and storm. Then followed the roster of the army -as it was on the morning of Nigel's departure, and an intimation that it -was not possible to quarter the troops in the town itself on account of -the destruction of the houses, and of the fear of pestilence. Pending -further instructions, Count Tilly intimated that he should form a -fortified camp not far from the city, making such excursions into the -neighbouring country as might be necessary to continue the enforcement -of the Edict, or to oppose the operations of Gustavus. In the event of -the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg, or either of them, declaring -openly for Gustavus, he proposed to enter Saxony and endeavour to bring -the Elector to submission. - -The Emperor questioned Nigel as to the extent of the destruction of -Magdeburg and the cause of it; and Nigel gave such answer as he was -able, saying that, no quarter being given on either side, the entrance -into the city was the cause of much bloodshed, owing to the tenacity of -the burghers, many of whom set fire to their houses to entrap the -soldiery and frustrate the sacking. - -"You passed through Erfurt, Plauen, and Eger?" the Emperor asked. "How -was the Edict being received?" - -"Erfurt and Eger, sire, are mainly of the Catholic faith, and have -strong garrisons. Plauen would willingly have hung me and my escort, -incited to rebellion by the news from Magdeburg!" - -"But you escaped hanging, Captain?" the Emperor asked without a smile. - -"I took the burghers unawares, and escaped by night!" said Nigel. - -"You have our thanks, Captain! You will remain at Vienna some days till -our plans are made, when you will receive our further orders. We shall -recommend Count Tilly to advance you in rank for your services." - -Nigel murmured a few words of thanks, and again bowing three times as he -retreated, found himself outside the audience-chamber in company with -the friendly gentleman-in-waiting who had ushered him in, very well -pleased to have had such a favourable interview, and, where he had -expected so lately as that very morning at least disgrace, to have -received the promise of promotion, than which nothing could be more -grateful to his ambition as a soldier. - -The more he thought of the miraculous recovery of his wallet the less -could he understand it. It must have been brought to Wallenstein by some -emissary who had intercepted the robber. Or was it the man on the sorrel -horse, that man of pots and phials and orbits and horoscopes, after all? -Had he sought to propitiate Wallenstein, and had Wallenstein, -recognising his duty to the Emperor, taken this circuitous way of -returning it to the messenger, knowing full well what penalty he might -otherwise expect? Yes! That was the solution without doubt. His old -admiration of Wallenstein as a commander was now strengthened by -gratitude towards him as a man. - -And the Archduchess? Pietro Bramante's conjuration was, if as -inexplicable as ever, of the Archduchess. Hence Wallenstein's -exclamation, which he had only faintly heard in the midst of his own -excitement. Some curious resemblance, no doubt, there must have been -between the unknown Ottilie and the Archduchess, but the method of -sending the wallet proved that Wallenstein accepted the prediction in -the faith that it was the Archduchess Stephanie, who on her part had at -least fulfilled the commission with a tact and secrecy that spoke of a -willingness to respond to the wish of the sender. - -He had, whilst working out this satisfactory conclusion, accompanied the -gentleman aforesaid to the gardens of the palace, where, said his guide, -he would probably find sufficient to amuse him for an hour or so, when -he could easily find his way back to his quarters, and further -arrangements would be made to entertain him. - -There was a profusion of statuary. There were peacocks. There were -flowers arranged in precise beds, and short clipped hedges of green -shrubs in the Italian fashion. The morning was sunny, and in his elation -he found everything exceeding well. It was a golden day. He sauntered -here and there. - -And so by the merest chance did Father Lamormain, that peaceful refined -priest, in a cassock which did credit to the tailor who fashioned it, -though it was cut strictly according to the rule of the Jesuits. - -Nigel had never set eyes on Father Lamormain, and, if he had heard of -him, it was in the vague way in which people of middle station hear the -name of the king's physician, or of the king's barber, and forget it. -Father Lamormain had not been at the audience. His duty was best done in -the Emperor's private apartment, or in his own, to which even the -Emperor repaired on occasions. But Father Lamormain knew quite well what -had taken place, all that the Chancellor had read aloud and as much of -it as the Chancellor had kept to himself. For Father Lamormain was not -for nothing the most trusted Jesuit in the country east of the Rhine. - -At first Nigel passed the priest, who was to all appearance a Jesuit, -with a bow. The priest desisted from telling his beads and bowed also. -In their saunter they bowed again, and the priest very gently expressed -a hope that Nigel was "enjoying the beauty of the morning." - -"Father," said Nigel, "it is indeed a fair morning, but good news makes -the worst of mornings joyous!" - -"Ah, youth! Ah, youth, the beautiful!" said the Father. "Youth is the -season when one has good news! In after years the news never seems -wholly good. There is always some little drawback." - -Nigel inclined his head deferentially. Middle-aged men always spoke in -this way. They were jealous of youth. But being in great spirits he -thought to humour the priest, and said-- - -"There speaks a wide experience and a wide knowledge!" - -"Surely," said the priest, "you are of the Scottish nation, and a -soldier! Am I right, sir?" - -"What makes you think so?" said Nigel, much amused. - -"In the first place, the Scottish gentlemen are amongst the most -courteous of men, and pronounce German very well; and as to the second, -one could not miss that you were a soldier by your bearing." - -There being at least two compliments wrapped up along with a -commonplace, Nigel took another look at the priest and saw that the -priest was a man of benign countenance, very courtly, and that his face -was lined with many fine lines about the brow and eyes, which themselves -were very penetrating. Nigel reflected on the Latin poet who feared -Greeks and people bringing gifts. So he asked-- - -"Is there a college of your order in Vienna?" - -"What makes you think so, sir? Does one swallow make a summer?" - -"Would not three in succession lead one to imagine it was near?" Nigel -asked again. - -"See how the Scotsman answers a question by asking another!" the priest -observed with a smile, which was very becoming to his countenance. - -"Is that the way of my nation?" Nigel asked. - -"In the parts about Haddington!" the priest replied very gently, and -Nigel was very much perplexed at the reply. "But did you say just now -that you had seen three swallows, or was it three brethren of my order, -this morning?" - -"I met two on the staircase of the palace this morning, and you are the -third!" said Nigel. - -"It will have been Father George and Father John. There is a small -hostel of our order in Vienna." - -"They resembled two gentlemen I met a few days back, two cavaliers!" - -"Ah?" said the priest, inviting confidence. - -"But _they_ were cavaliers!" said Nigel. "So there was nothing in the -resemblance. There seem a good many people in the world who resemble one -another!" he added. - -Father Lamormain was a little disappointed in this exuberant young -officer, who went off into mere platitudes. But there was an element of -persistence in his nature. - -"You have doubtless come some distance to Vienna?" he went on. "I -inferred from what you said just now that you had business in the -palace, and I happened to notice that one of the Emperor's gentlemen -brought you hither; and I know, I think I may say, all the people who -dwell therein." He indicated the palace with his hand. "So I judged you -to be a stranger. Did you have a peaceful journey?" - -"On the whole it was so!" said the Scot. - -"You had peradventure an encounter with robbers?" - -"If it could be called so, an encounter! Two men set upon me in the dark -as I slept, and having bound and gagged me, ransacked my holsters, my -saddle-bags, my clothes, and went away having taken nothing." - -"And did you not see their faces, hear their voices?" - -"Neither sight nor sound!" - -"And you accomplished your errand successfully?" - -"Quite, Father!" - -"You were either very astute or very fortunate! You will doubtless be -employed again. Now let me introduce myself. I am Father Lamormain, the -Emperor's confessor." - -"I am much honoured by your company," said Nigel. "My name is Nigel -Charteris, Captain of Musketeers." - -"From Magdeburg, is it not?" The priest smiled. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - A FATHER, A CONFESSOR, AND A DAUGHTER. - - -The Emperor Ferdinand and Father Lamormain were together in the -Emperor's private apartments. - -"She was always Stephanie the intractable!" said the Emperor, with -something like a smile on his grave face. After all he had many memories -of her that Father Lamormain could never have of any child. - -"Yes!" said Father Lamormain. "But in this case your Imperial Majesty -should permit itself to use its parental authority." - -"Even to harshness?" - -"Even to harshness!" said the priest in a gentle voice. "Your Majesty -knows that the Elector Maximilian still claims that the Empire owes him -thirteen millions of crowns for his aid in the war against the Elector -Palatine, and that he wanted the Palatinate, and would have had it but -for the opposition of Brandenburg and Saxony. Now if Brandenburg and -Saxony join Gustavus, as they must, what can we say to Maximilian if he -prefers his claim again?" - -"He must have it, I suppose!" said the Emperor in a tone that suggested -that he was rather tired. - -"Then he will ask for Bohemia as the price for allowing his army to -support Tilly against Gustavus." - -"Bohemia is another affair!" said the Emperor more briskly. - -"Now if her Highness the Archduchess would only consent to marry the -Elector Maximilian, we should hear nothing more of the thirteen -millions, or of the Palatinate, or of Bohemia," reflected Father -Lamormain aloud. - -"She is very young!" objected his Majesty. - -"Not too young for mischief, sire." - -"What new freak have you discovered, Father?" - -"This!" said the Father, producing the letter he had had before him on -the previous day. "It is a summary of the roll of Tilly's army, and it -was found upon a messenger, who was unfortunately killed on his way to -the north _before he could be questioned_." - -"But what has this to do with the Archduchess Stephanie?" - -"It is marvellously like her handwriting! It is in cipher, of course; -but look for yourself, sire." The Emperor looked at it. - -"It appears to be a woman's, and it is a most unclerkly scrawl. I should -hesitate to attribute it to Stephanie! And, if it were hers, what -possible object could she have in obtaining it, and how could she have -obtained it?" - -"It was in my hands, your Majesty, before the despatches arrived." - -"But the seal on the despatches was intact. It was Count Tilly's seal. -The Chancellor was satisfied?" - -"Yes, sire!" The tone signified that Chancellors as a rule were easily -satisfied. - -"Come, Father, do you seriously suggest that the officer who brought it -allowed the despatches to leave his hands?" - -Father Lamormain had every cause to suppose so, but was unable for -reasons of his own to state so. - -"I merely infer from this cipher!" - -"But it was not impossible that the roll of Tilly's army should be known -to others, within a little!" - -"Your Majesty's remark would be just if the messenger had been -intercepted riding from Magdeburg. But from Eger, by which the officer -passed? What then?" - -"That would be to doubt the officer's fidelity. To begin with, he is a -Scottish gentleman! He is of our faith! He is selected by Tilly, who has -a good eye for a man." - -"Then your Majesty does not wish the matter pursued in that direction." -Father Lamormain was quite pleasant about it. He went on-- - -"I may say that I had a little talk with this young officer this morning -in the gardens, and he appears to be a gentleman of good breeding, and -of an ancient family, very well mannered, and wary withal. Your Majesty -would be the better judge how far he is to be trusted if he were bidden -to your reception after supper to-night. For the orders your Majesty -will send to Tilly will be still more secret!" The Father seemed full of -the most paternal feelings towards this young man, at the same time very -desirous that the young man should not prove a prodigal son. - -"As to the Archduchess Stephanie," said the Emperor, "I will speak to -her on the subject of Maximilian. It is an ill time to consider -marriages when there is so much at stake, but our faithful Elector can -scarcely be bidden to wait _at his age_!" The Emperor had then a dry -kind of humour. "You may send for her, Father, on my behalf!" - -Father Lamormain pocketed his letter and retired. In a short time the -Archduchess made her entry into her father's presence. - -Her face wore the softness that is the outcome of an affectionate -nature. The fine meshes of the veil of rank that fell between her and -the rest of the world, obscuring the expression, were absent. - -Ferdinand's eye swept over her tall gracious form as she approached, and -as she bent her knee to kiss his hand. He approved, but it made no -difference. He was not a prince to be swayed by womanly beauty. Some -princes have spent their lives toying with women; some have made women -their pastimes in the brief intervals of strenuous attention to war and -to affairs; but Ferdinand was a prince of affairs in which women had no -place. As a father, however, he was not wanting in affection. - -"My Stephanie!" he said, when he had kissed her upon the cheek. -"Politics are a very troublous thing, and all kinds of considerations -come into play. The alliances in marriage between princes and princesses -are dictated by the necessities of their States rather than by any -inclination of their own." - -The Emperor felt, because Stephanie, sitting on a low stool at his side, -had her hands upon her father's, that the blood stirred very palpably, -and he knew that she listened. - -"The turn of events has brought your name into question. The Elector -Maximilian has put forward a project of marriage. He asks for you." - -A crimson flush overspread those pale clear cheeks. So much Ferdinand -saw. She kept her gaze steadily away from him. - -"What do you think of it, little one?" - -She turned her head and looked up at her father, her eyes widely open. - -"I think it monstrous! That old man! A man who has already lived a -thousand lives to make his last mumbling meal of me who am just newly -come into my womanhood! Monstrous! Unspeakably monstrous!" - -"He is of a ripe age, certainly, is my cousin Maximilian. He is in fact -fifty-eight, as I am. But he is still full of vigour, a leader of men, a -great and renowned prince, and our most trusty ally. Once at least we -had been in grave jeopardy but for his counsel and for his armies. Even -now we are employing his men and generals in support of our Edicts." - -"To slay peaceable burghers, burn their goods, throw down their houses, -ravish their daughters! Say this rather!" - -"My daughter!" said Ferdinand, and his voice became cold and haughty, -"you forget! As a good son of the Church I am bound to extirpate that -most pernicious root of heresy from all German lands. There can be no -peace till this is done." - -The Archduchess Stephanie had gauged her father's religious fanaticism -and found it deep, deeper than any measuring-stick of hers. She did not -sympathise with it. Like most women she was herself prone to the -practices of religion, and in the conduct of life a pagan. She saw no -benefit that could come out of the Edict of Restitution. To her mind, -money, or goods, or lands were to pass out of the hands of very worthy -industrious burghers to maintain lazy and often very dirty priests and -monks. She thought it was barely possible, but still possible, for -people to get to heaven somehow without them. The Emperor was quite -satisfied that they could not. His intentions were sincere, and the -Archduchess knew that it was useless to pursue the attack along this -line. - -"The fall of Magdeburg," she said, "might bring about some sort of -alliance of all the Protestant powers. Brandenburg and Saxony at least -must join Gustavus. Denmark, the United Provinces, may follow." - -"The more reason have we to keep hold of such friends as we have by what -entertainment we may." - -"Have you so little faith in Maximilian that you should judge him -capable of drawing off his men when he learns that I will not wed him?" - -"I have always found Maximilian loyal to the Empire. But a friendship -such as his should be requited." - -"Then let him be requited with gold or with lands, but not with me. Let -him draw off his men, his Pappenheim. Then send for the man who shall -sweep Gustavus back to his ships, him for whom the Empire waits, him who -alone can create armies at a word and lead them." - -"Who _is_ this Achilles?" was the faintly ironical question of the -Emperor. - -"Who but Albrecht von Waldstein?" was the instant, almost triumphant, -answer of the Archduchess. She had risen to her feet and faced him with -it, voice and gesture and eyes aglow with a conviction that betrayed an -intense energy of desire behind it. The Emperor gazed at her with his -pale scrutinising eyes, in which was no enthusiasm. - -"My dear Stephanie," he said in his half-wearied tone, "if Wallenstein -were not a man of middle age, who has married a second wife, one might -almost suspect that you were enamoured of him." - -She held herself erect, looking at the Emperor, but her eyes were upon a -vision far beyond. She said nothing, for the Emperor had not made an -end. He had dealt her this thrust of scorn. Now he assailed her with -reason. - -"It is a year since, on the Elector's day at Regensburg, they clamoured -one and all for Wallenstein's dismissal. They urged that he was become -too powerful for a subject." - -"Maximilian's jealousy!" she interposed. - -"Maximilian was one amongst many! I judged the advice sound. I dismissed -Wallenstein. My foes were beaten down. There was no need to maintain an -army of seventy thousand men in the field to nourish the ambition of a -general. It is enough, Stephanie. No good can come of princesses -meddling in politics. Look to it that you entreat not our cousin -Maximilian slightingly, or even with less than the graciousness that -becomes a princess. I am too indulgent. The affair can wait till it be -considered further. You would not be the first princess of the house of -Habsburg to wed without love. Therefore make no grievance of it!" - -He held out his hand, which the Archduchess bent over and kissed, and -she left the Emperor once more alone. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - IN THE CIRCLE OF THE EMPEROR. - - -That evening Nigel was not left to eat his meal in the little _salle à -manger_ adjoining his bedchamber, but was invited by the officers of the -guard to join them, a compliment that was worth the paying, seeing that -the officers of the guard were drawn from the oldest families in Austria -and Hungary, and that a mere sub-lieutenant in the guard ranked as a -regimental captain in the army, and a captain was equal to a colonel, if -not higher, in the point of distinction. - -Notwithstanding that he was a regimental officer bearing the rank of -captain, and an outlander, a fact which emphasised another fact, that he -was a soldier of fortune, or, if we prefer it, a soldier without a -fortune, whereas his hosts were men of high family and fortunes who -happened to be soldiers, they received him with that perfection of -politeness which already characterised the Austrian nobility in so far -as it came into daily contact with the court. Something there was of the -ceremony and grandiosity of Spain, which the intermarriages of princes -and princesses had brought about, mingled with the brightness and gaiety -that sprung of a northern race and northern air, and of a greater -activity of body and alertness of mind. - -They regarded the sack of Magdeburg as a mere incident, but sufficiently -interesting to men who professed the art of war to make them put to -their guest a perfect array of questions as to the tactics employed, the -relative value of the weapons, and Tilly's projected movements. He had -to tell at full length his adventure at Plauen, and they contrived to -let him know that he was more fortunate than they in having enjoyed such -experiences. - -When the supper had proceeded to a pleasant length, if it were not quite -so prolonged as that famous meal which Mr Howell, who was secretary to -an embassy to Denmark, has related in his letters, consisting as it did -of forty courses and thirty-five toasts, the Captain-General of the -guard, a venerable officer, who wore the orders of half the kingdoms of -Europe, suspended by gold chains and gold brooches, giving almost the -similitude of a cuirass, rose, and in the name of the Emperor -complimented their guest on the services he had rendered and the signal -bravery he had shown at the siege and the storm of Magdeburg. He ended -by presenting him with a Colonel's commission under the Emperor's own -hand and seal, and drank his health in the most handsome fashion--an -example which the whole corps of officers followed with much zest and -the draining of many flagons of Tokay. - -Nigel was taken indeed by surprise. His blushes testified at once to his -habitual modesty, and to his youth. But for the honour of his race and -country he regained his self-command in a short space, and made a speech -of thanks which, for fluency in the German tongue and the spirit of -loyalty to his chosen standard which infused it, gained him an even -greater credit in the minds of his hearers. Scotland was to most of them -a far-off country, and being far was esteemed uncivilised, and they -marvelled that a Scottish gentleman could without effort assume the ease -of manner and the air of compliment in the banqueting-hall of Vienna as -well as lead an attacking party, which any officer of proper valour and -skill should be able to do. - -Just as the supper had concluded and the tables had been cleared for -wine and the dice-box, or whatever other pastime was forward, a page -arrived to tell him that the Emperor commanded his attendance at his -card-party in half an hour. Nigel would perhaps have more willingly sat -over his wine with these jovial gallants of the guard. But there was no -choice. So that he took leave of the Captain-General and of his other -hosts, some of whom had their military rounds to make, and hastened to -refresh himself, and make what change in his dress he could for the -ordeal of the court reception. - -On reaching his bedchamber he was amazed to find it lit up with many -candles, and a court suit lying upon his bed, new and of rich stuffs. -Everything he needed was there, and a barber was in attendance together -with a valet to assist him to make his outward appearance worthy of the -occasion. - -Nigel had heard of the lavish generosity of Italian princes towards -their friends. He knew of favourites both in Spain and in Britain who -had been plentifully rewarded by the bestowal of public office or of -pension. In France the King's cash-box, which was also the State's, was -frequently opened to reward the deserving and undeserving. But it had -never before happened to him that he was invited to be of the company of -a prince and provided with a new court suit in the bargain. Monarchs -were often unmindful of these petty but costly trivialities. But since -in his own case the Emperor Ferdinand had expended so much -thoughtfulness and a goodly purse of crowns on his wedding garment, -Nigel was not disposed to blame him for departing from the usual rule. -It was difficult besides not to feel uncommonly elated when Fortune -persisted in making him so avowedly her favourite. And if, while he was -being dealt with by the barber, he did wonder how that slightly dry, -tired-eyed Emperor had contrived to think two consecutive thoughts about -his, Nigel's, wearing apparel, and fell back upon the Archduchess -Stephanie as the possible donor, he dismissed the latter suggestion -because he was not sufficiently full of conceit to credit it, and -accepted the first as a very natural explanation, because his opinion of -his own services unconsciously coincided with the sense of them he -imputed to the Emperor. It must not be forgotten that Tokay in unstinted -measure has a tendency to make a man reflect in the first instance what -a really fine fellow he is. It is doubtless one of the first qualities -of good wine to enhance in the man who drinks it the estimation of his -own vintage. Had the page, who as a fact knew nothing, or the barber, or -the valet, breathed the name of Father Lamormain, of a surety Nigel -would have regarded the idea as humorous, and even at that rather -wanting in point. If he had been solemnly assured that Father Lamormain, -that very benign Jesuit he had met for the first and only time in his -life in the palace garden, was the donor of the suit, he would probably -have worn it, but, as the gentleman in one of Shakespeare's plays wore -his rue, with a difference. - -Not that Nigel Charteris in his braveries was one whit more a braggart -or a fop or one iota less a Scottish gentleman than when, stained with -blood and smoke, begrimed and weary, he had taken shelter at the hands -of Elspeth Reinheit in the old house at Magdeburg. But that evening he -did feel that the world was at his feet, and he did make a gallant -figure as the doors flew open and the pages, announcing the "high-born -and noble Colonel Nigel von Charteris," admitted him to the presence of -his Emperor and the brilliant circle of the court. - -The Emperor and his consort alone were seated. The guests were not yet -all assembled, and stood about in groups within reach of the royal -voices. There were perhaps eight or ten ladies, amongst whom, when his -eyes had grown used to the numerous candles and the glitter of jewels, -reflected and multiplied by the mirrors of Venetian glass that hung upon -the walls, Nigel recognised the Archduchess Stephanie and a younger -sister who more resembled the Emperor. - -The Archduchess shot him a swift glance of recognition, and the smile, -which rather accompanied than followed it, bestowed not upon him but -upon some chance-favoured auditor with whom she talked, seemed to imply -approval of his choice of a court dress. That swift glance of hers was -enough to tell him that their rencontre of the morning was, if it could -not be swept from remembrance, at least to be treated as if it had not -been. - -It was Father Lamormain who, gliding to his side, assumed the gracious -part of cicerone. - -"And are you still pleased with your good news, colonel?" he asked with -his benevolent smile of universal fatherhood. - -"More and more, Father! This morning there was the promise. This evening -it is in flower!" - -"The blossom," said the priest, looking at the court suit, "becomes the -tree if the tree yield good fruit." A saying which left Nigel puzzled, -intimating as it did that his reward was not so much for service done as -for services to do. He had no time to ponder it, for Father Lamormain -had led him to the Archduchess Stephanie and was presenting him. - -"Your Highness! may I present to you the youngest Colonel of Musketeers -in the Imperial armies, Mr Nigel Charteris, who has had the honour and -the peril of bearing Count Tilly's despatches from Magdeburg!" - -"I am pleased to greet you!" said the Archduchess, giving him her hand -to kiss. "I trust your journey was as pleasant as the issue was -successful." - -As Nigel had bent to kiss the long slender fingers that were so like the -Emperor's, he seemed to see again those of Ottilie von Thüringen binding -up the wound of Elspeth Reinheit. He answered her-- - -"The journey was not so perilous, your Highness, as the reward is great -in your Highness's gracious welcome!" And greatly daring he gazed for a -moment with unfeigned admiration at the eyes of the Archduchess. - -"Count Tilly's captains are swift to learn, Father?" she said, smiling. - -"They are more teachable than princesses!" said Father Lamormain, with -such banter in his tone as the privileged spiritual director of the -family might employ. "And princesses," he added, "are swift to teach." - -A saying which the Archduchess and Nigel alike felt might be innocent or -barbed with irony. - -Father Lamormain did not leave him till he had made the round of the -guests. Nigel's brain was becoming clearer as he became used to the -scene, and the effects of the excellent Tokay were wellnigh spent. He -learned by observation in what very real respect the whole court held -the Jesuit father. This polished and witty priest had something in the -way of compliment for all the ladies, something flattering for the great -lords and lordlings. But for the Father there was no covert sneer, or -half attention, or sign of fear. There was real respect, and something -that resembled the perfect confidence of friendship. - -Last of all, the Elector Maximilian, with his eternal half-smile, left -the Emperor's immediate group and accosted Nigel. - -"So Father Lamormain has taken you in hand, Colonel! They say that this -is a greater mark of honour than even the Emperor can bestow. Beware, -however, of any love secrets. He will worm them out of you!" - -"He does not wear them upon his sleeve, your Highness!" said the priest, -with a glance over in the direction of the Archduchess Stephanie, which -was not understood by Nigel. - -"And in what plight are my Bavarians?" the Elector went on. - -Father Lamormain beat a retreat. They would find much to talk about, and -if the fathoming of Nigel's leanings were necessary Maximilian was as -astute as himself. Luckily Nigel held a high opinion of Pappenheim, whom -many regarded as the foremost general in Germany, even before -Wallenstein, but who was a soldier and nothing more, no politician or -ambitious seeker after power. - -"You were with Tilly before?" - -"No, sire! With Wallenstein from the campaign against Mansfeld to the -end of his command!" - -To the "Ah" with which this was received Nigel attached the significance -it bore. - -"Have you seen him since his ... resignation?" - -"Yes, sire; at Eger on my journey here." - -"And how does he bear his retirement?" - -"In truth I know almost nothing, sire. When I was under him I rarely saw -him, and was not of his familiar circle, if indeed he had such. I do not -know. He asked for my company at Eger to divide a bottle of wine with -him. He seems to occupy himself with astronomy and the mathematics." - -"I have heard," rejoined Maximilian, "that he had great acquaintance -and much controversy with a learned doctor, one Paracelsus, but these -matters are beyond my ken. Men and women are more to me than the stars." - -Several gentlemen of the court had gathered round the Elector, and it -was the hearing of the name of Wallenstein that drew them, for it was -well known that the Elector and he were on terms of discord. In the days -of the Winter King it had been Maximilian and his armies who had been in -fact the Emperor's legions, then as a counterpoise the Emperor had -raised up Wallenstein. When Wallenstein had made Maximilian the pale -shadow of an armed power, Maximilian had plotted till Wallenstein was -deposed and his army scattered to the ten thousand hamlets of Germany. - -"A veritable Cincinnatus!" said an elderly gentleman. - -"He raised cabbages for sauerkraut, did he not?" a younger man asked. - -"Your Cincinnatus," said the Elector, "raiseth weeds of a poisonous and -rebellious nature." - -"Such as, sire?" a staid and solemn-faced minister of state inquired. - -"Ambition, my Lord! It brought Cæsar to the ground, and Cæsar was a -greater man. When Wallenstein, then a rich Bohemian landlord, discovered -that he had the genius of organising an army, he began to think he had -discovered in himself another Cæsar. He thought that to command a great -army, to find its food and pay, was absolute power. He forgot that that -consent of the Emperor, which alone had made it possible, was the real -source of power, and that the consent might be withdrawn. You all know -what happened in fact. He has no patriotism. His country, his Emperor, -his creed, is Wallenstein; and he would as soon serve Gustavus, if -Gustavus would promise him a kingdom, as serve the Emperor." - -The Elector Maximilian had raised his voice a little as he spoke his -last sentences. The Emperor, turning in his chair from his cards not far -away, said-- - -"Your favourite topic, cousin! He did us good service in our need." - -"In truth, sire!" said the Archduchess Stephanie, also addressing -Maximilian. "Age should be more lenient to age and honourable service." - -Nigel wondered why the Elector showed so much the symptoms of a frown -when his mouth, so much of it as was visible, essayed a smile as he -turned towards the Archduchess. - -The Emperor and Father Lamormain, who was of his party at cards, -exchanged a guarded glance. - -"You remind me of that, Stephanie, which in your presence I had -forgotten." - -With which saying he strode to her side with an air of gallantry, which -had sat well upon a younger man, and engaged her in a conversation out -of earshot, as he meant, of the rest of the company. - -At this point a page came to the Emperor and gave him a message in a low -tone. The page went out, and in a moment the doors opened. - -"His Grace the Duke of Friedland" was announced; and instantly the -company sat or stood as if petrified. - -Albrecht von Walstein entered, attired not plainly, but as became a -magnifico of the Empire. There was violet velvet slashed with green silk -and sewn with pearls, and all point devise. He made three obeisances as -he approached the Emperor, and kissed his hand, then that of his -consort. The Emperor bade him be seated. - -"You have been long coming to Vienna, Duke, but seeing that you are here -you are well-come. You have news?" - -"Sire! I was but a few days since at Eger, where I have a poor -dwelling-place, when I heard that the King of Sweden has left Frankfort, -has marched to Werben, where the river Havel pours into the Elbe, and -has there entrenched his army in a fortified camp. Brandenburg has given -up Spandau and Custrin. We are shut off from the North." - -The Emperor's face became a thought graver than usual. So did those of -Father Lamormain and of Maximilian, who, leaving the Archduchess, drew -near at a sign from the Emperor. - -"How many men hath he?" - -"My report says forty thousand, all veteran troops. Saxony and -Brandenburg can raise another forty thousand between them." - -"With a few reinforcements, Tilly and Pappenheim should be able to stay -his march," said Maximilian. - -To which Wallenstein said nothing. His _rôle_ was the disinterested -friend, the wealthy noble to whom war was of no moment. - -For a moment there was a curious silence. - -Wallenstein would not ask for a command. To offer him a subordinate one -was to invite a cold refusal. Father Lamormain and Maximilian were -resolutely opposed to any offer being made, and the Emperor knew it. Yet -he felt by no means sure that Tilly and Pappenheim could stem the -Swedish tide, and he was the head and front and citadel of the Empire, -fully aware of his responsibilities towards the state and towards the -church, especially the latter. - -At Maximilian's words the Archduchess Stephanie made an involuntary -movement forward, but checked herself and stood where she was. Nigel, -from the place where he stood amid a knot of courtiers, could see her -face. - -It bore that strange rapt expression of the eyes that he had seen in the -vision of Bramante's conjuring, and the eyes were fixed on Wallenstein. -Indeed, Wallenstein looked up for an instant and saw them. Nigel could -have sworn that a flush swept below the swarthy and much-lined skin of -the great commander; but the face with its high cheek-bones and small -bright eyes had recovered its bronze composure in the instant. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - THE ARCHDUCHESS AND WALLENSTEIN. - - -The persons who witnessed the unexpected arrival of Wallenstein asked -themselves why he had come; Nigel because to his reflective mind the -ostensible reason, anxiety to impart the news of Gustavus to the -Emperor, was insufficient; the Archduchess Stephanie because she desired -with all the intensity of woman that another cause might be at work. - -Nigel in the camp with Tilly had heard accounts, more or less garbled, -of the famous meeting of the Electors with the Emperor at Ratisbon a -year before. Reichstag, the Diet, or Day of the State, was the name of -such meetings, and that had been a momentous one for Wallenstein, for -the world. All the Electors were there save only the Elector Palatine, -the Winter-King, who was a wanderer over the face of Europe. And without -the conclave were Friar Joseph, "His grey Eminence," the familiar of -Cardinal Richelieu, and Cardinal Caraffa, the Pope's nuncio. France and -Italy alike on this occasion were pulling at the Electoral -puppet-strings, and making them hold up hands for the dismissal of -Wallenstein, the "insolent Wallenstein." And when a captain-general, for -four years in the field, has set all the Electors of Germany, Catholic -and Protestant, against him, it may be deduced that he has shown -himself careless of giving offence, and has forgotten the respect due to -princes. The Emperor had wished to retain him. He knew that he had been -well served, and in so far as his extreme religious views would allow -him, he was a just and certainly courageous prince. But he had been -forced to defer to the Electors who had chosen him to be Emperor. - -Nigel agreed that a man as great as Wallenstein would never have ridden -from Eger to Vienna to bring this news to the Emperor, notwithstanding -that, if Wallenstein had ever shown anything approaching to personal -affection and deference to man, it had been to the Emperor. He would -have sent a swift messenger, or allowed the Emperor to learn the news in -his own way, as he would have learned it in a day or two at the most. -And Nigel was right in his conjecture. - -The following afternoon the Archduchess Stephanie, with two ladies in -demure attendance, took the air in a light carriage, which, for its -elegance, was still an object of admiration in the streets of Vienna. It -was said to have been a present to the Emperor from his brother monarch, -Louis Treize. And was not the Queen of Louis Treize Anne of Austria? - -The carriage stopped at Otto Fugger's in the Rudolf Strasse. Otto Fugger -was the richest banker in Vienna, and was the brother of Jacob Fugger of -Antwerp, and cousin of Wilhelm Fugger of Amsterdam, and of Antonio -Fugger in Venice. The Archduchess descended and entered. All the -aristocracy of Europe dealt with the Fuggers. - -And when the Archduchess was ushered with great politeness by Otto -Fugger himself into one of his several libraries on an upper floor, and -the banker had bowed low and left her, she found one she expected -standing by a casement which looked out into a beautiful garden. - -In the habit which he wore, of sombre hue and formal cut, rich withal -but not conspicuous, he might have passed for one of those very -prosperous merchants that were making their presence felt in the large -cities, if the alert bearing of the man, and the air of domination, had -not proclaimed one of a superior rank and a military caste. - -The man and the woman looked at one another. In the man's look was -questioning. It asked, "How can this woman serve my purpose? What makes -her wish to serve it?" - -In the woman's was rejoicing at some purpose partly achieved, and -something of timidity. - -The looks were instantaneous; the pause before the speech but momentary. - -"At last, Albrecht von Waldstein!" She spoke in low soft tones, and held -out both hands, as if he should take them both into captivity. - -"I am here because you have willed it, Stephanie!" - -It was a personal touch, not an outcome of his immense pride. Here they -met on another plane than that of the life of courts. And Stephanie was -so young. He took her long slender fingers in his large masterful brown -hands and kissed them both, in his heart rather amused. - -Let us not be mistaken. Wallenstein was not led to Vienna by the God of -Love. Nor did he imagine that he was. He came, and knew that he had -come, because of the perfect circle of Pietro Bramante, who was rather -the priest of Apollo, because of the secant ellipse, whose right focus -was the centre of his circle. - -He came because of the image of Stephanie, which he had seen, or thought -he had seen, at Eger, even as Saul saw the wraith of Samuel, or thought -he saw it, in the caves at Endor. - -But Pietro Bramante had prophesied, or so Wallenstein had read the -prophecy, that his way to the complete circle was by making the heart -of woman the pivot and centre of his intelligence. It was not easy for -Wallenstein to formulate the idea in words; but if there were a meaning -in the mystery it must be that through the love of Stephanie he would -arrive at the culminating point of success; and Stephanie was the -daughter of the Emperor. - -Therefore he looked curiously at her, wondering at the miracle, as any -man who experiences it must wonder at the miracle of the love of woman. - -Wallenstein had never been a habitant of the palaces of kings. As little -as need was had he come to Vienna on sparse visits to the Emperor. He -had seen and spoken to the Archduchess Stephanie, when, six years -before, he had laid his offer before the Emperor. He remembered her as a -tall, slim maiden with large, dark, wistful, following eyes, a child of -moods. He remembered her when two years more had passed, what a glorious -triumphant pair of years, in which he had gathered his army, marched -against Mansfeld, overcome him at Dessau on the Elbe, then harried him -through Silesia into Hungary, forced his ally, Bethlen Gabor, to throw -down his arms, and driven Mansfeld over the border into Bosnia to die of -a broken fame. Before going into winter quarters he had paid a fleeting -visit to Vienna to receive his first meed of commendation from the -Emperor. The Archduchess Stephanie had ripened to the first promise of a -completer womanhood, gained in erectness, in rounder curves, and over -her face and bearing had stolen virginal radiance and conscious modesty, -not unmingled with the Habsburg pride of race. Wallenstein remembered -how she too had greeted him in her own way with two sprigs of laurel and -a little speech which died on her lips. - -And now she had reached the perfect May of womanhood. "What then? At -last, Albrecht von Waldstein!" - -"I am here because you have willed it, Stephanie!" - -"Say rather because the fates have willed it!" she said in a tone in -which awe and triumph were mingled, and her eyes looked out as through a -mist. Wallenstein felt a thrill go through him, something unknown to his -cold intelligence, something which roused latent fire in him, and -infused into him a spirit more akin in rarity to hers. - -He still held her slender fingers in his brown sinewy hands as if he -would suck in more of that ethereal fluid fire. - -"You would have come of your own accord because of your interest in -Albrecht von Waldstein?" There was approval, condescension, petition for -her assent in his tones. - -"Something of you grew into my girlhood, Albrecht! I cannot tell how. -When you, a simple gentleman of Bohemia, came to my father and in his -troubled hour offered to raise up an army to defend him against his -enemies, I had a feeling of exultation. Something told me that here was -greatness, a new Hercules come to earth." - -Wallenstein's eyes, those cold eyes of his, glowed at her saying. -Prodigious egotist that he was! He accepted her words as those of an -oracle. He drank in the significance of her words, but of their relation -to the feelings of the priestess that uttered them he divined less even -than he valued them. To him her words confirmed him in his own estimate -of himself. But he was too little a connoisseur of precious -nonsubstantial things to show surprise or wonder at the priceless worth -of that young princess's worship. - -"Six years ago," he said, "you acclaimed my star on the horizon of your -heart." - -"Yes, Albrecht! And then when you came again, do you remember my poor -sprigs of laurel which I was almost too shy to give you?" - -"I have them yet, Stephanie!" It was true. He had them. They were an -emblem of his advancing fortunes bestowed by the daughter of the -Emperor. Of the heart that had prompted the gift, the shy, proud, full, -maidenly heart, he had known nothing. - -"And as your star waxed, so I rejoiced and said, 'Albrecht von Waldstein -is become equal to the greatest princes of the earth.' You and your -armies filled all my mind. My pride in you became a great part of me." - -Her eyes were cast down so that he saw little but the soft black fringes -of the lids; her rich voice was modulated to all but a whisper. And as -the man gazed at her, drinking in her words and watching the heave and -fall of her bosom, an unusual gentleness crept over him and he began to -see the wonder of her. - -"Gracious and beautiful princess!" he said. "To think that as I climbed -I knew nothing of the spirit that spoke secretly to mine and urged me -forward and upward." There was something of self-reproach in his tone as -for something beautiful in a glimpse of the valley that a climber misses -and learns of in after days. - -She went on with her confession-- - -"I prayed for your success. I do not know what I would have had you do, -until the day of Ratisbon, when all the dogs in Germany bayed at you and -the Emperor sent an embassy--it was that in fact--to beg you to lay down -the power, the stupendous power, you wielded. Then, oh the direful days -they were! I hoped, I feared. I dreaded and longed to hear that, like -Cæsar of old, you were crossing the Rubicon and were marching on the -capital." - -Wallenstein heaved a mighty sigh. - -"You felt, Stephanie, what it cost me!" - -The Archduchess looked up into his eyes. - -"It is true. My heart had awakened. The woman mourned and would not be -comforted. She would have had you king! King, Albrecht! And you put -everything aside to resume a private station. And some said that therein -you did the greatest act of your life to make the way easy for the -Emperor and bring peace into the land." - -"And you, Stephanie?" - -"Not I!" She raised her head proudly to its full eminence, that queenly -brow with its twin lakes of unfathomable light. "Not I! What to me was -the peace of Germany, or of the Emperor? I would have had you march on -to victory or death. Fortune must be taken at the flood. She seldom -comes twice for the same barque." - -"You have the spirit of your eagles, Stephanie! Trust me! I weighed the -chances and put off the hour because the hour was destined to return -again. It was tempting fortune; but it was better to resign my baton -gracefully at the Emperor's command than to lose all in one desperate, -unconsidered rebellion." - -"Rebellion is for subjects! But remember, Albrecht von Waldstein, that -if you would mate with eagles you must prove yourself their peer. Fly -high and boldly!" - -Wallenstein experienced another thrill. This time a fresh thought leapt -into being. "Mate with eagles? What could she mean?" An unwonted light -broke over the cold, lined face. - -"You cannot mean that in the hour of victory you will be my hostage -against the Emperor, Stephanie?" - -"The day you win Bohemia for your crown I share it with you!" - -"Bohemia! And you, Stephanie?" Even now he could scarcely believe his -ears. He saw quite clearly the immense advantage it would be to him to -wed Stephanie: how it would tie the hands of the Emperor and prevent -the otherwise inevitable reprisals. - -"And Holy Church? I am wedded man!" - -"The Church can give dispensations where she wishes. She shall wish, -even if you have to march on Rome!" - -"And you pledge yourself to help me counter their Jesuit plans?" - -"I do, Albrecht. See, I kiss the cross! I vow it solemnly! And as -earnest, let me tell you they would have me marry Maximilian!" - -"God in heaven!" exclaimed Wallenstein. "That shall not be, if there be -a nunnery to keep you safe on this side of the Alps." - -Wallenstein made no movement of passion. He looked at her and saw that -she was desirable and lovely beyond the common allurement of women, -beyond the beauty of all princesses he had seen. But he saw, too, that -there was something lofty in her soul, a virgin chastity, that forbade -all trivial thought of dalliance. It was a solemn compact. - -He knelt at her feet. She laid one soft hand upon his head and said-- - -"Be my knight, Albrecht, without fear. And when all the fields are won, -I await you." - -He took her other hand and kissed it. The vibration of a strong emotion -passed through him. He was left alone. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - NIGEL'S NEW REGIMENT. - - -On the next day Wallenstein departed as secretly as he had come. Father -Lamormain ascertained that he did not return to Eger. One rumour had it -that he had gone to his estate in Friedland, which is in the -north-eastern part of Bohemia, bordered by Silesia on one side and the -kingdom of Saxony on the other, a remote mountainous region, sparsely -inhabited. The rumour may well have been true, for that was where the -Duchess of Friedland lay at that time, and it had never been said that -her lord neglected her for any other dame, unless it were Dame Bellona, -who, ugly as she is, has in her time made many good wives jealous, and -proved fatal to untold thousands of her wooers. - -Three of these wooers, no longer perhaps so ardent or so able as of old, -advised the Emperor in warlike matters. Colonel von Falck had taken part -in the wars against the Turks in the days of the late Emperor Rudolf, -and had lost an eye. He was almost patriarchal, but men said of him that -he was a tremendous judge of Tokay, and unerring in his selection of -officers. Of the former branch of military knowledge he gave almost -daily proof, and his reputation in the latter, like many official -reputations, rested on evidence which was quite irrefragable, since no -one knew what it was. The second was a retired Master of Camp, a man -just past middle age, who had had the misfortune to lose an arm, his -left, fortunately, at the Weisser Berge. He was an acknowledged -authority on waggons, horses, stores, cannon, and equipment generally. -And an officer who has lost an arm by a cannon-ball must be admitted to -have some practical knowledge of artillery. The third officer was the -Grand Duke Lothar, a blood relation of the Emperor, who, owing to a very -real lameness, acquired in his subaltern days, had been obliged to -confine his military excursions within the narrow limits of Vienna or -Ratisbon. But he had stored up a profound knowledge of Cæsar's -'Commentaries,' and was very well acquainted with the theory of war as -it was then understood. - -It was the Emperor, usually in consort with the experienced Maximilian, -who formed the general plan of campaign. If the Council's opinion -coincided with the Emperor's, as it usually did, on a review of the -plan, its execution was left in the hands of the general in command of -the army, and the function of the council was then to take all possible -steps to provide reinforcements, arms, and officers. - -Before this sage professional committee Nigel was summoned. - -"You have learned the manège, colonel?" was the abrupt inquiry of the -oldest officer. - -"What is the complete equipment of a trooper?" was that of the -camp-master. - -"How many troopers do you require in a regiment of dragoons, and what -officers? How many squadrons could you make of it? How many troops go to -a squadron?" These were Lothar's. - -Nigel, greatly wondering, answered all these readily and satisfactorily. - -Then followed a catechism of the tactics of cavalry by the Grand Duke -Lothar, who drew lines on a sheet of paper to illustrate his meaning. -These also Nigel answered, for in a prolonged period of active service -little had escaped his eye or his ear of what happened in any department -of arms. - -The three military councillors exchanged nods and whispers of approval. - -"We are going to recommend his Imperial Majesty to cancel your -commission in his musketeers and appoint you to the command of a new -regiment of light horse!" said von Falck. - -"I am forming the regiment," said the camp-master. "Bohemians, -Austrians--all riders from their youth--with a sprinkling of old -cavalrymen. They will need some shaping!" - -"The other officers are being selected," said the Grand Duke. "You will -spend the next week or two getting them equipped, and horsed, and -drilled. Then your orders will be given you." - -"I am at your Excellencies' service!" said Nigel. - -Three days afterwards, spent in wearisome discussions, conducted on the -one side in half the patois of Europe, and on the other in tolerably -good German and an admixture of plain Scots, the subject being horses, -Nigel was wishing devoutly that he had never seen Vienna, never become -the favoured child of fortune, never---- - -"Well, Blick, what is it _now_?" - -"Magdeburg's wellnigh spent, colonel!" - -"Is that so?" was Nigel's rejoinder. - -"Never saw such a place as Vienna," said Blick. "The beer is too light!" - -"Well!" said Nigel, "you must drink more of it, or less of it." - -"Yes, colonel! And the stagshorn dice are too light above and too heavy -below!" - -"Worse and worse! You'll have to give up play!" - -"It'll give me up," said Blick. "And the wenches, colonel!" - -"Well? Are they too light also?" - -"I am not a bad-looking fellow, colonel! But if I stay here ... they're -the very devil ..." groaned Sergeant Blick. - -"You want to get back to Count Tilly? Is that it?" - -"Not for twenty rix-dollars!" - -"Well! Tell me! What is it you want?" - -"I want to be sergeant in your new regiment!" - -"What do you know of cavalry?" asked Nigel. - -"I know men," said Blick stubbornly. "I can drill them. I know horses. I -can break them in. My father was a smith, and my uncle a horse-dealer. -My grandfather was hung for stealing horses. It's in the blood. In three -days I will have that mob of rascals at my heel. I am Sergeant Blick! I -say it!" - -Nigel looked at Sergeant Blick with a good deal of interest. He had -looked at him before, as he had looked at interminable ranks of -soldiers, and had never observed that in Blick, as in himself, although -Blick knew no reading or writing, grew the stubborn thistle of ambition. -He also remembered a dozen instances of good sergeantry which Blick had -displayed. It dawned upon his mind that, as it takes years to make a -good ploughman, so it takes years to produce the good sergeant; and that -without good sergeants it is impossible to make good regiments. - -Sergeant Blick, despite his words, stood stiffly at attention, awaiting -the settlement of his destiny. There were at least two scars on his -face, which were an abiding proof that he had faced both pike and sword, -and his complexion, originally fair (he was a North German from -Münster), had been tanned and weather-beaten. The light-blue eyes, -somewhat hard in the glint, were full of resolution and vigour, if the -cheeks and the mouth did smack somewhat of the beer-can, as did the -great girth of his waist, hardly counterbalanced by the greater girth of -his shoulders. - -"Sergeant is it? You can have it! You begin to-morrow; and keep all the -corporals sober till we are ready to start, four days from now." - -"Four days! The devil himself couldn't bring that mob of wild Zigeuners -and half-cooked hinds into the likeness of a regiment in four days." - -"Nevertheless it must be done!" said Nigel. - -The new sergeant grunted some guttural remarks, which Nigel took in good -part, as they were hurled less at himself than at things in general, -which, as every one knows, are always deserving of the extreme of -objurgation. Then the sergeant paused. - -"Well? You want something else?" - -"Yes, colonel! This little bodkin that the lady at Magdeburg tried to -push through your steel cap! I tried to bargain with a dirty Jew for a -crown or so. He said it was good silver, but he asked how I came by it. -I hit him a buffet, but he only snarled that neither he nor any other -dealer in Vienna would buy it because of something or other, arms or -what not, on the hilt." - -"Oh! Let me look at it! So! It is a curious device. Well, I'll give you -a crown for it. At all events I have a good right to it if any one has. -The point was meant for my head." - -Sergeant Blick took his crown with thanks, saluted, and went out. To -realise one's ambition and a crown, albeit a silver one, in the same -half-hour, is always worth while. - -It was true that to Nigel the weapon, which, had it been used otherwise, -might have slain him, was a possession of interest. But a further look -at it, or rather at the ornamentation of the haft, which was good -silversmith's work, revealed to him what it had revealed to the Jew, who -was too careful to buy that which might put a rope round his neck, -something, in his opinion, stolen from some dangerously high place. - -Again he asked himself, "Who is Ottilie von Thüringen?" - -"By Saint Andrew!" he exclaimed as some one entered. - -"Heilige Frau!" the other cried in equal astonishment. "So you are my -new colonel, Charteris?" - -"And you, Hildebrand?" - -"I am to be your major, it seems, by the grace of General von Falck with -one eye, Camp-Master von Pratz with one arm, and his Highness the Grand -Duke Lothar, to whom regiments are sheets of paper and the officers -numbers." - -Major Hildebrand von Hohendorf did not seem altogether gratified. - -"Dear old comrade!" said Nigel warmly, shaking him by the hand, "it -would have given me greater pleasure to have been your major than it -does to be your colonel. You were buried in Hradschin. Now you may -conclude by becoming Field-Marshal." - -Nigel knew that Hildebrand was not one to nurse small jealousy, and was -amenable to the gentle influence of a bottle and an honest friend taken -together. The bottle was soon forthcoming, and so was Hildebrand's pipe. - -"Comes of helping to sack Magdeburg and carrying despatches, I suppose," -said Hildebrand, a twinkle becoming apparent in his eyes. "Or have you -been making love to Lothar's wife. They say she names most of the -colonels! Ha! What's this pretty thing?" - -He picked up the tiny dagger, which for the moment Nigel had forgotten. - -"That's a little trifle a noble lady in Magdeburg tried to stick into my -neck!" said Nigel. "My sergeant picked it up." - -"Pretty thing!" said Hildebrand, examining it. "Bears the arms of the -Habsburgs, too!" The peculiarity did not seem to strike very deep, for -he went off to another topic-- - -"Now, what have we got to do? It seems to me we've got to make a -regiment and then constitute ourselves free companions for a few weeks, -maybe months, and then join Tilly!" - -"Listen!" said Nigel. "We have to cross Southern Bohemia, the Upper -Palatinate, enter Würzburg, then Hesse Cassel, to frighten the -Landgrave, ride eastward to the Elbe, and find Gustavus. Having -satisfied ourselves of the direction of his march, we are to hang on to -the advance-guard, and give early and constant information to Count -Tilly and Pappenheim. When the two armies come into touch we are to -place our regiment under Tilly's orders." - -"Lord, what a riding and camping and sleeping under the trees," said -Hildebrand. - -"Make us the most serviceable regiment of cavalry in the whole army," -Nigel consoled. "You'll be as thin as a pikestaff and as hard! No Tokay -in the Thüringerwald!" - -"The beer might be worse!" rejoined Hildebrand. "I've tasted it." - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - FAREWELL TO THE ARCHDUCHESS. - - -As Nigel thought he owed that great windfall of fortune, the restoration -of his cherished wallet of despatches, to the Archduchess Stephanie, -insomuch as it was a direct outcome of her mysterious association with -Wallenstein, so he was inclined, without evidence, to attribute to her -this second shaking of the tree, which had brought to his feet the still -riper fruit of the command of the regiment of horse. Perhaps the joking -of Hildebrand had left behind in his mind some traces of its passing. It -certainly was not due to any conceit that he had made any impression on -the heart of the Archduchess. But it was just possible that her sympathy -with the mind and destiny of Wallenstein might have displayed itself in -an endeavour to promote the fortunes of one who had been, and might some -day be again, with Wallenstein. - -An unquenchable desire pursued him. It had no effect upon his military -duties, for at those he worked as one possessed. The horses, a motley -but on the whole a useful collection, were allotted to their riders, the -riders distributed into troops and half troops, the old soldiers -converted into troop sergeants and corporals, and all kept busy at their -exercising. Hildebrand and all the other officers grumbled at this -intolerable, but undoubtedly affable, Scot, who let no man rest nor -rested himself. But as daylight fell, and with it the last bulwarks of -human patience, and the quarters and the taverns once more welcomed the -"Rough Riders," as some wit of the canteens christened them, Nigel was -fain to seek rest and refresh himself. It was then, in the moments of -relaxation, that the desire came upon him to seek out the Archduchess. - -The strange likeness that she bore to the fugitive Ottilie intrigued -him. Ottilie in the cathedral of Erfurt had seemed, if his ears had not -belied him, to pray for Wallenstein. Half an hour afterwards she had -breathed scorn of Wallenstein. The Archduchess had named him in a way -that gave a hint of an amiable alliance between them. Had she any -influence with Lothar, or General von Falck, or the redoubtable -Camp-Master, and exercised it to gain him this commission? If not, to -what circumstances did he owe it? Could the Emperor be so lacking in -tried cavalry officers that he, who was not a cavalryman, should be -selected? Self-pride urged that his experience in the wars was his real -recommendation for what must prove a perilous and delicate work. The -Scots have always been said to have a "gude conceit" of themselves; and -Nigel was not without it. But his Scots caution tempered it. He gave -self-pride its due weight and no more, and looked outside for the real -reasons. - -But to approach the Archduchess was not easy. He had been allotted other -quarters in the part of the palace devoted to the officers of the guard. -He could not without remark place himself in her way in the gallery of -portraits. Nor could he make an assignation to meet her, as the officers -of the guard did, with the ladies-in-waiting, whom among themselves they -called in their familiar German fashion Gretchen, Bette, or Lotta. They -might boast contemptuously of favours behind their charmers' backs, -while professing a most poetical admiration to their faces. He could do -neither. There was a gulf not easy to bridge between a lady-in-waiting -and an Archduchess. - -Nigel had acquired a certain distrust of messages verbal or written, for -his short intercourse with courtiers had engendered the belief that one -half of the denizens of the palace, high and low, were spies upon the -other half, and that Father Lamormain heard everything. But as write he -must, he bethought him of certain poetical exercises of his which he had -practised lamely enough while at the University of St Andrews, in fond -imitation of the poets of the court of Queen Elizabeth, where every one -rhymed that could hold a quill. He drew with great pains the circle, the -oval, and the curve of Pietro Bramante at the head, and, after many -attempts in the long unaccustomed art, involving one hundred and four -elisions and at least four separate drafts, he wrote beneath the figure -the following lines, hoping that the whole might excite her curiosity if -not her admiration, and lead to the audience so much desired:-- - - By Eastern mage this secret figure limned - Is symbol that my barque of Life, outbound - From ports forgot for shores by mist bedimmed, - Should fetch the centre of this perfect round; - Nor should one miss to see the focus 'tis - Of a consummate oval: beacon light - That points a haven to all argosies. - Imperial Eyes, that do illume my night, - My barque sets sail. Suffer that she clear - Her harbour dues, and from her cargazon - Proffer these petalled blushes of the year, - Which, tho' they fade, as must my Argus soon - Into the dim horizon, still implore - But access, and a smile; they dare no more! - - --N. C. - -"Now," said Nigel to himself, "if I do but send Sergeant Blick to her -waiting-maid with this sonnet ensconced in a basket of roses it is odds -but her Highness gets it, and if any one intercept it beshrew me if he -make anything of it, for I can make little of it myself." - -The plan, clumsy or not, was successful. Sergeant Blick could be very -stupid on occasions, till he knew he had what he wanted, and it cost him -some pains before he could arrive at the personal attendant of the -Archduchess. Then a handsome bribe for herself and the direct and not -super-refined flatteries of the sergeant procured the faithful delivery -of the gift. - -Nigel had sent the drawing of the figure to meet either fortune. If she -had not seen it before, it at all events assisted to explain the -allusions of the sonnet; and if she had, by the hand of Wallenstein, it -would justify his request as showing that he himself understood the -linking of the three destinies. - -As he sat with Hildebrand at his evening meal the day following, he was -summoned and bidden to attend in the garden of the palace at the hour of -nine, when he would be met at the nearest gate. - -This involved some explanation to Hildebrand, who, receiving the other's -assent to his own hint of an assignation, merely laughed and asked no -more. - -Nigel was punctual, and the same page who had introduced him to the -Archduchess in the gallery met him, and bowing, led the way by a path -little difficult to remember through the garden, where he had met Father -Lamormain, to a little orchard close, which was separated from the -garden by a thick hedge, within which was a wall. The page unlocked the -gate of this with a key, which he then handed to Nigel, bowed again, and -turned as if to go. Nigel entered the orchard close, and following a -little path between two rows of trees came to an open bower, which had -a carpet of thick sward, an old stone seat, a screen of yews and laurels -all about save for the entrance and the exit opposite. - -The night was matchless with moonlight. The trees shone whitely. Deep -shadows fell from trees and bushes which were full of foliage. Out of a -shadow stepped the Archduchess Stephanie, a dark-hued velvet cloak -dependent from her shoulders and open, displaying her milk-white neck -and bosom, and a robe of some sheeny tissue of gold thread and silk that -glittered here and there as she moved, whose texture caught the -moonbeams. Upon her head she wore a little golden fillet of antique -work, which seemed to confine her profusion of black curls that for the -rest framed in her glorious face and danced in the night breeze upon her -shoulders. The dark eyebrows and the long lashes, like thickets half -concealing twin lakes, made her complexion look paler than usual. But -her red full lips parted in a smile. - -Her beauty, intensified by the moonlight, and suffused with something -more of air and sky, her ever astonishing resemblance to the strange -Ottilie von Thüringen, together took Nigel by storm. The shock of it -thrilled him. No Wallenstein of forty-eight, wrapped securely in the -husk of his own fortunes, but a living man with all the ripe vintage of -twenty-five surging in his veins, was Nigel. What would the world of men -of forty-eight not give to have the glorious energy, the unconquerable -vigour, the joyous ardour for love of twenty-five, of twenty-five that -can quaff and quaff again and still hold out the bowl for more? Give? -Another world! - -Was it perchance precisely fair? The law of Archduchesses is sure their -own, and no man can gainsay it. - -Nigel, bewildered for a moment, stammered out-- - -"The Queen of Night!" and knelt to kiss her long slender fingers. - -As he rose to his feet again she laid a hand lightly on his arm and said -with a twinkle of merriment in her rich voice-- - -"Strange and inconsequent mixture are you, man! You face sword and fire, -and lose not a heart-beat, nor a patch of colour. You meet a woman in -the moonlight, and straightway your knees must knock, and you must -tremble like a steeple in the wind." - -"I crave pardon, your Highness!" said Nigel, recovering his boldness. -"Great supreme beauty such as yours, if there be any like it anywhere, -must needs give a man more than a feeling of awe!" - -"Now you talk like a bold wooer and a poet. Faith! you have more than a -touch of the poet, though my skill in the English tongue is not great -enough for me to put a right value on your verses. 'Tis seven years -since my cousin, the Infanta, thought to wed England. We all learned -English in those days." - -"But your Highness understood!" said Nigel eagerly. "It is but a day or -two at most and I must ride into the very teeth of Gustavus. I burned to -see your Highness, to thank you for my fortunes, and say that if your -Highness has need of me at any time--" - -"You will drop your regiment of Rough-riders like a hot iron and ride -for me? And this is loyalty to the House of Habsburg!" Her smile blunted -the edge of her ridicule. - -"Saving my duty as a soldier, your Highness is _my_ House of Habsburg!" -he rejoined with such an earnestness that broke down her fence of -raillery. - -"You Scots! Full of conceit! Sensitive! Brave to the degree that you do -not even know you are brave! Kindly, so that you would die and not -grudge the gift!... I shall not tempt you from your duty; but if I call -you by this sign"--she drew out the figure from its hiding-place--"come -what may ... I look to you. It will be no little matter." - -Nigel's eyes were full upon her, for there was a solemnity in her voice, -a note of strong appeal as from one high spirit calling to another and -conscious of the other's attuning. He drew his sword and pressed the -hilt to his lips in token of his fealty. - -Then it pleased the Archduchess to pace to and fro for a while beneath -the trees in silence. She was in truth full of emotion, which was all -but too strong for her. The nearness of Nigel, who walked beside her, -was one cause of trouble. She had told herself that she loved -Wallenstein, the dark, inscrutable organiser of armies, that she had -always loved him. But did she sway the spirit of Wallenstein, the heart -of Wallenstein, so that it vibrated, if heart or spirit can vibrate, to -her touch? She did not seek to answer it. She knew that this stranger -Scot with the eagle eyes and bearing was nearer to her in the spring of -his years and of his intelligence, albeit one of her father's -mercenaries, who might perchance become another Tilly, never a -Wallenstein. "And why not?" she asked herself. Then she answered it. -"Too much heart!" - -Of a sudden she broke the silence again-- - -"I like you, Colonel Nigel! I trust you! I am perhaps going into a -nunnery for a season; perhaps for always!" - -"Your Highness! Into a nunnery!" Nigel's astonishment and his sorrow -were racing for the mastery. - -"They wish me to marry Maximilian of Bavaria!" - -"The Jesuits? Your Highness will not?" - -"I have told them that asked, 'Sooner a nunnery, or to wed a private -gentleman who is not of the blood royal.'" - -The blood coursed like a river through the young officer's veins. -If---- He put the thought away sternly. - -"Many things may happen. I must gain time. Some other league or bond may -be formed and other interests may thwart it! I tell you so that if I be -not here when you return, after you have driven Gustavus back to the -Baltic, you will know. 'Tis the fate of princesses who cannot control -their own destinies." She had stopped in her walk as if to say a word or -two before dismissing him. - -"I would I were to be nearer Vienna than Magdeburg!" said Nigel. "But I -have promised. And your Highness is not an Infanta of Spain to be -bartered here or there for an article in a treaty." - -"So you think!" she said, evidently pleased. "But we women are all alike -in one thing, we are all fatalists, like the Grand Turk." - -"I have been very desirous of asking your Highness a question," said -Nigel, drawing the little dagger from his belt and holding it so that -she could see the hilt. "Whose arms are those?" - -"Habsburg," she said. "How came you by it?" - -"In Magdeburg a lady tried to stab me with it." - -As her fingers closed round the hilt Nigel seemed to see the hand again -just as he saw it and grasped it at Magdeburg. - - * * * * * - -"I wonder whether it was my cousin Ottilie von Thüringen," she said. -"She is suspected of strong sympathies for the Lutherans." - -"Does she resemble your Highness in person?" - -"Yes! She did as a girl! There is a coldness between the families and we -do not meet as we used. Some say she is singularly like me. Her mother -was sister to mine! I remember myself giving her this dagger for a -gift. 'Tis very strange it should come into your hands and your eyes say -that you wish it back in your own keeping. Colonel Nigel! I shall be -jealous if you love my cousin Ottilie! It is the way of princesses!" - -Her eyes fastened upon Nigel's: and his, fighting this uneven battle, -drooped. - -"I do not know if I love her! But I love none other! And then she is not -a princess!" - -"And one does not love the stars!" she interposed, rather with a touch -of malice. "So you can worship but not love me, Colonel Nigel!" - -"What can I say, your Highness? I must be true at all costs!" - -A mist came over her fine eyes. She gave him her hand. This time he -bowed and kissed it. - -With a quick movement she turned, walked into the shadows, and he saw no -more of her that night nor till he departed for his journey. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - NIGEL'S INSTRUCTIONS, WRITTEN AND UNWRITTEN. - - -It is not too much to say that the Emperor Ferdinand and the Jesuits, -which may be taken to include the Duke of Bavaria, were intoxicated by -the fall of Magdeburg. Ferdinand was bent on carrying out his Edict, -bent on restoring to the Church of Rome its ancient possessions, bent on -levelling the edifice of Protestantism till not one stone should be left -in company with another, as witness that within the bounds of the empire -there had once been such a heresy as Lutheranism, or such another heresy -as Calvinism. Rather a tractless desert, which, for lack of a better -name, he could call a Catholic state, than well-cultivated provinces, -studded thickly with prosperous towns and cities, wherein men and women -worshipped their Maker after any other fashion than his own. It was a -dream of fanaticism. - -Once the Emperor had deemed that he was within reach of his desires, -when Wallenstein and his army had traversed the land driving the forces -of Protestantism before him, not all Protestantism, mark you, but all -that had courage enough to show an armed front in Germany. And the Diet -of Ratisbon had said, "Your Majesty must dismiss Wallenstein." The -Jesuits had been foremost, for they had weighed Wallenstein and found -him wanting in their own kind of strenuousness. Reluctantly the Emperor -had listened and agreed to let him go. - -Gustavus had arisen. "Another little enemy," said Ferdinand, still full -of the sensation of power that had crept into his heart with the -aggrandisement of Wallenstein's army. Gustavus established himself in -Mecklenburg and in Pomerania. "It is no great matter," said the Emperor. -"Let our General Tilly and your General Pappenheim, Duke Maximilian, go -on with their work and enforce the Edict. Brandenburg lies between -Gustavus and Magdeburg, and George William is no fire-eater. He will -stand by the Empire. Saxony, broad and rich in cities and men, lies next -in his path, and John George is, Protestant though he be, a staunch -Elector of the Empire. Let Tilly and Pappenheim go onward, maugre the -threats of these northern migrants. We have seen Christian of Denmark -driven back to his flat lands. So shall we see Gustavus." And lo! Tilly -and Pappenheim took Magdeburg, and, whether they could help it or not, -the city was burned and twenty thousand of its citizens died the death -of the heretic: and the bruit of it had sent a shudder through all -Protestant Germany. Who indeed should stand at the last day against the -arms of the Empire? - -"And all without your vaunted Wallenstein!" said Duke Maximilian. They -set it down to impotence on the part of Gustavus. - -The Emperor Ferdinand was not indisposed to show some other parts of -Germany that Vienna was active, keeping them in mind, and he was not -altogether sure of Hesse Cassel and its Landgrave. He did not wish to -send his new regiment to join Tilly by the straight path through Saxony, -because Saxony might take umbrage. It would help to preach submission if -it took the road through Hesse Cassel and came by the north side of the -mountains into the south of Hanover, and got into sight of Gustavus -from the west bank of the Elbe, it being presumed that the Swedish king -was upon the other side, and came up stream to Tilly. - -This time Nigel had no despatches to carry. The Grand Duke Lothar had -summoned him to read in his presence the instructions of the Emperor, -which he was to impart to Major Hildebrand von Hohendorf. The only -papers he was furnished with were general authorities to quarter his -troops where he thought it expedient. Money was given him, but not in -such abundance as to cumber his march. Last of all, he was bidden to -Father Lamormain's apartments. - -The priest received him with the urbanity that sat so well upon him, and -bade him be seated. - -"I trust that your visit to Vienna has been a pleasant and a profitable -one!" he said. - -"Both the one and the other beyond all expectations!" said Nigel -heartily. - -"You are entering upon a perilous adventure," said the priest. "But the -Emperor and his councillors have great hopes that you will acquit -yourself successfully. Your journey is a long one, and you will pass -through many states, towns, bishoprics, and it depends upon yourself -what speed you make. I do not doubt but that your zeal will conduct you -to our armies. But the Emperor desires that you should note with care -the disposition and affection of each district to his rule, so that he -may know on whom to count for support or enmity. More than that, it is -suspected here that the Duke of Friedland has intelligence with many -princes and magistrates, even with Gustavus of Sweden." - -"Impossible, Father!" the young man interposed with a flush of -indignation. "Wallenstein a traitor!" - -Father Lamormain made a little movement with his hands. - -"I do not say treasonable! We live in times when we find it as difficult -to say what is honour as Pilate found it hard to say what was truth. -Besides, Wallenstein, being a private gentleman holding no office, may -if he so chooses write letters even to Gustavus about ... shall we say -butterflies, or forestry, or a thousand subjects." - -"But with the open enemy of the Emperor!" protested Nigel. - -The priest maintained his suavity. - -"Injudicious, let us say, if it be true! It is suspected. Now if you -should in your journeying intercept any of his messengers, the Emperor's -service demands that you should possess yourself of his letters and hand -them to the next regular priest you meet for transmission to the -Emperor." - -At the first grasp of the proposal Nigel was inclined to hesitate. But -at the second he saw that there was nothing essentially unbecoming in -it. He was in the service of the Emperor, and the Emperor's enemies -avowed or secret must be his. There could be no division of allegiance. -Besides, it was too impossible. - -Father Lamormain watched his face, saw the hesitation, and drew forth a -written order, signed by the Emperor himself, to seize the person of any -messenger he would who carried letters, examine him, and send unbroken -to the Emperor any letters he might seize. - -Nigel read it and nodded. - -"I understand, Father. It is for the safety of the Empire!" - -"And Holy Church!" added the priest. "Your responsibility ceases when -you report yourself to Count Tilly." - -Nigel devoutly hoped that he would reach Tilly in the shortest possible -space of time. Fighting was one thing. In so far as one did not get shot -oneself or maimed, it was an impersonal thing. Provided one did not -have too much of it, it was exciting and almost enjoyable; besides that, -it was the exercise of an old and honourable profession. But stopping -messengers on the highroad, when there was no chance of reprisals on -their part, questioning them at point of pistol, or rifling their -holsters, seemed to be the work of a lower order entailing a certain -stain upon him who performed it. - -"I would ask you a question, Father. Why have I been chosen for this -work?" - -The priest smiled. - -"For your knowledge of your craft the Archduke Lothar vouches. For your -being a good Catholic the Church vouches. And that you are of the -Scottish nation is good pledge that you will have no personal end to -serve in Germany but your own advancement. To you Saxony is Saxony, -Bavaria, Bavaria, but they mean nothing. You have taken service with the -Emperor, and him only will you serve. So long as you serve the Emperor -with a single eye you will succeed. The blessing of Heaven will follow -you. The higher you climb, the more difficult the path will be. But only -obey!" - -The openness of the priest's avowal and his fatherly manner, almost a -benediction in itself, won upon Nigel to a great degree, so that his -suspicions of the Jesuits and their ways were almost, if not quite, laid -to rest. - -"To obey comes easy to the soldier, Father! But it does not make some -duties less irksome." - -"Ah! There I disagree with you," said the priest. "The rule of my order -is obedience. The patience, the skill demanded of us, the interest -involved in carrying out the task to a complete and successful issue -beyond the possibility of doubt, remove all that you call irksomeness. -Strive after our conception of obedience and all else becomes easy to -you." - -"But in your case," said Nigel, "there is no tie of blood that binds -you. You admit neither father nor mother. The Church and your order -stand in their stead." - -"That is true! The member of the brotherhood of Jesus reckons no human -relationship as having any meaning in his regard, and being free he -moves safely to his instructed purpose. There is but one human passion -which can be a source of danger to you. You are young. You may love. At -present no danger threatens. Am I right?" - -Nigel answered tersely enough. - -"No woman claims me. I claim no woman!" - -And his answer was as sincere as it appeared to be to Father Lamormain. -For if his thoughts had often turned towards the lost Ottilie, and his -admiration been roused by the Archduchess Stephanie, the unknown -distance of the one and the exalted rank of the other had stayed the -fire, as trenches widely dug will upon a burning heath. - -Nigel was sensible of the pervading influence of the priest. He had -passed the stage at which he had silently questioned his instructions, -nor did he think it strange that the confessor of the Emperor should -have been the channel of their conveyance: for by this time from one and -another he had realised the peculiarly close leaning that the Emperor -had towards the Church and towards its regular priests. He, however, did -not recognise that one purpose of the interview was that Father -Lamormain should make the further acquaintance with the instrument the -Emperor and himself proposed to use. - -On the whole, Father Lamormain was well pleased, and satisfied on the -main head that Nigel was no creature of Wallenstein, though as a soldier -he reverenced his old commander. For any further work beyond the -present, time would show if this Scottish gentleman might become a more -confidential agent of the order. - -On the morrow Nigel set forth from Vienna with his three hundred -"Rough-riders," and if, horses and men, they presented an uncouth and -unfinished appearance, they also had a certain aspect of the formidable -that boded ill for any obstacle they might encounter. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - THE GUESTS OF THE ABBOT OF FULDA. - - -Of the earlier marches of Colonel Nigel Charteris it is not needful to -say anything. For the first day brought them across the plains to -Budweiss, where a strong garrison of the Emperor's troops lay, and the -next to the Bohmerwald, crossing which they came into Bavaria, and so on -the evening of the fourth day made Nuremberg. Bavaria being a country -ruled by that masterful Duke Maximilian, who was a pupil of the Jesuits, -though of a far more flexible mind than his cousin Ferdinand, was a -stronghold of Catholicism, and, beyond a few natural grumbles at having -to find quarters and food for so undesirable-looking a regiment, placed -no obstacles in their way. - -Nuremberg certainly showed a sullenness of the populace which seemed to -indicate that below the surface there was a strong Protestant feeling, -despite Maximilian's orthodoxy, but to Nigel it mattered little. His -march next led him to Bamberg, a town entirely dominated by a Catholic -Bishop, and a hostelry on the "Priestlane" to the Rhine, as the chain of -Bishoprics was called by the untaught lewd of the Protestants. The next -stage was Fulda, the seat of the Abbot of St Boniface, across the -Bavarian border, and before him lay on one side the westernmost strip -of the Thüringian forest, and on the other the State of Hesse Cassel. - -Now and again in Bavaria Nigel heard news of the army that was with -Pappenheim and Tilly. He learned that no action had been fought, that -the Elector of Saxony was still maintaining a neutrality, though he had -gathered large numbers of troops. Of Gustavus he learned nothing. -Evidently he was still in Pomerania. Nigel anticipated a peaceful march -through the territories he had yet to traverse, albeit they were -territories still Protestant in the main. - -The Abbot of Fulda was the chief of all the abbots of the Empire. His -territory extended twenty miles to the north and fifteen from east to -west. It was for the most part a fertile plain of great cultivation -lying between two ranges of hills which met at the northmost angle of a -rough triangle. Fulda itself was in the south of the domain and near the -Bavarian border. For forty years or more the Abbots of Fulda had kept -Lutheranism at bay with as much zeal as the Emperor himself, while Hesse -Cassel and Thüringia, the neighbouring states, had as sedulously -fostered the heresy. - -Nigel and his men readily gained entry to the town, and were surprised, -as they rode through, at the palace of the Abbot and the buildings -inhabited by his dependants and officers as well as those of the abbey -itself, where the monks continued to extol, if not to emulate, the -holiness of St Boniface, whose bones lay beneath the altar in the chapel -beneath the choir of the cathedral. The town reflected in its shops and -dwellings as well as in the dress of its inhabitants the wealth and -prosperity of the Abbot, for the shrine of St Boniface brought numerous -pilgrims, and the long and orderly rule of the Church for long -generations over the domains had enabled the abbey to accumulate a -considerable treasure. Nor were evidences lacking that the Abbot was -alive to the scriptural advice about the strong man armed keeping his -goods in peace. For the Abbot commanded a goodly assemblage of lay -brothers, who acted as his fighting force, for reprisals or for defence. - -The object of their visit being explained to the chief officer of the -abbey, quarters were assigned to the men and horses in the outlying -portions, while Nigel and Hildebrand were received with much ceremony -into the palace of the Prince-Abbot himself, and treated with every -courtesy as the representatives of the Emperor. - -The Abbot loved good cheer, and those who sat at meat with him had no -cause to complain of famine or of drought, nor was he himself sparing. - -Beside the two soldiers were two of the Abbot's principal officers, and -another gentleman, like the soldiers, a sojourner in the territories of -Fulda. The high cheek-bones and small dark eyes, the swarthy gipsy-like -complexion, all denoted an Eastern birthplace. - -The Abbot presented the newcomers to him and named him as the Count von -Teschen. His manners were pleasant. He was affable, but it was an -affability that told nothing. - -"So you were at Magdeburg!" said the Abbot. "A grave blunder!" - -Nigel looked questioningly. - -"Not on your part, colonel! Nor for that matter on Tilly's. But the -Jesuits!" - -"But Magdeburg had flouted the Edict!" opposed Nigel. - -"Magdeburg was at fault too!" smiled the Abbot. "The Emperor is a good -Catholic. So am I, I trust. But the Emperor is too Spanish in his -Catholicism. Lutheranism was a kind of quartan fever, a theologic -plague, a wen into which all manner of foul humours of discontent -drained till it burst. It should have been allowed to exhaust itself. -What did my predecessors do? They sat fast. They rewarded their good -faithful Catholics. They made no wholesale persecution of the heretics, -of whom there were a few. But the heretics found out that the true faith -paid them better. Here and there one was quietly deprived of his farm or -of our custom. Lutheranism grew stale, as all these violent uprisings -must. The old order continued. Little by little, when those tinged with -heresy saw that we were not to be moved, they came back." - -"They were long-headed men, the Abbots of Fulda! Now Fulda trades with -Hesse Cassel and with Thuringia, which are both Lutheran. We exchange -our cattle and our wine and leather for their goods or their money, and -do not find fault because either smells of Lutheranism." - -"It sounds reasonable!" said the Count von Teschen. - -"Edicts are all very well," the Abbot continued, "but if edicts are -going to destroy men and women and children, homesteads, workshops, -trade, they are going to destroy our revenues." - -"But surely," suggested Nigel, "our Father the Pope approved of the -Emperor's Edict and the means he took to enforce it." - -The Abbot smiled with great benignity. - -"If the Grand Turk issued an edict that all his subjects should become -Christians, would not the Holy Father approve? Without a doubt! But if -the Grand Turk applied to His Holiness for a million of gold crowns to -assist him in his task of conversion?" - -"I wager," said Hildebrand, "His Holiness would not subscribe a single -rix-dollar!" - -"It would be a pious aspiration! And so was our Pope's. They call him -Pope Lutheranus. He was not willing to discourage the Emperor Ferdinand -in his desires to restore to the church what the church had lost, but -he has not shown himself willing to contribute out of the treasure of -Rome to set armies marching hither and thither over the peaceful lands -of Germany to enforce his aspiration. Let well alone!" - -"The Duke of Friedland allowed himself to be dismissed," said the Count -von Teschen, "because he saw that it was the Emperor's desire to make -him the instrument of oppression to the Protestants." - -Nigel's ears pricked up. Who was this that spoke so intimately of -Wallenstein's mind? - -"Doubtless he saw also," said the Abbot, "that the ideas of the Emperor -would draw together all the Protestant powers. It is coming to that. -Even my neighbour the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel is but now on his way, -if he has not already started, to join Gustavus." - -"Indeed!" said Count von Teschen. There was that in his look and tone -which suggested to Nigel that it was news to him, and unwelcome news. - -"Moreover, my neighbours of Thüringia are in a ferment and have raised -up at least a regiment to march into Saxony." - -"To what end?" said Nigel. "It is thought the Elector, John George, is -too well affected to the Emperor." - -"John George is by nature peaceful! But he is gathering an army. And if -the Emperor were as politic as he is a good Catholic he would say to -John George, 'Come! Let us talk no more about edicts. Let us drive out -the Swedes.' But he cannot. He is too headstrong, and too sure of John -George. And John George has his people to consider. Do you think -Magdeburg has softened _them_? Has not every village had its separate -tale, and, as for Thüringia, there is a preacher called Pastor Rad, who -has painted the fall of Magdeburg from one end of the forest to the -other in the colours of Sodom and Gomorrah. Beware how you and your -troops ride through the forest. Just now the sight of a casque or a -gorget would madden the peasantry till not one trooper of your regiment -would remain to ride his horse." - -Nigel was not ungrateful to the Abbot for his warning, though he -suspected the dignitary of an inclination to exaggerate. He was no -coward, but he had seen enough of the Forest to know its solitudes of -trees, the deep beds of leaves that lay in the hollows, undisturbed from -year to year, till those of ten years ago had become thick black soft -earth in which a man's body might lie and moulder silently and surely -till the bones parted company. In the Forest a shrewd bolt from an old -cross-bow, an opportune thrust of pike from behind a tree, a stone well -dropped from a bough, might each and all thin his ranks and no enemy be -seen. - -But these gruesome forebodings were set aside by something the genial -and talkative host was saying to Count von Teschen. - -"Prague! I have never journeyed thither! They say the Duke of Friedland -has a goodly dwelling." He looked round complacently. "Our own is not -amiss seeing what a patchwork the ages and my predecessors have made of -it. Is the Duke's greater?" - -"It is in a great park!" said Count von Teschen. There are six gates to -its outer walls, and he has twenty gentlemen of birth serving him as if -he were the King of France. The servants and horsemen are numberless, -and his riches make the whole expense appear but a tithe of them. - -"And how does he spend his time?" - -"You have heard of his astrologer?" - -"Has he an astrologer of his own?" - -"Aye! One Master Seni! 'Tis not the only one, for I have heard of -another, Master Pietro Bramante, who travels up and down and visits him -at times." - -"And what do they that a man cannot do for himself?" - -"I know not! All they do they do in secret. But 'tis said they both -watch the stars for signs." - -"As Cæsar watched the entrails of the sacrifice for signs!" said the -Abbot with a laugh. "But I wager that Don Cæsar could always find the -auspices propitious, if his own plans were ripe." - -This caustic comment did not seem to please Count von Teschen, for he -said nothing but smiled an unpleasant smile that showed his fine white -teeth. - -"You may tell the Duke that I was much gratified by his gift. That -antique mitre of old goldsmith's work and the rochet will be famous -additions to our Abbey's treasure-house, and that which he has sent me -of a more personal kind is very precious to an old man who finds much of -his enjoyment in his toys." - -Count von Teschen expressed his thanks for the Abbot's appreciation and -promised deliverance of the message. - -The Abbot, on his part, promised to show them the treasures of St -Boniface on the morrow, and after a little while of further talk the -guests were shown with all ceremony to their bedchambers. - -Nigel was nothing loth. But he had no sooner found his couch than he -began to con over this Count von Teschen. That he was an emissary of -Wallenstein was plain: but that a rich nobleman should send presents -appropriate in character to a rich prelate had nothing suspicious in it. -If Wallenstein had lost favour and power mainly through the loss of the -support of the great Catholic electors, the Bishops of Mainz, Cologne, -and Treves, it was not so wonderful that he should by indirect methods -attempt to curry favour with a man like the Abbot of Fulda, who was -almost the equal of the great Prince-Bishops, and would share their -politics and their fortunes. But was this _all_ the task of the -emissary? Was it not possibly a cover to his real purpose, an end in -itself, but only a minor one? If it were so, how was Nigel on the -Abbot's own friendly territory to bid Count von Teschen stand and -deliver, backed though he was by three hundred indifferent horsemen, -many of whom were Count von Teschen's own countrymen? It is to be feared -that Nigel's last prayers before sleep came were not for the salvation -of Father Lamormain. - -The next morning Nigel and Hildebrand met the Abbot, who had with him -Count von Teschen, at the hour of nine, and made the round of the -Cathedral and the treasure-house and the principal apartments of the -palace and the abbey, which occupied them well till the hour of dinner, -when they were again treated with sumptuous liberality. The meal over, -Count von Teschen took his leave, and Nigel was unable to see him -depart: but for this he had taken measures. The Abbot seemed very -willing to detain the others, and asked particularly to see the muster -of the troops and an exercise or two, for his tastes seemed to lie -strongly towards secular matters. Nigel could do no less than gratify -him, and though he himself was quite aware that his men were far from -showing the discipline and skill of the veteran troops he had once led, -the display pleased his host, and occupied a good deal of time. - -His first question of Sergeant Blick was as to the direction taken by -the Count. When he learned that it was on towards the borders of Hesse -Cassel he was possessed by eagerness to set off, which, however, he had -to restrain till he could take decent leave of the prelate. - -"You have a good many Bohemians in your ranks, colonel!" said the Abbot. - -It was significant that the Abbot of St Boniface could put two and two -together. - -"Aye," said Nigel to himself, "corbies dinna pick oot corbies' een!" - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - CASTING OUT A DEVIL. - - -It was thus two hours past noon when Nigel and his men rode out of the -north gate of Fulda, and took the road that leads along the left bank of -the river Fulda, which steadily pursues its way till it finds an opening -in Taunus and so breaks into Hesse Cassel. Whether Count von Teschen had -taken that road, or returned, seemed of little moment, for he had at -least two hours' start, and as he had but a single man-servant, and both -of them were well mounted, pursuit promised little result; for the speed -of Nigel's command was perforce the speed of the worst horse. Moreover, -as they were approaching a country of doubtful friendliness, it was -wiser to approach it in good order and condition than upon horses blown -with haste. - -At the frontier of Hesse was a small military post the captain of which -challenged their further passage. - -Nigel made a civil reply that he was commanding a regiment of the -Emperor's horse and purposed to ride through Hesse Cassel into Lower -Saxony. The captain requested that he would stay his march till the -wishes of the Landgrave could be ascertained. To this Nigel made the -firm answer that he was unable to wait for such permission, the more so -that the Emperor was not at war with Hesse but with Sweden. The captain -told him that he passed at his own peril, and called in his handful of -men. Nigel rode on to Hersfeld. Such of the inhabitants that he met or -overtook preserved a sullen demeanour, which did not savour of anything -but hostility. Perhaps they regarded him and his men as the woeful -harbingers of great armies, and few of them, indeed, made any guess as -to the master he served, being disquieted at the uncouth aspect of the -strangers. - -But at Hersfeld he found something more than sullenness. For outside the -gates on the town's common was drawn up a considerable body of -well-armed infantry, and the numerous pennons showed that here was a -muster camp. Two regiments were disposed in battle array in the dense -battalion formation usual with all armies but that of Gustavus. A little -in front of these was a group of richly-dressed officers, and in the -middle one of high rank. - -Nigel halted his men and rode forward with Hildebrand till he came -within saluting distance, when, after a cold acknowledgment, the general -commanding the Hessians motioned him to come forward. - -Nigel advanced a few steps and reined in his horse. - -"Who are you?" was the curt inquiry. - -"Colonel Nigel Charteris of the Imperial Service, with my regiment of -horse. I am leading them through the territories of Hesse Cassel to join -Count Tilly." - -"By whose authority?" - -"The Emperor's, and with the goodwill of the princes his allies!" - -"His Majesty takes strange measures to preserve their goodwill, sir. I -am William of Hesse! These are my territories, not the Emperor's." - -"Your Highness will surely of grace accord us a day's journey through -your dominions, and such little provender as we pay for. It is a -peaceful errand so far as your Highness is concerned." - -"Then you should have stayed at the frontier till my guards had asked my -will." - -"I crave pardon, your Highness. I was told in Fulda that your Highness -had set out on a journey; and I might have waited an ill-convenient -time." - -"It is possible, colonel. You might have gone other ways." - -"The Emperor would doubtless be surprised to hear that the Landgrave of -Hesse Cassel was unwilling to give his men passage. But if it be denied -to them, I have no instructions to make war." - -"'Tis just as well!" said the Landgrave with a grim smile on his thick -lips. "We have that about us that would stop you. You will go hence, if -you so choose, across the river into Thüringia, and make what way you -can. I am not ruler there. But further passage through Hesse you cannot -have." - -Nigel showed no outward perturbation. He took one level, leisurely -survey of the officers of the Landgrave, saluted, and said-- - -"Adieu, your Highness! It will please the Emperor to know that the -hospitality, which is denied to him, is accorded to the Duke of -Friedland." - -The point of this remark lay in this, that Count von Teschen was seated -on horseback among the suite of the Landgrave. - -"One does not inquire into the quality of the merchant, but into the -goodness of his wares!" was the quick reply. For all his sternness the -Landgrave looked into Nigel's eyes with a half smile, and made a little -motion of farewell with gauntleted hand. He was a man and knew a man. - -Nigel and Hildebrand bade their regiment of rough-riders turn about and -make for the river bank. The advance-guard was bidden to stop wherever -the river should be fordable. Then they planned to cross into Thüringia -and march north by the way of Erfurt, and thence to the camp of -Gustavus. - -The _contretemps_ at Hersfeld was a surprise to both of them. Nor was it -to be explained by the presence of Count von Teschen. It was plain that -the Landgrave was about to take up arms against the Emperor, and that -the Emperor was ill-informed as to the real state of matters in the -Protestant States, of which Hesse Cassel was one of the smallest. - -As to Wallenstein, Nigel against his own inclination was beginning to -have doubts of his loyalty. Father Lamormain had more than hinted them. -The Landgrave's irony about the merchant and his merchandise showed that -at the opposite poles of policy and belief similar ideas were current. -And Nigel was honestly grieved. But his path at all events was plain. He -was for the Emperor. - -So having come to the ford he set his horse at the water, and though it -reached his stirrups and ran swiftly, he made light of it. By the fall -of evening they had reached the hamlet of Salzungen and bivouacked by -the river Werra. - -Water and green grass ripening into long hay were there in plenty, and -Nigel had learned in the school of Wallenstein sufficient of the art of -exacting creature-comforts for the men. It was merely an outskirt of the -forest land, gently undulating from the hamlet church down to the river; -and across the river farther down, where a wooden bridge spanned it, the -road wound into gentle rising lands, behind which rose steeper -pine-covered hills, and there was a great expanse of sky and -comparatively open country. There was no chance of a surprise here, and -except from equal numbers of cavalry, a thing unlikely to expect, there -was nothing to fear. - -At the ford near Hersfeld he had left a vedette of three picked men to -watch and capture any one that crossed during the next five or six -hours. There was still a hope that it might be the Count von Teschen. -And if his path lay in another direction, it might be some messenger to -rouse the opposition of the people of the forest. - -At midnight the vedette came in and reported that no one had crossed. - -When the vedette came Nigel roused himself to hear their report, bade -them take the refreshment provided for them, and go to sleep. The first -sentinels had been relieved, and all was quiet save for the sound of -horses tearing the rich grass as they took fresh mouthfuls, or the chant -of some still unsated grasshoppers. He was soon asleep again. - -But not so heavily as before. The couch of hay on which he lay in an -open shed did not, once his sleep was broken, prove quite so soft and -alluring as it had three hours before. And at two o'clock, which sounded -from the nearest steeple, he found himself cold and wakeful. Then from -the main street of the hamlet his ear caught the sound of horse's hoofs, -not of a horse being ridden but led. One horse! Two horses! It might be -some early villager; or, again, it might be Count von Teschen. - -Nigel got up, wrapped in his cloak as he was, went out and summoned the -sentry who was on guard beside the hut. Taking the man's musket himself, -he bade him go and see who the horsemen were, and himself walked to and -fro in the cold air, musket on arm. Then after a few steps he stood -still, for he had heard a low call. It was a familiar one, the call of -the Bohemian to his horse. Some wakeful trooper might have uttered it in -pure negligence. But it was repeated. And then from another direction, -it was not easy to tell which, it was answered. Nigel was alert now, -wondering what this might mean. Still dark, he had nothing but his ears -to trust to, but down among the lines he thought he heard movements. So -he roused the two nearest men, and sending one away in the direction of -the noise he bade the other be on the alert. Then he resumed his place, -appearing to sleep on his post but in reality watching with ears and -eyes. - -Two forms began to make themselves apparent, wriggling and crouching -along the ground in between the sleeping troopers, mere shapes, but -moving, and moving towards the hut. Of a sudden one sprang at him, knife -in hand, to feel the butt of the sentry's musket hit him one tremendous -blow beneath the chin and then nothing more upon earth. The other who -made straight into the hut was faced at the opening by a trooper, who, -firing his musket point-blank, blew half the man's face away, and in -doing so roused the camp. - -"Seize all the Bohemians!" was the next order. But quickly as it was -carried out in the almost total darkness, the confusion, the protests, -the excitement among the horses, which threatened to stampede, all -contributed to the partial success of the plot. For some twenty-five or -thirty men galloped in wild disorder across the grasslands and gained -the wooded bridge before they could be stopped, and for the present it -was hopeless to pursue. The sentry was found by the roadside leading to -the village, stunned by a blow from a pistol butt. - -Nigel, except for Hildebrand, kept his own counsel. But at dawn, as soon -as the troopers had broken their fast and horses were fed and watered, -he made a close inquiry, released such of the Bohemians as seemed to -have kept quiet, distributed them by twos and threes through the other -troops, and the rest, about a dozen in all, he deprived of their arms -and made them ride in the middle of the regiment, scowling and -disconsolate. - -So Count von Teschen had scored his first point, and the second point. -But Nigel was determined not to let him get too far ahead, to husband -his horses with all the skill he could command, and follow his own road -to Erfurt. If he could get even with von Teschen on the way so much the -better. - -It was a summer morning. Not a few of the village folk came out to look -at the regiment from a respectful distance. And as Nigel and Hildebrand -rode over the little bridge whence they could see in either direction -the little river peacefully meandering, the line of tiny trees along its -banks, the shimmering haze over the meadows, and heard the church bell -summoning the faithful to early mass, all the world seemed at peace. -Over the low hill to another hamlet called Schweina, where they got a -stirrup-cup, and then the road, still mounting, wound by an ascent that -tried the horses towards the castle of Altenstein, which was nearly the -highest point of the range of hills they had to cross, peering out of -the thick woods. As yet they had seen no sign of the Count von Teschen. -A short halt to breathe the horses and then onward again, and after a -short farther ascent they found on the ridge of the range a fair road, -wooded to the left, and bounded on the right by grasslands which sloped -down to the valley, a world of greenery beneath a canopy of the bluest -sky. A mile further on, to avoid a long detour, they had to clamber by a -rough path over a spur of the woody hill before meeting the road again, -and here they became aware they were not the only wayfarers, for, as -Nigel was almost out of the woodland shade, he heard the murmur of many -voices and the articulate sound of one strong resonant voice. - -Nigel passed the word to halt, while he looked upon the business that -was forward, and to do that the better he forced his horse through the -undergrowth some few dozen yards farther along. Upon a waggon, from -which the horses had been taken, stood Pastor Rad. - -At first Nigel saw vaguely a great multitude, and his first thought was -that this was an assemblage of the Lutherans for worship in a place -convenient to the many scattered hamlets. Then as his horse stood more -steadily and he could choose his own window in the leaves, he saw that a -great many of them were men, and that they were armed in some measure; -and, thirdly, he noticed that whatever the ultimate business might be, -that which was being transacted was a sort of trial. - -There was Pastor Rad standing in an ox-waggon, his long yellow hair -partly matted on his brow and partly hanging in disorder, for he was -manifestly very hot. Down below, facing him, sat a girl, her hair -flowing down to her waist, in a plain dusky blue robe. She was -manifestly being talked at, preached at, the object of public ignominy. -In a ring round her at a little distance sat two rows of grim-faced -elders, or whatever functionaries corresponded to that body in the -Lutheran community. - -"Come forth, Satan!" bellowed Pastor Rad, so that it reached even to the -ears of Nigel and Hildebrand. - -And all the ring of elders fell forthwith upon their knees and cried -with a loud voice, "Come forth, Satan!" - -The girl involuntarily put her hands to her ears because of the clamour. - -"What in the name of heaven are they about?" Nigel asked. - -"'Tis an exorcising. The girl has an evil spirit!" said Hildebrand, -crossing himself. "'Tis none of our business! Let us get on!" - -But the girl wept and stood up crying aloud for a deliverer. She -evidently dreaded the next step of the exorcisers. And with good reason, -for Pastor Rad issued some brief directions and two men seized the girl, -and, thrusting her hands between the rails of the waggon, were -proceeding to bind them; another stood forward with a whip of many -thongs. - -"God condemn the Lutherans!" said Hildebrand, and spat upon the ground. -"They are going to whip the devil out of her." - -Once more the girl tried to wrench herself free, and in doing so turned -her face, throwing back her flowing hair as she did so, in such wise -that Nigel got a glimpse of it. - -"By God's Son!" Nigel exclaimed, with a burst of passionate indignation -that almost startled Hildebrand. "Go back! lead the men into the open, -halt them in three lines and await my order! Tschk!" - -Bowing his head and urging his horse he broke through the saplings and -galloped to the girl's side. - -It needed but his brief "Loose her!" to make her torturers undo the -clumsy fastening they had begun, and "Elspeth Reinheit!" for her to -fling her arms around his saddle-peak. - -"Take me away! Save me! Save me! Captain!" - -Nigel unclasped her arms and bade her once more sit down upon the low -bench. "Fear no more, maiden!" he added with such decision in his voice -as poured fresh courage into her. Then he faced sternly up at the Pastor -and asked him-- - -"What have you against this maiden?" - -But the Pastor, full to overflowing with spiritual drunkenness, -shouted-- - -"The Lord hath delivered into our hands her paramour also! Behold him -that sinned with the damsel. Now shall the lying devil come out of her -and she shall confess!" - -"What say you?" was Nigel's response, hurled at the minister in a voice -that spoke of his indignation. - -"That you, Captain of the host of the Evil One, did'st lie with the -damsel at Magdeburg! Deny it not!" - -Before the Pastor knew what he did, Nigel had leaned over in his -stirrups and, seizing him by the raiment, tumbled him to the ground and -struck him two shrewd blows with the flat of his sword, which completed -his confusion. - -The men of the assembly sprang up, and with one accord were making for -the bold intruder, but the immediate appearance of Hildebrand and his -men caused every one to stand stark still. - -"Know all men!" shouted Nigel in the temporary silence, "this maiden, -Elspeth Reinheit, is as pure as snow. Your Pastor lies foully when he -says other. It is true she succoured me when I was in sore need in -Magdeburg. But do not your Scriptures say--'If thine enemy hunger, feed -him. If he thirst, give him drink'? This did she, and for this I spared -not only her life, but the life of her slanderer, Pastor Rad. Is this -true, maiden?" - -"Before God, it is true!" said Elspeth. - -"Nevertheless, I leave her not here to your ruthlessness and your -religion! Maiden!" - -She sprang up at the word! Nigel lifted her upon his saddle, and giving -his horse the spur, bore her to the regiment, who, understanding nothing -of what had gone before, manifested a jovial indifference not unmingled -later with some rough jokes, which would perhaps have put Nigel to the -blush. For a woman, especially a woman in her youth, not ill-looking, -was the ordained prey of the soldier of fortune, who having abducted her -in one hour, as willingly dropped her in the next to patch up her life -and the rags of her honour as she would. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - INTO THE FOREST'S HEART. - - -Before Elspeth Reinheit was aware of the providential character of the -deliverance from her persecutors, she found herself descending the -familiar, tortuous, narrow valley of the Erbstrom, along which the -houses of the village of Ruhla are strung for fully a couple of miles. -After a stony descent the regiment reached a tolerable inn, wherein -Nigel could gain speech in something like connected fashion with the -girl. - -It seemed that from the day that Nigel burst into the house at Magdeburg -Pastor Rad had conceived a violent jealousy in regard to Elspeth, to -whom previously he had paid such attentions as indicated a project of -marriage. Elspeth had till that time received his attentions with a kind -of dutiful acquiescence; but as from that time his manner towards her -changed into one of sullen suspicion, out of which arose interminable -inquiries as to her relations with the Scottish captain of musketeers, -so her mood of acquiescence had changed also into one of complete -indifference, not altogether free from a little feminine spite. Unable -to get any definite confession from her which would have condemned her, -the minister had brooded over his own fancied wrongs along with the very -real wrongs done to his fellow Lutherans at Magdeburg, and had finally -concluded that she was possessed by a lying devil, who took pleasure in -defeating him. This was a blow to his spiritual pride, and he had -arranged to bring the matter to the test of a public discipline. To what -lengths he might have gone in his extraordinary fury, supported as he -was by the general renown he was just then enjoying as a prophet of -Protestantism, it was impossible to say. He was a fanatic, and a genuine -believer in his own fanaticism, spurred on by a bitter residuum of -admiration and desire for the maiden he had once fully intended to -marry. As for the congregations he had summoned from every hamlet, -little and big, for miles round, it was sufficient for them to have -heard the bruit of the possession to believe it implicitly. Even the -very lawyers believed in such things, and unlearned persons were not -prone to doubt what lawyers and clergy unitedly agreed was so. That she -was a girl of the richer class of farmers, and therefore above most of -themselves in social consideration, was in itself an inducement to -believe ill of her. They had come to the assembly as to a holiday, with -their wives and provisions, their pipes and tabors. There was to be a -general muster afterwards of a military character, for had they not -promised to raise a corps in aid of John George the Elector of Saxony, -who was on the eve of rebellion against the Emperor? - -The question Nigel now put to Elspeth was as to her next destination. -Her home was a little to the north of Eisenach, but her father was a man -who concerned himself more to stand well in the eyes of his neighbours, -and especially those who bought and sold with him, than one to stand up -starkly for his daughter's good name and safety. He had made a protest -of sorts against her being haled before the congregations on such a -charge, but he had not stood out long before the onslaught of Pastor -Rad and some of the lay brethren. What had happened before might happen -again. Elspeth felt no surety in being restored at present to the -parental homestead. - -"Have you no more powerful friends who could give you refuge till Pastor -Rad grows tired of his folly?" - -"There is the Lady Ottilie of Thüringen!" said Elspeth. "I know not -where we may find her just now. She comes and goes like the forest deer. -She is sometimes at the Wartburg! If she were there, the Landgravine -would take me in, and Pastor Rad would never lay hands on me." - -A strange eager light came into Nigel's face as the name of the -mysterious Ottilie fell innocently and naturally from the girl's lips. - -"Who is she, this Lady Ottilie?" he asked in a tone of calculated -indifference. "Is she of the Landgrave's family?" - -Elspeth opened her own blue eyes more widely, and considered Nigel's -face with a calm gaze as she replied-- - -"She may be of their kin. I do not know. She is possessed of influence -with them, and they treat her with much honour." - -They made plans together, for Elspeth knew every path through the -forest, and after an hour or so Nigel gave orders to mount again. -Sergeant Blick had improvised a pillion, and Elspeth was mounted this -time behind a solid German trooper, to whose belt she held tightly. She -rode a few paces behind Nigel, who was busy for a mile or two unfolding -to Hildebrand the inner history of the incident, and his own plans. - -So they rode on to a spot where a ridge of high open ground divides the -thick forest valleys leading northwards from the one by which they had -come. It is called Hohe Sonne. Here Hildebrand assumed command of the -regiment, and was to lead them to the right by the road called -Weinstrasse and halt them at the edge of the forest, two miles to the -east of the town of Eisenach, while Nigel with Sergeant Blick and four -trustworthy troopers should make their way on foot with Elspeth through -the Annathal to the Wartburg. By this forest path they would be under -cover all the way. Their task accomplished, Nigel and his party could -rejoin the regiment. In the present state of Thüringia, stirred from end -to end as it evidently had been, Nigel was bent on keeping as much as -possible to the open road, and not allowing his force to be entangled in -any tumult in the towns. - -At first the pathway led gently downwards through a wide undulating area -of forest, which gradually contracted to a long sinuous ravine flanked -by steep walls of rock. The sound of voices carried far along this -rock-bound way in the stillness, that was broken by nothing but the -light splashing of the brook and the "pink-pink" call of the birds. - -Nigel and Elspeth Reinheit were far in front, for they were lighter of -foot, and both eager, though from different causes. He was desirous to -surrender his charge, pretty and young as she was, into safe keeping, -for Nigel had never played philanderer. He was also involuntarily full -of the tumult, at once a wonder to himself and a pleasure, that came -over him at the thought of Ottilie von Thüringen. - -Elspeth in her ingenuous way was only too glad to leave the soldiers in -the rear, in order to savour the unspoken delight she felt at being -alone in the forest with her deliverer, at whose noble and martial -aspect she kept taking little fleeting but soul-satisfying looks. She -longed with all her maidenliness, and she was as sweet and chaste as the -brook that gurgled by them, to throw her arms about him and tell him -that she could love him to eternity. The affection of a thousand -affectionate German girls, rippling over with endearing phrases of their -love-making mother tongue, welled up to her lips, but did not pass them. -Only by an effort of will did she convert them to little outbursts of -thankfulness that gushed out at intervals, and after short spaces of -silence, renewed themselves in other words. Even Nigel could scarcely -fail to be aware of the state of her feelings, for the tenderness of her -tones filled out what might be lacking in her actual declarations. Her -beautiful golden hair had been gathered by her deft fingers into a coil, -and surmounted rather than covered by a dainty coif; and with her clear -blue eyes and pink cheeks, her supple figure, rather tall than -otherwise, she was a feast for the eyes that some of the heroes of the -Nibelungen Lied might well have coveted. - -One question bubbled to the surface of her mingled reverie and talk. - -"Noble captain, have you ever seen the Lady Ottilie since we parted at -Erfurt?" - -Nigel was too busy with the puzzling thoughts that the question called -up to apprehend any subtlety in the question. So he said-- - -"Once I fancied so! But it was not near enough to speak, and it was -night." - -"Do you long very much to see her again?" came the next question. - -"I? Little one! I scarcely know! She is a mystery to me!" - -"Perhaps that is why you would like to see her!" she conjectured. "Now -when you have brought me to a safe place _I_ shall never cease to wish -to see _you_ again." - -Nigel smiled as he answered-- - -"You must have a long patience, Fräulein Elspeth, for I may never come -this way again." - -Elspeth was on the verge of tears. - -"But what is this?" asked Nigel. "It seems to me that the rocks close in -and that there is no passage, though I suppose the brook runs out by -some crevice. Do we have to climb the rocks?" - -"We are coming to the Dragon's Gorge. After that we shall have the wide -forest again." - -"We must wait till the men come up with us!" said Nigel. - -"I could wait all day!" sighed the maiden, gazing at him with large eyes -and then dropping her eyelids. - -In a minute or two they heard the sound of hurrying feet, in another -Sergeant Blick and his men came panting up as fast as they could run. - -"The Bohemians!" said Blick. "Count von Teschen!" Presently the jingle -and clatter of men and horses echoed along the rocky walls. - -"No horses can get through the Dragon's Gorge," said Elspeth. "Come!" -She led them to the rocks, and there a narrow passage disclosed itself, -the width of a broad man, no more. It was as if the rocks had once been -one and been split asunder by some mighty rent. The brook flowed to the -opening, and the rocks' sides were covered with mosses and ferns up and -up, through which there was an eternal trickle of water, and high above -all were the tree-tops. - -"The question is, are they pursuing us, or are they merely making for -the Wartburg?" Nigel asked Sergeant Blick. Elspeth answered-- - -"They would never have come this way to _ride_ to the Wartburg." - -"Then they must never come through!" said Nigel. "Fräulein Elspeth, lead -these men through to the other end! Blick, stay here with me." - -Then Nigel peered out from the mouth of the rocky passage. He espied -Count von Teschen and his troop of Bohemians riding along. Then, as they -in their turn made out the impossibility of going further, there was a -general hubbub of voices. - -Count von Teschen was inclined to turn back and seek another way, but -evidently some of his ruffians were for a pursuit on foot, thinking the -rock passage but a temporary obstacle. Five or six of them dismounted -and throwing the reins on their horses' necks rushed forward splashing -into the brook, and then one entered the Dragon's Gorge. He had no -sooner peered round the first bend than he fell forward, for Blick's -musket butt was heavy and the arm that swung it strong. He fell face -downwards into the stream. - -Another of his fellows followed eagerly, and again the butt descended -and he fell on top of the other. The water continued to trickle through -the ferns and mosses. And the brook flowing on carried the flowing blood -onwards to Nigel's feet as he splashed forward towards the other end of -the gorge. - -It was a strange fortress to hold, this rift in the rocks, and yet a -fortress of a kind. One man at each end could hold it. It was tortuous -and it was lofty. Overhead were streaks of blue sky, alternating with -patches of greenery and overhanging rocks. It would take more men than -Count von Teschen had to spy down from above with the view of letting a -big loose stone fall upon the heads of the defenders, for a yard to -right or left for them brought invisibility. Nigel pressed on to the -other end, which opened out into a wider passage a few feet in length, -and then discovered a still wider glen, with sloping sides thick with -trees. Two things were possible: the one to hasten forward and trust to -their heels for putting the forest depths between them and the pursuers, -which meant risking their lives once the Count and his followers had -made a circuit of the obstacle and possibly overtaken them, spreading -out as they would be sure to do. The other was to lie in the fortress, -stoutly guarding both ends, and trust to the foe giving up a hopeless -task, and proceeding. The latter had this to recommend it, that darkness -would fall at sunset, and the hours of this eventful day were hastening -to their end. And with darkness and Elspeth they might surely expect to -evade the others and make their way to the Wartburg. - -Against this plan Nigel's mind suggested that Count von Teschen was -quite possibly himself journeying to that same castle, carrying letters -to the Landgrave, and if he reached there first, what hope could there -be of a reception for Elspeth, or safety for himself, especially now -that blood had been shed. - -It became an immediate necessity to see what the enemy was doing. He -sent one man back to support Blick, one man he posted at the farther end -of the gorge, outside, as a look-out, and the other two with Elspeth -stood in a little hollow just outside on a dry spot, with instructions -to retire to the rocks if danger threatened. Nigel then climbed the -steep ascent at the further end and made his way along the lip of the -rift till he could look down upon the Count and his followers; they were -all there as far as Nigel could see, irresolute. Finally they seemed to -make up their minds, and one by one began to lead their horses in single -file up a steep bank into the woodland. Yet not all, for six remained to -guard the inlet. Very cautiously Nigel leaned over and called to Blick, -whose cheery voice was heard in reply-- - -"Two dead. No wounded, colonel!" - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - THE DRAGON'S GORGE. - - -Nigel Charteris prayed for the fall of night. Night and the forest could -save him and his handful. Night and the forest would enable Elspeth to -lead them to the Wartburg more swiftly than any horsemen could make -their way. - -Nigel prayed, but with him to pray was to labour. In a moment he was -back again at the hinder end of the gorge and drew out his two men. In -another moment they had spread forty yards apart, secure behind wide -boles of trees on either side of the direction taken by the Count. Then -a pause came. The Count and his followers rode stealthily forward. They -were evidently making a flank movement, but whether of departure or of -surprise, it was not clear to Nigel. Either was undesirable. Two puffs -of smoke, two shots rang out, two of the Bohemians fell from their -saddles. Six or seven of their comrades fired wildly in the direction of -the smoke. But Nigel's outposts had scuttled and taken up other -positions. Again two shots rang out, this time more in the rear of the -Count's party. One hit a horse, the other a rider. There was prancing -and rearing, and three riderless horses tore back breakneck in the -direction they had come. The Count shouted hoarsely, bidding his men -dismount and search. Nigel ran swiftly back and called to Blick and his -comrade to follow the gorge to its hinder issue and await him. It may be -imagined how Blick splashed through the water and reached the trembling -Elspeth, who, standing as high as she could out of reach of the -blood-stained water, was trembling all over at the unseen danger she -ran. - -Blick was for killing the Count, but this Nigel forbade, though there -was justification enough. As far as his own deserters that was another -matter. He wished to scatter them, disable them in detail, to avoid a -hand-to-hand combat where numbers must tell against his little band, and -gain time. The two outposts had fallen back upon the hinder mouth of the -gorge. One was stationed behind Elspeth to keep the pass. The other -three with Blick again spread out and lay _perdu_ until the searchers -came near, so near that the muskets of Nigel's men could scarcely fail -to hit. Then one by one their voices spoke, reverberating through the -forest, given back by the rocks, repeated by other rocks, and again -howls and curses rent the air. The Bohemian deserters ran crouching here -and there firing at trees they deemed men. And twice again the hidden -marksmen hit the mark, and the Count, watched carefully by Nigel, was at -his wits' end. With this kind of warfare he was plainly unfamiliar. He -alone remained by his horse in company with a knot of five or six -besides his body-servant. His guards were on the alert with their -muskets ready to fire at the least sign, and every now and again a shot -from one of Nigel's holster pistols came whistling about their ears, -sufficiently near to increase the strain of their attention and make -them feel, despite their knowledge of Nigel's strength, that the forest -was full of enemies. - -Once, twice, shots came perilously near hitting Nigel, but his advantage -of the thicker cover saved him. Meanwhile Sergeant Blick managed his -force of sharpshooters with amazing dexterity, advancing, retiring, -picking off a man here or there. And the twilight came, less a state of -light than of gloom. And the smoke of the powder hung just below the -foliage, making everything uncertain. Nigel began to smell victory -instead of merely a skilful retreat. The orders were, at the end of -every three fusilades to reassemble at the gorge. Nigel led his men -almost crawling through the bushes till they had the Count and his -body-guard within easy musket-shot. The rest were scattered, as Blick -had well contrived. - -Then at a word four shots rang out together. Four men of the guard fell -wounded or dead, and with a rush at the Count, sword in hand, Nigel put -the finishing touch, for the Count in consternation threw down his own. -The rest of his immediate followers grovelled on the ground and were -quickly disarmed and bound. As for the others, who had grown dispirited -by the slaughter and their wild-goose chase among the trees, as one by -one they became acquainted with the culminating disaster, they slunk -back to the rearguard, seized a horse apiece, and rode back on a -harrying expedition of their own, which boded ill for Pastor Rad and his -flock. Some, that is to say, for others were of that spirit which must -follow a master, as a dog prefers the company of man. These threw down -their muskets at the brusque command of Blick, and a few minutes -afterwards Blick had them on horseback without weapons, his own men in -front and rear and the riderless horses beside them, awaiting the -command to march. Elspeth, all cheerfulness again, stood waiting. Nigel -and the Count were a little way off. - -"There is no quarrel between us, Count!" said Nigel. "We have broken -bread together in the house of our friend the Abbot of Fulda!" - -"A jolly host!" said the Count in a tone of ingratiation, a little -forced. - -"But," Nigel continued, "it seems to me that your errand has an object -which is not conducive to the Emperor's service, which is mine." - -"In what, colonel?" - -"To find you at Fulda bearing presents and messages from Wallenstein was -nothing that could offend the Emperor. But to find you in the company of -the Landgrave of Hesse?" - -"Wherein was the offence?" the Count inquired courteously. "I admit I -had messages to the Landgrave from the Duke of Friedland, from one Count -of the Empire to another. What then?" - -"The Landgrave had gathered an armed force. He is about to march to join -Gustavus. What else? To deliver messages from a subject of the Emperor -to an open foe is surely a grave matter of offence!" - -"I am sorry you should think so!" said the Count. "It is not for me to -weigh wars and parties. The Duke of Friedland bids me carry certain -messages to certain of the great ones of the earth. I do it to the best -of my poor ability. To Bohemia the Emperor is a name, a usurper of the -kingship." - -"Does that excuse the seduction of my men, who are the Emperor's, paid, -clothed, and fed by the Emperor?" - -"As to that," the Count smiled, "they chose to desert you to follow a -countryman of their own! No great crime, surely? I could not compel -them. They chose." - -"And chose badly, it seems," Nigel responded grimly. "Now before we -proceed I must search you for any letters you may carry." - -"I carry none!" said the Count, flushing, as Nigel rapidly passed his -hands into his pockets, over his hose, and other vestments. - -"As for your valise and holsters I can examine them later. Meantime you -are my prisoner, and will be shot down if you attempt to escape!" - -"But!" protested the Count. - -"There is no 'but'!" said Nigel. "Be good enough to mount!" - -The Count bit his moustache and mounted. Nigel, having first perched -Elspeth on a horse, which he led, strode immediately in front, his left -hand on the rein, his right hand holding his drawn sword in case of -accidents. - -The road was a mere bridle-track where single file was a necessity. On -the right for a mile or so it lay along the steep slope of the rising -ground, not so much precipitous as steep. For horses and men alike it -was necessary for progress to follow the pathway. Every now and again -cross paths came into view, but Elspeth knew the forest as if it had -been the highroad and kept steadily on. Above them the high tree-tops -towered, tall pines and straight slender beeches, whose foliage had -learned to grow only upon the topmost boughs. Now and again they came to -a broad clearing where clear sky was. Then the line of the ridge swept -over to the east and the steepest declivities were to the left. The -riders and Nigel looked down into the great hollows in the woodland, -flanked by great naked boulders that stood up out of the sea of leaves, -the countless heaping of unnumbered years. And now the moon was up and -patches of white light streaked the boles of trees, and the leaves, and -ceased to be, for the further darkness of the shadows. - -Now the pathway leads up by zigzags. Elspeth whispers that they are now -upon the Wartburg itself, and bids Nigel look down and out, and surely -there in the moonlight he can see, a mile or two away, the outliers of -the town of Eisenach, else hidden by another hill which juts between. - -Nigel calls a halt, and, to the Count's chagrin, just concealed and no -more, orders Blick to descend with the Count and the others to the -camping-place without the town where the regiment should be. - -He himself with one soldier for his guard mounts the zigzags with -Elspeth, passes beneath the bridge wherefrom he is challenged by the -sentry, and stands at the outer gate of Luther's famous asylum. - -There is the clank of men-at-arms, the murky flicker of the lanthorns, -rattling of bolts, and Nigel is admitted. The guard fears no surprise -from a single officer, a single trooper, and a maiden half dead with -fatigue, whose stockings are soaked with water, and that the reddened -water of the Dragon's Gorge. - -Over the stones of the causeway of the outer court, through the arch -below the guard-room, they reach the inner courtyard, bathed in the -moonlight, serene, still, but for the splashing of the fountain. Beyond, -where the white walls of the castle are not, is the limitless night and -the limitless sea of tree-tops just flecked by the moonlight. - -The doors are opened hospitably and the red glare of fires made visible. - -Then the Landgrave himself, the Landgravine, with their gentlemen and -ladies, troop into the hall. And almost before Nigel can explain his -errand, a lady steps out, tall beyond her fellows, and cries aloud-- - -"Elspeth! Little Elspeth Reinheit! In what a plight!" - -It was Ottilie von Thüringen. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - A CLASH OF HEARTS. - - -But for the dark eyes of Ottilie von Thüringen Nigel Charteris would -have led his reluctant horse down to the camp. He had leisure to make -this reflection as he sat at meat some degrees below the Landgrave, who, -though supper was over, still sat at the high table with a flask of -Rhenish wine before him. The Landgravine had gone to her retiring room -again. The Lady Ottilie had borne off Elspeth, who, Nigel reflected, -must be very hungry. He did not know that this reflection he shared with -the sage and high-born lady, who was at this time encouraging Elspeth to -make a hearty supper, not omitting a goblet of mead, which aided -Elspeth's tongue to recover its native fluency. - -It was true that the dark eyes of Ottilie von Thüringen had sparkled -with delight and surprise at the sight of Nigel. Nigel was a Scot, and -therefore set the sparkle down to the credit of his account. But Nigel -was a Scot, and therefore also asked himself why the lady's spirit, as -reflected in her eyes, should be so elate. And Ottilie herself could not -have told why, would not have admitted that she was elated. And half an -hour after she had carried off Elspeth she had become so deeply -interested in the account of the fight in the Dragon's Gorge that she -had forgotten the Scots colonel altogether, in her interest in the -movements of Count von Teschen. - -Who was he? Elspeth Reinheit did not know. The men with him were -deserters from the Emperor's troops. Where was he? Doubtless a prisoner -with the regiment lying on the outskirts of Eisenach. The Scots colonel -had brought the Count's holsters and valise with him. She did not know -why. Elspeth, oblivious of the Lady Ottilie's anxieties, munched and -drank. She had undoubtedly a healthy appetite, and was besides waxing -sleepy. - -The Landgrave said little. He yawned a good deal, and Nigel had supped. -He too felt drowsy. It was not wonderful after his long day. The -serving-man who had attended to his needs took a silver candlestick and -led him up the stair towards his chamber. But at the top, where two -passages met on a broad landing, the Lady Ottilie swept out of the -darkness and took the candlestick from the man's hand, and motioning to -Nigel to follow, herself ushered him into his bedroom. - -There was something womanly and homely about the action, that accorded -well with Nigel's notion of hospitality, yet she carried herself with -the air of the chatelaine, as if she, and not the Landgravine, who -doubtless had deputed the courtesies to her, had been the mistress of -Wartburg. - -As he threw an involuntary glance about the chamber, noting the great -four-posted and canopied bed, the ambry for linen, the Venetian mirror, -and other furnishings, she said-- - -"In Magdeburg 'twas Elspeth who gave up her bed to you. Here do I the -same. It is a small courtesy for your many." - -"Did I not say to you at Erfurt that a woman owes a man nothing that she -does not pay a thousand-fold? But now you do me untold honour!" was -Nigel's word of thanks. - -"Sweet thanks and compliments! And doubtless you gave as much and more -to little Elspeth at Magdeburg. She has poured such a tale of Colonel -Nigel Charteris into my ears to-night I am wellnigh tired of him. Who is -your prisoner at the camp?" - -"A Bohemian, a Count von Teschen!" - -"And his crime?" - -"He caused some of my troopers to desert, and then pursued me hotly on -my road to the Wartburg." - -"It was a scurvy trick!" There was genuine indignation in her tone. "You -must beware! Promise me, you will beware!" she pleaded; and Nigel, -looking at the dimming of her eyes and her lips on the brink of -quivering, felt a wave of tenderness flow over him. He leaned towards -her and took her hands. - -"You care for me, Ottilie?" There was a world of eagerness in his tones, -such eagerness as made his voice sound hoarsely in his own ears. - -She smiled a pitiful smile as she drew her hands from his as not -trusting her silly tell-tales. Then she said-- - -"Do you so soon forget my words at Erfurt, my tall captain?" - -"You said I should be a fool to dream of it!" - -She nodded, but this time sadly. - -"I shall play the fool, Star Ottilie! So help me, Holy Mother of -Heaven!" - -"Not here then! I have stayed too long. What of your valise? Give me an -order. They shall bring your baggage." - -There was an inkhorn and paper at a little table and he wrote a line and -signed it. - -"This is to my soldier servant!" He handed it to her in a dream of -happiness. - -She went swiftly, and before many minutes had passed the man brought his -baggage and holsters and laid them on the floor. The trooper was half -asleep and bemused with the beer or the mead he had drunk. - -"And the Count von Teschen's?" Nigel asked. - -The man waved an arm vaguely and explained something in an inarticulate -way, and then stared and blinked at his colonel in a manner that made it -clear at least that there would be no sense in his head till the morrow, -and Nigel sympathised with the man, for he was scarcely rested enough -himself to take off his own boots. So he dismissed the man, and a few -more minutes saw his devotions, addressed mainly to a mythical Saint -Ottilie, and his ablutions, alike concluded, and the Landgrave's -four-poster shut him into dreamless oblivion. - -At five the sun streaming in, even finding its way between the curtains -of the four-poster, awoke him. A moment to regain the sense of his -position in the universe, during which the geometrical figure of the -great Pietro Bramante sprang to his mind again, and made him wonder -where he was on the line of his own orbit, and he leaped from the bed -and gazed out and down upon that wonderful rolling sea of tree-tops and -hills behind hills, all clad in pines, and little villages in green -spaces here and there. - -He did not dawdle over his dressing, yet before it was half accomplished -the Landgrave's barber was at his door craving admittance with the -implements of his art, and his expert fingers made the colonel's face as -fresh and dapper as razor and soap could do. - -"The Lady Ottilie von Thüringen bade me tell your lordship that your -other baggage has been brought up by your trooper and placed in the -little room which is beside this one." - -One may be sure that the colonel was not long in entering the room, -which a look at the tambour frame, the spinning-wheel, and some other -objects, told him was a small boudoir used by the ladies of the castle. - -Upon a stout oaken table lay the valises and holsters of the mysterious -emissary. - -Nigel's hands were upon the straps when the Lady Ottilie came in, partly -with the assured air of the woman in her own domain, partly showing the -modest shyness of a woman who, liking a man beyond the common measure, -seems to crave pardon for intrusion into his company. - -"You have slept well? I see you have, tall captain!" - -"Thanks to you, Ottilie!" he said, taking her hands and gazing into her -proud beautiful face with something of mastery in his grip and in his -eyes. - -Her own countenance grew cold as she looked far beyond him out upon the -pine-clad hills. - -"How well you begin the day, sir!" Her glance fell scornfully upon the -baggage. "The sack of cities! The plunder of travellers! A strange -life!" - -There was no need to point the irony, a woman's irony, full of half -truth and false inference. - -The blood flushed into his face. Then he assumed command over his fiery -temper. - -"The fortunes of war merely! This von Teschen is I know not what. He -comes from Wallenstein." - -"From Wallenstein!" She repeated it with eyes again seeking the -pine-clothed hill-tops. - -"Yes! From that cold seeker after power who would use the Habsburgs for -a stepping-stone and play the Cæsar, as you said at Erfurt. I have not -forgotten your saying, Ottilie!" - -"You are strangely familiar, sir, to a ..." she faltered. - -"To a cousin of the Habsburgs," he put in. - -"Who told you I was cousin to the Habsburgs?" she asked promptly. - -"The Archduchess Stephanie! And in truth did I not know you to be the -Lady Ottilie von Thüringen, I could believe Her Highness was here." - -"Her Highness is very gracious to acknowledge me of kin. My interests -and the Habsburgs lie far apart." - -"And I," said Nigel, "eat the bread of the Habsburgs, and what I do must -and shall be right in your eyes, if it be right in mine!" - -The Lady Ottilie's eyes blazed with scorn and resentment. - -"Go on with your task of rifling the traveller's saddle-bags," she said, -but made no movement to go. Nigel smiled to himself as he bent again -over the straps. - -First the holsters were rummaged. Pistoles and a few travellers' -necessaries. Nothing! Then the first saddle-bag revealed two rich suits, -linen, the impedimenta of a man of rank on a long journey. Nigel -examined the sewing, the lining of the bag. Again nothing. Next came the -turn of the other saddle-bag. In it were many rouleaux of gold, enclosed -in many wrappings. Again she taunted him. - -"Said I not plunder?" she said. "Surely a fair ransom for the Count von -Teschen! Pay for the troopers and their brave colonel!" - -Again Nigel heeded not a jot. If it bit into his pride, at least he -smiled as he went on. Packages of costly trinkets, jewels, articles of -great price and workmanship. - -"It is no wonder the Count helped himself to an escort!" she said. "And -all for nought! To fall in with a robber lord from Scotland! 'Twas ill -luck!" - -"And this is Wallenstein!" said Nigel. "These are his bribes, his -compliments, his wheedlers to set honest Landgraves and bishops and -princes against his master, the Emperor! I cannot understand it." - -"It is beyond the robber lord's understanding!" Again the scorn whipped -him. - -Again he flushed, and for a moment Ottilie von Thüringen trembled for -the outburst. It did not come. She marvelled at the strength of his -will. And then she caught her breath, for her eyes saw something. Her -impulse was to snatch at it, beyond all the pride of race that was hers. -But she also quelled herself. He saw it too and drew it forth. He knew -the hand. It was Wallenstein's. A sealed letter, and the superscription -was to the high-born Baroness Ottilie von Thüringen. - -With perfect coolness and grace he handed it to her. - -"Our Cæsar has strange postmen of his own!" he said. - -This time it was the Lady Ottilie who flushed, but whether it was with -anger, or with joy, or confusion as with a woman who, while entertaining -one suitor hears another announced, there was no guessing. She hid the -letter in her bosom. - -"Then the Count was on his way to the Wartburg!" Nigel said aloud for -her to hear. - -"He will be here in a short while!" she said serenely. - -"What do you mean, lady?" - -"Just that! Have you done with the Count's saddle-bags?" - -There was nothing else in writing. Nigel replaced everything. - -"And you take nothing, tall captain? Neither gold, nor raiment, nor -trinkets? What ails you?" - -"Not a jot! He can come for his own if he can travel so far," said -Nigel. "And for your sweet aid, your comfortable words, your -hospitality, I pray you, sweet Ottilie, Star of the Night, and Serpent -of the Morning, take this and this." And without more preamble he took -her in his arms and kissed her willy-nilly passionately upon the brow, -the eyes, the lips. And then in the same whirlwind he rushed down the -stair and called for his horse, his man, his baggage, and in a few -minutes rode down the hill at a breakneck speed. - -Looking up at the great tower before he passed out of sight he saw a -white arm extended and a scarf waved in the morning breeze. - -"God's truth! Where am I?" he exclaimed, and waved his sword in the -sunlight. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - MISTRESS AND ENEMY. - - -There had been two human obstacles to the advance of Gustavus Adolphus. -One was George William, Elector of Brandenburg, whose fortresses of -Custrin and Spandau, held by any one but Gustavus, were awkward things -in the way of a retreat, if the Swede had to make one. George William -was very averse to the Edict. Magdeburg was one of the pearls of his -principality. But not being sure that Gustavus was strong enough to beat -the Emperor, he shilly-shallied. Gustavus in his impetuous way had -appeared at the gates of Berlin with a bodyguard of Swedes armed and -trained to a fine point. George William saw them and hesitated no -longer. Custrin and Spandau were lent to his friend Gustavus. - -The advance of Gustavus southward was thus secured till he should come -to the Elbe, and across fine flat country suitable for such a march. -Once across the Elbe, he would be between Tilly and the Emperor. He -would also be in Saxony. - -But the obvious crossings of the Elbe were at the bridge of Dessau and -the bridge of Wittenburg, both in the hands of the Elector of Saxony, -John George. - -John George had not made up his mind. He was an Elector of the Empire. -He was also prince of a large territory. And the southern march of his -lands was also the march of Bohemia, and the south-west was the upper -Palatinate in the hands of Maximilian since the days of the Winter King. -He was also averse to Edicts and in favour of the pure Gospel as -represented by Lutheranism. But like the young man in the days of the -founder of the original Gospel, he had great possessions. - -Unlike his brother Elector of Brandenburg, he was not liable to a sudden -nocturnal visit from the impetuous Gustavus, since a very large and -populous country lay between, but, apart from such forcible persuasion, -the policy of Saxony was not as yet to break from the Emperor. In the -days of the Winter King he had refrained from joining in the mad -escapades of the Protestants. He had no desire to do so now. Neither was -he inclined to bow to the Edict. And to meet the urgent demands of the -Emperor on that head, he had bethought himself of the strong man armed. -He had armed accordingly. Through the kindly offices of Wallenstein, who -was not unwilling to see the Saxons arming, he had been able to secure a -good Lutheran general--one Arnim, who, like his old captain, -Wallenstein, was without a command. The Elector of Saxony had forty -thousand soldiers in spick and span new uniforms getting drilled by -Arnim. But whether they would ultimately fight Gustavus, or merely grow -fat and well-liking under the pay and treatment of Arnim, and never -fight at all, John George was not at present sure. - -There was the situation. Gustavus was entrenched in a fortified camp at -Werben, where the Havel joins the Elbe, sixty miles north of Magdeburg, -with smaller forces holding Spandau on the Havel and Custrin on the -Oder, a line of a hundred and fifty miles from west to east. Tilly and -Pappenheim (Maximilian's Pappenheim) were near Magdeburg. And sixty -miles south of Magdeburg were the brand-new forty thousand of John -George. - -Colonel Nigel Charteris had seen enough in his journey to hasten his -march northward to Tilly. From all directions he heard that the -Landgrave of Hesse was marching to join Gustavus. And the news of the -preparations of John George had reached Eisenach. The whole of Thüringia -was in ferment. - -But the reason of Nigel's uncommon haste down the hill to his camp -outside Eisenach was on account of that curious ambassador, Count von -Teschen. Nigel feared some mischance. Ottilie! Star Ottilie had said ... -what matter? Nigel galloped into camp. Hildebrand handed him his own -order brought earlier that morning by his own trooper, attended by one -of the Landgrave's huntsmen-- - - "_Send the Count to the Wartburg under escort._ - - "#Nigel Charteris.#" - -The colonel made a gesture of annoyance. - -"A good imitation, Hildebrand! Confound him! The best thing we can do is -to get on to Erfurt." - -And on the road to Erfurt he had leisure to blame himself for listening -to her whom he omitted to "confound." - -One does not commit to the nether gods the woman one has kissed, and -kissed in a very paroxysm of passion, whether she would be kissed or -not--the woman who has let her scarf flutter an adieu to one, the -affront notwithstanding, as one rode away. Not even when she has tricked -the affronter of a prisoner, an emissary of a traitor, who has sent the -woman a letter full of ... the nether gods know what, treason or love. - -What part was she playing in the political intrigue? It was clear that -she had recognised the Count von Teschen as the hand of Wallenstein, -that she knew him to be essential, so far as his possibilities went, to -the furtherance of Wallenstein's designs. There might easily be a dozen -Count von Teschens, foxes with firebrands at their tails, rushing hither -and thither, but foxes that knew their business and the right -cornfields, and how themselves to escape the flames that they spread. - -Nigel's own sense of duty permitted him no sympathy with Wallenstein. -Yet he could understand how Wallenstein, bereft of his command, hoping -nothing more from the Catholics, impatient of inaction, unable to bear -the loss of prestige, more akin in spirit to the great captains of -_condottieri_ that had ravaged Italy, indifferent which prince they -fought for, how such a Wallenstein might endeavour to curry favour with -the Protestant princes rather than rust like an old ploughshare. It was -intelligible, but only as the work of a man without gratitude, without -loyalty, without any conviction of his religion. - -And what part was Ottilie playing? She was a Catholic. So was -Wallenstein. She had friends among the Protestant princes. So had many -members of Catholic families. She had gone so far as almost to -jeopardise her life, and, what was more, her honour, in the siege of -Magdeburg. To what had she trusted then to deliver her? She must indeed -have been full of the ecstasy of religion if she supposed that God, who -must have approved of the Catholic cause, would shield her in the midst -of carnage and the glutting of lust which had strewn the ruins of -Magdeburg with the bodies of the violated. Nigel had surprised her in -the cathedral at Erfurt at her devotions. But even then, and especially -in that walk afterwards together, he had not read her as devout; rather -as a woman intensely capable, self-sufficing, made for love but not -awakened to it, with the respect and instinct for religion that every -woman should possess as part of her endowment. - -Then she had spoken of Wallenstein, and he could recall her tones, -proud, indignant: "What think you that Ottilie von Thüringen can have in -common with that cold seeker after power?" - -Yet she had stood by him, Nigel, full of taunts as he ransacked von -Teschen's saddle-bags, knowing that, or at least expecting, that he -would find a letter for her under Wallenstein's own hand and seal. - -Was the Erfurt episode a piece of acting, and was she then Wallenstein's -mistress, or bound to him by some tie of chivalry, some mimicry of the -romances of Torquato Tasso? - -Mistress? At the very thought Nigel dug his spurs so savagely into his -horse that the animal, disgusted and outraged, performed such a curvet -as nearly threw him. No! Such supreme and noble loveliness had never -soiled its freshness by any breath of desire! This Nigel would have -sworn, and made good his oath, as any paladin of old time, with sword -against sword. More, he would have sworn that his own lips in that -frenzy, and gentle even in that frenzy, had been the first to ruffle the -sweet fragrance and surprise the dewiness of hers, unconscious as she -was that she had not merely suffered what she could not help. By that -kiss he had sealed her his. And insensibly he began to regard her as in -some measure two women,--one the star of his desire and worship, the -other the mysterious ally of the Emperor's enemies, against whom he must -plot to unravel her designs and those of the arch-plotter Wallenstein. - -From this point his thought jumped at a bound to that other mistress, -the Archduchess Stephanie, whose loveliness, no less than Ottilie's, -impressed itself upon him, mingled with something of awe of the great -Habsburgs. She too was interested in the destiny of Wallenstein. But of -Wallenstein himself or his plans she had told him nothing. The mystic -circles and ovals interested or amused her perhaps, but of any intimate -understanding between her and the Duke of Friedland Nigel could not -remember a trace. Doubtless at the Court of Vienna there was a -Wallenstein party as well as a Maximilian party. It was almost certain; -and the Archduchess Stephanie might, as princesses have done, have -flattered herself that she was leading a party, while in reality her -name for a few aspiring nobles was merely a lure used by wire-pullers, -who let her know nothing of their real machinations. - -Still at the one end stood the lofty Archduchess, at the other her -lovely and almost twin cousin, Ottilie von Thüringen, and between -Wallenstein, the cold seeker after power, swaying, utilising both to -further his schemes and ambition. - -Nigel groaning in spirit, continued to ride on, and presently reached -Erfurt. - -At Erfurt he found the small garrison full of rumours of an impending -attack from the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel, and although he had reason to -believe that that prince was not yet in a posture to march, Nigel -thought it wise to leave his regiment there with Hildebrand, partly to -get further drilling and some rest for their horses, partly to overawe -the townspeople and put the place in some condition to resist the -Landgrave should he venture to attack it. In the meantime, with a small -escort, he rode as fast as his horses could go to Wolmerstadt, where he -found General Tilly. - -The little great man received him with his customary grimness of -demeanour. The thin hollow cheeks looked hollower than before, and the -red feather in the small high peaked hat danced with a more sinister -gaiety than ever. - -"Well, Colonel Charteris?" Tilly never forgot his officers nor their -names. "Where is your regiment?" - -"At Erfurt, General!" - -"Why?" - -"The Landgrave of Hesse was mustering his troops when I spoke to him -seven days ago. They say he is marching now to join Gustavus." - -"I'll give him something to march for! And he shall find little to eat -on his march," barked Tilly. "What artillery at Erfurt?" - -Nigel answered that they had twelve pieces of ordnance and sufficient -ammunition. - -General Tilly gave immediate order for two thousand foot and two -thousand horse to be made ready to start. - -And the next day, trusting the command of the remainder of the army to -Pappenheim, the grim old general set out through the territories of Saxe -Ernest and Schwarzburg, laying waste the countryside, and allowing his -troops to plunder and then burn the little town of Frankenhausen by way -of teaching the inhabitants not to have leanings towards Sweden. - -In this way Tilly reached Erfurt, where he quartered his troops and -levied a substantial voluntary contribution of money and provisions. -Thence he sent messengers to the Landgrave, who had in fact not yet -begun his march, with instructions couched in haughty language that he -should disband his army and receive imperial garrisons into his -fortresses. - -Hildebrand and his regiment were sent on to the camp at Wolmerstadt to -await Nigel, who, at the same time as Tilly set out, had been ordered to -carry out reconnaissances in the direction of Werben and watch the -movements of Gustavus on that bank of the Elbe. - -It was not so much that Tilly feared the Landgrave of Hesse, as that he -was fretting at the inactivity imposed upon him by the state of affairs. -At Wolmerstadt he and Pappenheim were strong enough to attack Gustavus, -had it not been for the troops which the Elector of Saxony had mustered -in his rear. Gladly would he have attacked the Elector if the Emperor -had given him permission. But as yet John George had not declared -himself. So Tilly contented himself by threatening the smaller prince of -Hesse Cassel and wasting the borders of Saxony. - -The Landgrave of Hesse was of a different mould from John George. This -was his reply to Tilly-- - -"As for admitting foreign troops into my fortresses, I will not. As for -my troops, they are mine to do my will. As for your threatening, I can -defend myself when you attack me." - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - BREITENFELD. - - -There is always a moment in every war when wary inaction gives way to -movement, bred of an access of boldness to one side or the other. - -Gustavus had received an addition of eight thousand Swedes and six -thousand English. He had persuaded George William, the Brandenburger, to -throw in his lot with him. Pappenheim and Tilly had made, but not -followed up, an abortive attack on his fortified camp at Werben. He -decided to cross the Elbe and advance to the southern limits of Mark -Brandenburg, whether the Emperor's generals resisted him or not. It is -possible that he thought such an advance would assist John George of -Saxony, whose territory lay next in his path, to make up his mind. - -And at this time the Emperor Ferdinand was aware that Count Fürstenberg, -his chief commander in Austrian Italy, had arrived by leisurely marches -with twenty thousand veteran troops by way of Franconia and the upper -Palatinate, to join Tilly's army, so that, like Gustavus, he also -intended to assist John George of Saxony to make up his mind. - -To Pappenheim, Tilly being still at Erfurt, or in the confines of -Thüringia, Nigel brought word of the advance of Gustavus. Pappenheim -sent word to Tilly, and Tilly returned to concert operations. - -They had scarcely joined hands again when the Emperor's messenger -arrived bidding them forthwith march into Saxony. - -Imperial courtesy demanded that the Emperor's general should give John -George at least a single opportunity of submission. Two officers of high -rank were sent to the Elector with an imperious demand. John George made -a dignified reply as became a prince, entertained the officers with -Saxon hospitality as a prince, and at the close of the banqueting -uttered this dry and humorous warning:-- - -"Gentlemen, I perceive that the Saxon confectionery, which has been so -long kept back, is at length to be set upon the table. But, as it is -usual to mix it with nuts and other hard ingredients, I pray you to take -care of your teeth." - -In a short space Tilly was before Leipzig, threatening it with fire and -sword, and the fate of Magdeburg; and Pappenheim was thirty miles to the -west taking possession of Merseburg. - -Then John George made up his mind. - -Then rode messengers offering alliance to Gustavus, who, ever mindful of -a possible evil day and a clear line of retreat, demanded the fortresses -he had asked for before. - -John George offered these, offered his family as hostages--whatsoever -Gustavus would. Magdeburg, which was another's, had failed to move him. -But Leipzig (the prudent city had surrendered on conditions to Tilly) -did move him. It might be Dresden next. Besides, he had forty thousand -men in brand-new uniforms, bright and hard Saxon confectionery, and -Arnim the Lutheran, who had once commanded under Wallenstein, to lead -them. Surely between his forces and Gustavus they might trip up Tilly -and Pappenheim, and knock the two elderly generals' heads together till -they cracked. - -So it happened that before John George quite realised that war was upon -him, that he had at last committed himself to a side, his beloved -country was overrun with armies, and there dawned the day of -Breitenfeld, or as some prefer to call it, of Leipzig. - -Nigel and Hildebrand were exchanging a few words over a hasty breakfast, -while Sergeant Blick was, with the aid of the other officers, -overlooking the arms and saddles of the troopers. - -"Thank Heaven!" said Hildebrand, "we are meeting the Swede at last! Yet -the old man looks grey this morning!" - -"Aye!" said Nigel. "Tilly has not been himself since he made his -headquarters in the gravedigger's house outside Leipzig." - -"It was an ill omen that the only house that was left after our -cannonade should be a gravedigger's, with skulls and cross-bones all -over it," said the other lugubriously. - -"Tut, man! So long as it kept out the weather! Though why Tilly let the -Swede and John George join forces without a shot puzzles me. He seems, -though he says nothing, to hold the Swede in too much respect." - -"Well, the Swede has all his work to do. Tilly has made his dispositions -well." - -They pushed back their seats and went out. - -Behind them was a long range of hills, along which three hundred feet -above where they stood were posted battery after battery of Tilly's -guns. The two officers looked out over a gently sloping plain to the -eastward and descried the long line of a little river, marked here and -there by clumps of willows, and the occasional gleam of the morning sun -on its surface. Beyond the rivulet at some miles' distance they could -make out men and horses in movement, banners, and the play of light -upon a rippling sea of weapons: but all was as yet indistinct, save that -there seemed to be two separate armies with a considerable space of -country between. - -"Gustavus does not wish us to confound his well-trained veterans with -the Saxon gingerbread!" said Hildebrand. - -"But which is which?" asked Nigel. "For my part I ask nothing better -than to let fly my rough-riders at the Swedes, and let any one else hew -down the Saxons!" - -"Hum!" said Hildebrand. "Heaven knows how our rascals will behave under -fire!" - -Nigel's eyes gleamed. "I'll cut down the first man that wavers!" - -"Well," said Hildebrand. "Thank Heaven again we're attached to Tilly's -division, for where that is will be the hottest of the fighting. He's a -devil to fight is Tilly." - -"It is the Empire or the Swede to-day. And Tilly knows it. No wonder he -looks grey. There he is! Come along!" - -They took their places in front of the regiment. They were on the right -wing of the centre division. The infantry in closely massed battalions -stretched for a long distance. Then came the cavalry of Tilly's left. -Beyond them was a division of Pappenheim stretching away into the haze. -To Nigel's right again was the division led by Count Fürstenberg, a -formidable host in itself. - -"Your men look mettlesome, colonel," Tilly growled, as he rode along by -Nigel's regiment, his well-known red feather standing out in the -westerly breeze. - -Nigel saluted again. "They will give a good account of themselves, -general!" he said loud enough for the regiment to hear. - -Presently it was clear to all those who had good eyes that the Swede was -to oppose Pappenheim, and was moving in a long line towards the -rivulet, was, in fact, nearly at its bank. The guns of Tilly on the -hills sounded a salute to the great day, the first balls falling, -however, short of the rivulet. Tilly noted it and looked displeased -enough. Pappenheim noticed, and led his cavalry to the water's edge to -dispute the passage. The battle had begun. Even at the beginning the -generalship of Gustavus made itself felt. His men were disposed in two -long lines of no great depth. There were no massed battalions to offer -easy marks for Tilly's cannon. His whole forces were distributed in -small bodies, each able to move with celerity, and accustomed to draw to -itself and oppose its own share of the attack, without, however, causing -any break in the general plan. But his musketry made play upon the -splendid cavalry that swept down in orderly fashion to meet them. And -from the intervals of the regiments of musketeers came the steady cannon -shots, well aimed and low, making little lanes of fallen horses and men -in Pappenheim's cavalry. Pappenheim was obliged to withdraw his cavalry -to re-form them, and the Swedes began to cross the rivulet. The rivulet -must needs be wide and deep that will stop any army extended over a wide -front. - -Pappenheim fired the village of Podelwitz as he retreated, a village -that lay between his first position and the rivulet. The west wind laden -with smoke and dust blew strongly and into the faces of the Swedes. But -still they pressed on and began to get some of their artillery over. - -From his position on the lower slopes of the hill Nigel could see the -Swedish lines gradually formed, and marked the new plan of setting out -the battle. To his mind it seemed to be tempting fortune on the part of -the Swede to oppose a swarm of separate companies, of groups of -companies, to the heavy masses that sooner or later in the day were to -sweep steadily upon them. But he did not count upon the advantages the -Swede possessed in a more extended firing line, and in offering less -conspicuous, if more numerous, targets to the enemy. - -Nigel chafed at the inevitable delay till they should be ordered into -action. For at least two hours the cannon along the ridge thundered over -their heads and seemed to make little impression upon either Swedes or -Saxons. - -Then Pappenheim with his two thousand cuirassiers launched forth again -against Gustavus himself, who commanded the right wing of the Swedes. -And Nigel marked that the Swedish right were wheeling towards the north, -and that their fire was fierce and evenly sustained. - -At last the little general with the red feather gave orders for the -centre to attack, and Nigel gripped his saddle tighter with his knees, -and led his regiment down on to the plain, keeping within the interval -between two great double battalions of musketeers and pikemen. It was -slow at first, till they drew near the enemy, and then came the turn of -his troopers. The infantry having delivered their fire advanced slowly, -while Nigel's regiment and the other cavalry rode to the front rapidly, -halted, fired, and fell back. This they did many times, but still the -Swedes did not give way. Tilly felt not only the fire of the Swedes in -front but that of Gustavus' right wing on his flank, so to avoid this -and partly perhaps because the thing looked tempting, he took ground to -the right, and ordered a rapid attack upon the Saxons, who perhaps by -accident had drawn rather towards Tilly than to Count Fürstenberg. - -Tilly was right in the one thing. He bore down upon the Saxons, and the -Saxon army showed its rawness; for it gave way on all sides, and only a -few regiments maintained their ground; the rest fled, and even John -George himself. - -Nigel's spirits rose with Tilly's. Tilly swept round again to fall upon -the left wing of the Swedes. But only to find that Gustavus, apprised of -the Saxon flight, had reinforced his left with three more regiments, and -that Pappenheim on Tilly's left was battling for dear life against -Gustavus himself, unable to maintain his ground. - -Desperately did Tilly endeavour to overcome. Again and again and again -he led his still unbroken masses against Horn, the Swedish general, and -again and again the Swedes hurled them back. - -Again and again Hildebrand and Nigel charged with their rough-riders, -who were no cowards, meeting alike musketeers and pikemen and even -Horn's cuirassiers. But it was of no avail. - -Then came the news that Pappenheim's men had broken and fled. Then that -the artillery on the hills were in the hands of Gustavus, a fact that -they soon became aware of. In face of them was the Swedish left, behind -them were their own guns, and on their left flank Gustavus, marching -through the _débris_ of Pappenheim's host, was sweeping down upon them. -The day was over. Nigel and Hildebrand rallied their tattered remnant of -fifty saddles and rode after Tilly to act as his bodyguard. Nigel -scanned the field with a quick eye and caught sight of him. A Swedish -captain of horse was on the point of taking the little general prisoner -when Nigel, spurring his horse, rode the Swede down. - - * * * * * - -Nigel's sword went through him. The man rolled over with the onset, and -then fell with his upturned face grinning at his slayer in the very -spasm of death. There was one final flash of recognition between four -eyes. It was enough. Nigel was out of his saddle in an instant, an -instant of deadly peril, ransacked the man's doublet, took out a bulky -letter, and sprang to horse again. They had remounted Count Tilly, who -was barely able to sit his horse by reason of his wounds. Nigel bade two -sturdy troopers hold him on by any means; and taking the lead, rallying -whatever troopers came his way, and sending word to the few remaining -foot-regiments to follow, he pressed with all speed towards the open -country to the northward. It was a miserable remnant of a mighty army -which bivouacked at Halle. - -The last glimpse of the field of battle that Nigel caught had shown him -Pastor Rad, with a regiment of Swedes on their knees before him, -offering up in stentorian tones a thanksgiving for the Swedish victory -over his German and Catholic brethren. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - AT HALBERSTADT. - - -It was the evening of the third day after Breitenfeld. Vague rumours of -disaster had travelled across the intervening country of Halberstadt, -city, bishopric, and independent state in one, a stronghold for, rather -than of, the Empire, the domain and seat of Leopold the Bishop, a -Habsburger and cousin of Ferdinand. The city was not strong enough to -resist for long an attack by Gustavus, should he choose to make one, but -it was strong enough to serve for a short while as a rallying-place for -Tilly's fugitives. - -Leopold the Bishop and his spoiled favourite niece, as he chose to call -her, the Archduchess Stephanie, stood on the flat roof of the tallest -tower of the palace looking along the road to the southernward. On the -face of Leopold, a proud ecclesiastical face, rather rotund than -ascetic, sat an extreme anxiety, and his sharp eyes roved restlessly -from the road to the city walls, where men were mustered and ordnance -trained, and officers bustled to and fro with an air of urgency. For who -knew what a few hours might reveal, whether the banners of Sweden, or of -Saxony, of Brandenburg or Hesse Cassel, would come swaying and -fluttering from the passes in the hills. - -The Archduchess for the most part kept her gaze fixed upon the road, -though, woman-like, she lost little of what went on below. Her eyes -glistened with eagerness, but her features betrayed little of the drawn -look that the Bishop's wore. If the Bishop noticed it, he said nothing, -putting her apparent lack of anxiety down to the score of youth. But -absorbed as he was in the inward contemplation of the stakes at issue, -he did not closely scrutinise the face of his niece. For him the turn of -events meant a very possible siege, a defence of sorts, a storming and a -sack, or a judicious submission, but in any case a great inroad into his -treasure-chests. It promised indignities falling short of bodily -suffering, but hard to bear, and an ultimate disposal of his lands and -possessions in ways that would at once reduce his princely bishopric to -the dimensions of a paltry benefice, until the Lutheran tide should -recede and the Church take her own again. - -For the niece it meant excitement, peril, but peril that would pass. -Princesses might be held to ransom, but no more. She might be expected -to sympathise with her father in the defeat of his armies, to feel -aggrieved at Fortune, who had dealt so hard a blow at her house, but not -to be prostrated by her grief. She would still be the beautiful -Archduchess Stephanie, and in the clash of armies and in the affairs of -a hazardous campaign there was like to be scant attention paid to the -matrimonial projects of Maximilian. Was this all? A cry broke from her -lips, and she pointed to the farthest bend of the road visible from the -tower. - -"Now we shall know!" said the Bishop, clenching his lips firmly as if to -make sure they did not tremble. - -Round the bend came thirty or forty troopers, and the first man carried -a yellow pennon. - -"Tilly's men!" the Bishop exclaimed fervently. "To Thee be thanks, O -Lord!" - -The Archduchess's eyes were riveted. Whether her emotion had really -been restrained hitherto by pride or not, her eyes filled with tears: -tears that she hastily brushed away, leaving her eyes again free to -discern what they might. - -This time it was a group of officers, and in the middle could be -distinguished the famous red feather, drooping, it is true, but there. - -"Count Tilly himself, Uncle!" - -Behind the little cavalcade came a regiment of foot, still preserving a -martial appearance, with its pikemen and its musketeers, and after it -another and yet another. - -It was almost pitiful to hear the proud Bishop, secure except for the -ears of his niece, ejaculating his thankfulness, as each addition to his -possible defenders came in sight. - -Then as the cavalcade of officers approached the town gates the lips of -the Archduchess murmured, "Holy Mother, I thank thee!" and she put her -slender fingers into her uncle's as if to communicate to him something -of what she felt. - -It was true that she had recognised Colonel Nigel Charteris among the -war-worn leaders as they rode through the gate of Halberstadt, but why -should the saving of this man's life more than those of a thousand -others elicit her cry of devotion? - -Within an hour Leopold in his episcopal robes received Tilly and his -officers. Beside him, arrayed in all her richest attire, sat the -Archduchess Stephanie. The little general, the stains of his forced -march removed as far as possible, his left arm in a sling, his head -disfigured by the uncouth bandages of his barber surgeon, strode forward -with a gallant air, but with an unmistakable limp. He had been wounded -at Breitenfeld full a half-dozen times, and only his dauntless spirit -and his stalwart supporters had helped him to sustain the toils of the -retreat. - -The Bishop received him with great compassion and honour, giving him -great praise for his courage and placing him beside him in a noble -chair: not, however, before the general had bowed as low as his wounds -permitted and kissed the hand of the Archduchess, whose eyes melted at -the sight of her father's faithful soldier, to whom fortune had shown -herself so froward. - -"Battered, your Highness, beaten, but with God's grace I will face -Gustavus again!" he said to her. - -Came Nigel's turn. He presented himself, in default of a better, in the -suit he had worn at Breitenfeld. He was thin and yellowish for a man of -his natural colouring. A day of battle and three days' flight before the -pursuers had drained his vitality over and above his actual wounds, -which had happily left his face unmarred and his limbs uncrippled. - -The Archduchess claimed him. - -"Colonel Nigel Charteris, Uncle. He came to Vienna with despatches from -Magdeburg. A Scottish gentleman who has doubtless done good service in -the battle!" She turned her eyes inquiringly towards Count Tilly. - -"But for him I might not have left the field!" said Tilly briefly. "I -scarce know whether he did me service or disservice, your Highness," he -added, with something between a grunt and a sigh. "He fights like a wild -boar!" - -"A pity we had not a legion of such angels!" said the Bishop as he laid -his hand in fatherly fashion on his shoulder. - -The Archduchess motioned Nigel to her side. - -"Believe me, Colonel Charteris, I am mighty glad that you have come -through the battle unscathed; though you make not the figure of bravery -you did at Vienna!" - -"I am ashamed, your Highness, to meet your eye in such mean clothing, -but the Swede gave us no time to pack our valises, and, after all, -one's own skin with a live man within is better than a coat of many -colours upon a corpse." - -The sun broke out in the eyes of the Archduchess. - -"How you do take me at my word! You say nothing of surprise at finding -me at Halberstadt? Does nothing surprise you?" - -"Your Highness spoke of nunneries at our last meeting, and I find you in -a Bishop's palace. In a nunnery I could not picture your radiance. Here -you are in your own place, and under the tutelage of the Church, no -less." - -"Still the courtier of our camps! And have you met again our cousin -Ottilie?" She flung the question at him carelessly, or so it seemed, as -if she were indifferent as to the answer. - -"That have I, your Highness!" he answered, looking straightly into the -eyes of the Archduchess. And whether it was that he was fordone with his -toils, his sudden remembrance of the Wartburg brought the colour back -into his pale cheeks. - -"So!" said the Archduchess. "There have been passages of arms between -you! Ottilie is fortunate that she is not an Archduchess." There was a -shadowy pretence of petulance in the princess's tone. "Did we not -stipulate that you were our own cavalier?" - -"In all liege service, yes, your Highness! Even to the death! Have I not -fought for you at Breitenfeld? Have I not felt the Lady Ottilie pour out -hot scorn upon me almost to the limit of man's forbearance, because I -served the Emperor, and in serving him, your Highness?" - -"I should not have deemed you one to brook over much scorn," she said, -veiling her eyes, then flooding his face with their searching gaze. - -"Nor am I by nature very patient, your Highness!" - -"Then it must be that you love Ottilie! That if I can claim your -service, even your life, she, this meddler with the Lutherans, can claim -and hold your love?" The Archduchess spoke in low tones. Again Nigel -could almost persuade himself that it was Ottilie who spoke, wishful to -hear his avowal of passion. And yet it was not Ottilie. - -"Why should you begrudge her so small a gift, or rather so poor an -offering, for I know not if she has accepted it?" he urged. - -"Because a princess can never be sure that she commands love. Service -she knows she can command, even to the death. Men will spend themselves -for any bubble they call honour or duty. I grudge Ottilie your love. I -grudge any woman that is loved, her lover's love." The Archduchess spoke -with heat. - -Nigel rejoiced that the Archduchess made it clear to him that in seeking -the heart of Ottilie he was not spurning hers; that she was only giving -tongue to the loneliness of rank. For in truth in the immediate presence -of the Archduchess, radiant, full of charm, he felt the memory of -Ottilie pale; and, loyal as he tried to be to his colours, whether in -love or war, he would have been more than man not to have felt an -answering emotion had anything she said given shape to the idea that she -too loved him. - -So much they were able to say amid the ceremonious tumult of the -arrivals. - -Supper was set and the good things of Halberstadt were lavished upon the -officers who had accompanied the retreat. It was not long before the -Archduchess and her attendant ladies left the hall for their own -chambers. And it was not till the morrow that Nigel again saw the -Archduchess. - -The circumstances of a common peril loosened the observances of ceremony -and made it possible for them to meet, after Nigel had set in motion -the springs of military duty which were immediately necessary. As before -at Vienna the Archduchess received him in the gardens of the palace, but -this time in broad daylight. - -"And Bramante's figure?" she asked suddenly. - -"A vain imagining, your Highness! Though at the time I own I was amazed -at his jugglery." - -"So you deemed it mere fooling?" - -"What could I else? 'Tis true the course of my life has brought me into -your Highness's gracious presence. But what of Wallenstein? The Emperor -will have none of him. Gustavus has passed him by. He is as an old sword -thrown in a chimney corner to stir ashes with." - -The Habsburg pride and haughtiness made itself heard in her voice and -seen on her lineaments. - -"You do not know Albrecht von Waldstein. He is too great to rust. Can -you not see that now, even now, when your armies have crumbled before -Gustavus, while Tilly, the pride of Ferdinand, and Pappenheim, the -pillar of Maximilian, have been broken in two like straws, that the -supreme moment has come, the moment when the Emperor must and shall -recall him, beg him as a suppliant to raise the fallen standards and -gather yet again one of his mysterious and invincible armies, which -shall drive Saxon and Brandenburger whimpering to their kennels, and -Gustavus and his pastors scattering to their ships!" - -The tones that began in pride and scorn had changed into tones of -prophetic exaltation. And for the first time Nigel comprehended that the -fortunes of Wallenstein were dearer to her heart than a lover's passion. -She was not merely what he had imagined the titular queen of -Wallenstein's party in the court, but her mind and heart were engaged, -enthralled by the idea of the future greatness of Wallenstein himself. - -But Nigel's straightforwardness would not let him budge from his -self-appointed path. - -"Wallenstein is not loyal to the Emperor!" - -"Loyalty!" she exclaimed in a fine note of scorn. "Loyalty in German -lands! In Europe! To what? To one's faith? That does not hinder father -slaying son or brother brother. To one's pacts? It is as it suits one's -interests! Feudalism is dead. The Emperor's vassals rise against him. -And Albrecht von Waldstein is no vassal of the Emperor. He is a Bohemian -noble. True, our house of Habsburg conquered Bohemia, and our brother is -in name their king. But Bohemia is as free as it chooses, when it -chooses." - -"But Wallenstein served the Emperor, amassed untold riches in his -service. Does he owe no allegiance?" - -"Not a jot! He is of the race of Achilles! He fights where his eagle -mind dictates, not where some trembling Agamemnon bids. But why call him -disloyal?" - -"Your Highness! I yield to none in admiration of Wallenstein's genius, -but at every turn of my road I have met evidences of his emissaries -being in touch with your father's enemies. This could have been borne, -if he had boldly gone into the quarrel on the side of Gustavus, but to -stay skulking at Prague while he sent out his poisonous messages...." - -"Sir! I like not your adjectives!" she said, quickening her pace in her -anger. - -"And then waiting the event," Nigel proceeded, "to send this to -Gustavus, _if he should be victorious_." - -Nigel thrust his hand into his tunic and brought out a packet. - -"Read what is writ!" she said carelessly. - -"These for Gustavus in the event of his gaining a complete victory over -Count Tilly." - -"In the event," Nigel commented. - -"Spare the commentary, Colonel Charteris! What lies within?" - -"In substance it is an offer from Wallenstein, begging for a command -from Gustavus of a pitiful twelve thousand men, and promising in return -to drive the Emperor and every Habsburg out of Austria." - -The eyes of the Archduchess flashed. Her colour rose. Her bosom heaved -and fell. - -She stretched forth her hand for the letter. - -Nigel did not hesitate. He gave it. Was it not his to give, his only -spoil of the battlefield? - -"You have made no copy? Told no one?" - -"No, your Highness!" - -She held out her hand again in token of dismissal. Nigel kissed it, gave -one swift glance at her imperial face and went away to the ramparts. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - THE RESTLESSNESS OF STEPHANIE. - - -The next few days passed at Halberstadt in transforming the mass of -fugitives into the semblance of an army. Cavalry and infantry were -re-mustered under their regimental standards, where a nucleus existed in -the shape of an old regiment. Where there was none, a new one was -formed. All found an entry on some roster. The defences of the city were -improved in all possible ways and provisions were got in. The little -general busied himself in sending messages to all the imperial garrisons -within reach to concentrate at a spot named, by the river Weser, and it -was from this source that he expected to collect another army rather -than from any fresh enlistments. Tilly with a bite and a sup would -gladly have passed on. He fretted under the inaction which his numerous -wounds made absolutely necessary: the more so that as yet he had no -certain knowledge of the trend of the plans of his great adversary. -Sometimes he talked as though he had done with war. These were the days -when his wounds did not look like healing. Nigel knew the old war-dog -well enough to ask, "Who shall succeed?" That stiffened the Count von -Tzerclaës quickly enough. He was one of those men who do not breed -successors. - -But by the first days of October it was announced and confirmed that -Gustavus had turned to march westward, and that the Elector of Saxony -was to march upon Prague. Tilly's plans soon took a definite shape. He, -too, would march westward, but along the plains of Lower Saxony into -Brunswick, then towards the Rhine, gathering garrisons as he went, till -he could turn and meet Gustavus with a force sufficient to annihilate -him. - -Nigel's rough-riders became the nucleus of a regiment, which was given -to Hildebrand von Hohendorf, and he himself was again chosen by Tilly -for a confidential journey to the Emperor. This time nothing was -committed to writing save the commendations General Tilly thought fit to -make of Nigel's conduct in the battle and during the retreat. Tilly's -plans for the future conduct of the campaign, and such requests as he -had to make, were carefully committed to Nigel's memory. A small escort -was given him, for the task of getting from Halberstadt to Vienna -without falling into the arms of Gustavus's rearguard, or some of the -widely-spread Saxon contingents moving, as doubtless many of them would -be doing, eastward, was one requiring great vigilance, skill, and, above -all, speed, and numbers would have availed less than nothing. His plan -was to make his way as straightly as possible to the nearest point of -the Bavarian border, and once across that, the roads to Vienna were for -the present likely to be free from Swede and Saxon alike. - -The only document he carried, in addition to Count Tilly's letter to the -Emperor, was the extraordinary letter from Wallenstein taken from the -dead Count von Teschen. This the Archduchess Stephanie had returned to -him privately, with these few words inscribed upon the inside of the -paper that enveloped them-- - - "_The ardour of a great loyalty createth a cloud of smoke, seen - through which other men's actions may be distorted out of the - natural semblance of beauty. So doth the ardour of a great love._" - - * * * * * - -Pondering over this, Nigel set out. - -As to the Archduchess Stephanie, no sooner was Nigel set out than she -began to feel a great restlessness, which manifested itself in very -desultory marches, to the wearying of her ladies, up and down in the -palace, with occasional forays out into the city and along the ramparts, -in the course of which she pursued the officers of high rank with -puzzling questions as to the possible course of the war. - -"But it is impossible, your Highness, to give a guess!" said a grave and -stout general officer. "When we know what force we have to dispose -of----" - -"Yes! Yes!" said the impatient princess. "But still, what do you think?" - -"No one can say, your Highness!" - -Her Highness left him to growl at his fellow-officers at the -extraordinary habit of woman, even lovely woman, even a Habsburger, to -ask questions which did not admit of an answer, and in any case did not -concern her. Then she attacked the next she met with similar results. - -She even dared to beard the old general in his quarters, beginning with -sympathetic inquiries after his wounds. The old general, taciturn and -not over gracious by force of habit, unbent a little to the Emperor's -daughter. - -"Give me time, your Highness, and I shall beat the Swede." - -"How?" - -"Look you, your Highness! The farther the Swede marches from the Baltic -the longer must be his chain of garrisons in his rear, for if he once -sustain a great defeat he must retreat. By the time he reaches the -Rhine his army of Swedes must be greatly diminished, and his force -consist largely of German Protestants, recruited as he goes." - -"And do not Protestants fight as well as Catholics?" - -"When they are trained and disciplined!" - -"And where will _you_ get trained soldiers?" - -"From the Imperial garrisons! Then there are the Spaniards in the -Rhenish Palatinate, the best infantry in the world." - -"And if Richelieu launches the French soldiers at them?" - -"It would be the devil!" Count Tilly became very thoughtful. "It is not -to be expected that a Catholic power would give aid to the Swedes. Was -it not Richelieu who turned the scales against Wallenstein at Ratisbon?" - -"But," objected the princess, "what did that prove? Did it not result in -the dispersal of Wallenstein's army, and the weakening of the Catholic -power, of the Imperial power?" - -"I am not politician, your Highness! I hate cardinals and politicians -equally. I am a soldier. If I have a moderate measure of fortune, and -Pappenheim does not make any more blunders, it is odds but we beat the -Swede, Richelieu or no Richelieu." - -The Archduchess showed by her manner that she thought otherwise. - -"There is Saxony! There is Brandenburg! There is Weimar!" - -"Confound them all!" growled Count Tilly, who had done nothing else but -look at the astonishing problem he proposed to face, and he at present -tied by the leg with a mere eight or ten battalions under his banner. -"And," this was an after-thought born of sheer impatience, "your -Highness, there is a lady who calls herself Ottilie von Thüringen, who -takes a great interest in the Lutheran cause." - -"Indeed!" said the Archduchess. - -"She was taken prisoner at Magdeburg and sent under escort of Colonel -Charteris to Erfurt! I saw her and had some words with her." - -"Yes?" said the Archduchess. - -"She bore a singular likeness to your Highness! I was wondering if you -had any relative of that name!" - -"I have never heard of one!" said the Archduchess. - -"A mere coincidence, doubtless!" said the general. - -"By the way, Count, I am thinking of leaving Halberstadt." - -"Leaving Halberstadt! Does your Highness propose to ride with me to -raise an army?" - -"I might be of less use elsewhere!" she said, smiling, to tease the old -general, whose dislike of petticoats was well known. - -"Where is elsewhere?" - -"Vienna!" - -"And how do you propose to get there?" - -"You can lend me an escort?" - -"Impossible! You would want six battalions to fight off the rearguard of -Gustavus, or the left wing of the Saxons." - -"But you have just let Colonel Charteris go with a mere handful!" - -"He will ride the faster! Colonel Charteris is a soldier, and the very -devil for getting into trouble and out of it." - -"But the Emperor's daughter?" - -"Your Highness, were you the daughter of twenty emperors it would still -be impossible." - -"You think that I should not arrive at Vienna in safety!" - -"Except as a prisoner. But your Highness came hither of your own -choice." - -"Assuredly! I intend to leave it of my own choice too." - -Count Tilly tugged at his long moustaches in despair. "Princess!" And in -addition to all his other cares! There was really only one princess, but -she appeared to him by reason of her self-will to be at least half a -dozen. She still stood there gazing at him out of those wonderful -dancing black eyes. ("Confound her eyes," Tilly said to himself.) - -"Perhaps Gustavus or John George might give me a safe-conduct if I -required it." - -"There are more unlikely things, your Highness! Particularly if your -Highness made your request in person!" - -"They could not be more obdurate than Count Tilly!" - -"At the present time, your Highness, they are in better posture to -afford courtesies than I am to spare men." - -Her Highness pouted and went in search of her uncle, the Bishop. She -thought to win him over before Count Tilly had seen him. - -But her uncle Leopold, now that it seemed as if the tide of war was to -sweep away from Halberstadt, was not willing to part with his niece. -Even a Bishop of the Holy Roman Church, vowed to celibacy as he was, was -not indifferent to ties of familial affection, and Stephanie's beauty -and youth and intelligence were all living and pleasant things, not to -be lightly set aside. - -"You are as safe here, Stephanie, as in Vienna!". - -"But I am not afraid! I would rather be where my father is!" - -"But you came here to avoid marrying Maximilian or going into a nunnery, -which was it?" - -"Both, uncle. But Maximilian will be too busy for marrying for a long -time to come. He has to find an army and beat Gustavus." - -"In the next place, you can't get to Vienna!" - -"Hardly without an escort! But you could persuade Count Tilly to give me -a hundred men and two officers." - -"It seems to me that Count Tilly would as soon go himself as part with -half a company." - -"He does not seem very willing, but I am relying on your persuasion, -uncle." - -"It is evident, Stephanie, that you cannot go at once. In a week or two -more men may have come in. In a week or two the roads may be clear of -the enemy. Promise me, dear niece, that you will defer the matter for -ten days. You cannot grudge your old uncle ten days of your pleasant -company!" The Bishop looked affectionately at her. - -"For ten days longer, then, my uncle! Then escort or no escort, I must -go." - -"I will see what can be done!" said the Bishop. - -The restlessness of the Archduchess was by no means allayed. For in her -mind events were singing "Wallenstein." Now or never, surely, did the -portents point to Wallenstein. Where was the Emperor going to lay his -hands on a weapon to defend himself even against Saxony? The Saxons were -about to pour down into Bohemia. And after that Vienna lay defenceless. - -As to Wallenstein's letter to Gustavus, so far from regarding it as -evidence of treachery or of ingratitude, at the least she saw in it only -design, design to lure Gustavus on to his own destruction by making him -think that the greatest army-leader in all German lands was willing to -serve him. - -The Archduchess told herself that the desire to see Wallenstein, to know -his plans, to further them, was at the root of her eagerness to depart. -At Vienna she felt sure that in this crisis she would be strong enough -to fight Father Lamormain on his own territory, and bring about the -recall of the hero of her political dreams. - -The Archduchess repeated it to herself with an unnecessary insistence -that bespoke questions arising within. When a woman acts from a single -strong motive, the motive becomes less something perceived in the mind -than felt in the heart, something that makes no room for gainsaying. - -Whereas there was Nigel, this Scots colonel, this soldier without a -fortune, who was so full of this thing, this vaporous thing, loyalty. -Colonel Charteris had not been brought up at court, still less any court -in Europe. He had not acquired the ethics of the petty warfare that went -on within every court, nor the still more elastic code of right and -wrong as applied to the rivalries between court and court, nor a -sympathy for the uncloaked knavery that dictated the moves in the game -of treaties and alliances and attacks, provoked or unprovoked, that went -on between the powers of France, of the United Provinces, of Spain, of -Italy. To her all these things had been familiar. This soldier from the -north country had seemed astounded that Wallenstein could act as he to -all appearances had done. He had shown indignation, which not even her -own royal presence had quelled. What a fiery soul beneath how noble a -surface of manhood! She pictured him again and again with something of -admiration, and admiration led her on, Archduchess as she was, to ask -which was the more commendable, the spirit of loyalty which was Nigel's, -or the spirit of entirely personal ambition which she herself was -fanning in Wallenstein. This question she answered by a subterfuge that -loyalty was commendable in Nigel, the more so that nothing engaged him -to it but his precious pay, but that personal ambition was the crown and -essence of Wallenstein, and in him entirely laudable. - -As to her ability to reach Vienna, the Archduchess had no doubt. Whether -she had an escort of six, or sixty, or six thousand, her daring and -resolute mind would convey her body there in safety. Of that she was -confident. A supremely beautiful woman, of high rank, possessed of money -and of such resources of speech and intelligence as hers, would in the -end defeat the Saxon, Swede, or Brandenburger who should endeavour to -stay her path. The real danger of the journey lay more in ignorant -soldiery or lawless freebooters than in generals or politicians. For -this and this only she would continue to press for an escort. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - PREPARES THE GROUND. - - -Father Lamormain had sent for Nigel. This in itself was a relief from -the daily dispiriting round. Nothing could have been duller than the -court of Vienna six weeks or more after Breitenfeld. The news which, -despite a disunited Germany in arms, came with frequency to Father -Lamormain through his far-reaching Jesuit agencies as well as by the -military messengers, was to the effect that Gustavus was besieging -Würzburg, and that the Elector of Saxony, John George, having recovered -Leipzig, was now clearing his province of Lusatia of the Imperial -troops, sent there under Rudolf von Tiefbach, before he set out to the -conquest of Bohemia. - -Nigel himself was fretting. For by this time Tilly had gathered an army -and had reached the Rhine. Nigel would fain have been with him. He found -employment in Vienna helping to enrol and drill the troops that were -being enlisted with a view to resisting the threatened invasion of -Bohemia by the Saxon Elector, but men came in slowly. And over every one -and every action brooded a spirit of depression. The outlook since the -crushing defeat of Breitenfeld was not a pleasant one. There was a vague -belief that Tilly on the Rhine, Pappenheim, who had managed to reach -Westphalia and raise men there, the Spaniards in Lorraine and the -Rhenish Palatinate, and Maximilian in Bavaria, would in some way or -other be too much for Gustavus. But there was no good news. - -"How goes the recruiting, colonel?" - -"Slowly! There is no spring in it, Father!" - -"Ah! How many men do you think we shall have to meet John George?" - -"That depends on Bohemia!" - -"And Bohemia means?" - -"Wallenstein!" - -"I notice," said Father Lamormain, "that you do not pronounce the name -in the same tone of admiration you once used to?" - -"It is, I suppose, Father, that my eyes have been opened since I first -came to Vienna!" - -"You have sent many faithful reports of his unfaith, of his -encouragement of Protestant princes, even of his offers to serve -Gustavus! And you think that if your belief is true, he is unworthy!" - -"I should say vile!" Nigel broke in. - -"Yet upon him rests the possibility of resistance in Bohemia?" - -"He lives in state in Prague, so they say, with a court and a multitude -of retainers. His name is still something to draw men!" - -"And what do you say if I tell you that the Grand Turk meditates an -invasion of Hungary?" - -"You must make your peace with Saxony!" - -"The Emperor has sent orders to Rudolf von Tiefbach to withdraw from -Lusatia." - -"Saxony will look upon that as a sign of weakness rather than amity, and -will invade us the quicker." - -"So I think!" said the Father with a sigh. "But the Emperor would have -it so." - -"When you spoke of Wallenstein as you did just now," he went on, "you -showed that you did not understand Wallenstein's point of view." The -Jesuit spoke in a contemplative, persuasive way. - -"I cannot understand disloyalty!" Nigel interposed. - -"But is it? This man was a Bohemian at a time when Bohemia was not even -an appanage of the House of Austria. He offered to raise an army to -assist the Catholic cause. He was successful. Wallenstein became great -in name, in riches, with a great army marching to his orders, began to -regard himself as one of the princes of Europe, one of the greatest. The -Catholic League dismissed him. This was a great shock to his pride, but -not to his riches or to his name. He still considered himself a prince, -owning no hereditary allegiance to the Habsburgs, none, in fact, to any -man, free to offer his services, his alliance, where he would. His plan -has been to fan the wind of Protestantism, not because he loves it, but -in order that he might raise the whirlwind of a gigantic war!" - -"Yes?" Nigel was eagerly attentive. - -"Then Gustavus came. Hesse, Saxony, all assisted in the incantation! -Tilly failed, Pappenheim failed! It is incredible how they failed." - -Nigel said merely-- - -"Tilly failed because he departed from his original plan, and Pappenheim -was out-fought. One mistake in a big battle is too many!" - -"There is yet much that may happen. But we have still Saxony to deal -with, and now the Grand Turk." - -"It is possible that the Emperor might need Wallenstein again." - -The Jesuit paused here and looked in a quizzical way at Nigel. - -Nigel flushed. He could not understand Father Lamormain talking in this -way, as if he was the defender of Wallenstein against obloquy, when a -few months before the same Father Lamormain, in company with Maximilian, -was resolutely opposed to Wallenstein, even against the Emperor's -inclination. - -"It is difficult to believe that the Emperor would not rather die on the -battlefield at the head of a faithful few than submit to such a course!" - -"I believe," said the Jesuit, "that you would ride in the last charge by -his side, as the old paladins did at Roncesvaux." His eyes roved over -Nigel approvingly. He recognised the goodness of the metal from which -with his own hammer he was striking the sparks. He was older, and his -enthusiasm and his resolution were deeper down, not less there than -Nigel's. - -"But the war is of more importance than the Emperor, or than -Wallenstein!" - -Nigel looked puzzled. - -"I came into the world not to bring peace but a sword," said the Father, -crossing himself. - -"You mean?" asked Nigel. - -"The war that the Church has waged through all ages and will always -wage! It is not by heroic deaths of Emperors, but by the steady -perennial application of means to ends that she wins her way. It is more -to her ultimate purpose and advantage to maintain the Habsburgs on the -throne, to preserve their pomp and power, than to let them court certain -destruction in order to add one more glittering legend to the roll of -military saints!" - -"I begin to see something of your meaning!" said Nigel. "Then -Wallenstein is only an instrument that Holy Church intends to use?" - -"Precisely!" said Father Lamormain, bringing his lips together firmly, -as if he could have added something further and had swiftly decided -against it. - -"And with what lure will you attract him?" asked Nigel. - -"That we have yet to discover! He may decline altogether." - -"No, Father. The man that has once commanded armies, not being a king, -can never willingly lay down his baton to become a grazier of oxen, -unless he be too old to march even in a litter." - -"I am a man of peace, you know!" said the Jesuit. - -"But you will never lay down your baton till you die!" said Nigel with -understanding. Beneath the suavity were _finesse_ and a high -intelligence, but below all was the measureless strength of purpose and -zeal for the cause that was of the essence of his life. Nigel saw this -as in a glass darkly. That to this quiet Jesuit men and women and their -personal emotions, their loves, their ambitions, their humiliations, -were as nothing but tools to be used, or pipes to be played upon, Nigel -did not as yet even suspect--or perchance, had he suspected, might have -craved leave to follow Tilly, where hard knocks were plentiful and blood -ran freely, to take part in a visible strife and with open foes, men of -like manner to himself. - -"If you mean _this_!" said the Father gravely, lifting his crucifix from -his breast to his lips. "No! Nor then! He will find work for my soul! -But now," he went on in a changed voice, "I sent for you to send you on -an errand. You are to be the tempter of Wallenstein." - -"Surely you can choose a legate of more credit and authority than me!" - -"Possibly, but not one more likely to elicit Wallenstein's candour." - -"And how will he receive an ambassador of my humble station? Will he not -rather deem it another affront, and throw his weight wholly into the -opposite scale?" - -"As to rank, the Emperor is pleased with your behaviour as a regimental -commander, and your courage and conduct in the battle and the retreat -from Breitenfeld. Your patent as major-general is being made out. -Wallenstein may appear cold. He may appear haughty, but you will let him -understand that you are but the forerunner. You will explain that the -Emperor is desirous of knowing first, whether His Grace the Duke of -Friedland would be willing, should the occasion arise, to raise another -army to oppose first Saxony, then Gustavus, on the part of the Empire, -and in the second place, what conditions His Grace would expect to be -fulfilled, and what powers must be included in his patent. Once the -general extent of his demands are known a negotiation may be set on foot -through channels which will safeguard his dignity." - -The interview proceeded at some length, Father Lamormain laying down -with great precision the details of the points on which Nigel was to -touch. - -"You will go to Prague ostensibly in command of reinforcements for the -garrison, and to report to the Emperor the state of the defences of that -city. In the ordinary course you will naturally beg the favour of being -received by the Duke, and so gain his private ear." - -"Having learned all you can, you will return with all speed, for events -are moving quickly." - -"I can but do my best," Nigel said in conclusion, "and that best may be -poor. Meantime I crave the Emperor's patience, and the opportunity -afterwards to gain his further favour in some military employment, for -to tell the truth, Father, this embassy work is not suited to my bent. -Though I can but thank the Emperor very heartily for the honour he does -me in reposing so much of his confidence in me." - -So the interview ended as it had begun with a benediction, and the next -day saw Nigel and a considerable body of troops, with a full complement -of officers, set out for Prague. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - ORBIT AND FOCUS. - - -The best inn at Znaim was a solidly built and roomy and uncomfortable -place. Znaim is on the road from Vienna to Prague, and is actually in -the Mark of Mähren, neither in Austria nor Bohemia. Whether that was a -reason why His Grace the Duke of Friedland should have affrighted, as -much as overjoyed, the host of the Golden Fleece by his presence it is -not possible to say, but he was there with an attendance of two -gentlemen and six men-servants, not counting horse-boys. As he told no -one why he was going to Znaim, or whether he was passing beyond Znaim, -no one could satisfy the curiosity of the host, who having been warned -by courier, had caused a large upper room to be swept, laid down a rug -or two bought from a Hungarian trader, who had bought them from a Turk, -and set a fire of logs roaring in the chimney by way of banishing the -November damp. - -The great man had arrived at midday, dined with his gentlemen, who had -afterwards set off on some journey to the southward. Left alone, his -men-servants dismissed for the time being, the Duke amused himself by -making plans and calculations on sheets of paper, also by walking to and -fro, and peering out of the misty casement. The innkeeper took it into -his head that the Duke was expecting some one. - -And in the late afternoon, just as the Duke had called for candles, the -door opened and the man-servant announced "the Countess Ottilie von -Thüringen." - -From a hood of deep blue velvet edged with sable, a slight colour in her -cheeks from the wind, the mysterious eyes looked out expectant and -almost timid, if timidity had not been almost a stranger to the woman to -whom they belonged. - -The grave cold face of Wallenstein relaxed into a smile of welcome. He -bowed and kissed her hand. - -"So you are on your way, Countess Ottilie! 'Tis a long while since we -met." - -"Six months! Albrecht! Six months of inglorious rust!" There was an -undertone of reproach, very faint, perhaps scarcely meant. She was a -woman. - -The brow of Wallenstein resumed its furrows. - -"You at least have not rusted," he said. "Quicksilver could rust as -soon. You have been busy, my confederate. But indeed I have not been -exactly idle. And we may say truthfully that our efforts have -succeeded." - -"In so far that Protestant Germany is aroused from end to end by the -torch of Gustavus, and that the Catholic League was never so downcast as -now." - -"You say rightly that Gustavus applied the torch, but it is we who have -gathered the dry faggots together and spread them on the common hearth!" - -"Then you are pleased with me, Albrecht!" The wistfulness in her tone -was quite apparent. For a moment the great lady was merged into the -woman seeking approval from the man who sat upon the throne of her -admiration. - -"You are wonderful as well as beautiful!" said the Duke, not as a lover -says these things, but with the air of the connoisseur of minds, deeply -surprised that he has discovered a masterpiece where he looked merely -for an ordinary work of art. - -She coloured at his words and smiled. They pleased her, glibly as they -ran off his tongue, but with a lover's ardour to waft them into air how -much more would they have pleased her! - -"Yes!" She went on as if following out another thought. "Events are -moving fast towards the point we aimed at, your recall." - -"My recall? Yes! Six months ago I was dreaming of recall." - -In an instant she leaned forward anxiously to ask-- - -"Of what then do you now think if not of recall? To what end are you -planning? Towards what have I planned and journeyed and striven?" - -Wallenstein felt the annoyance that all self-centred men feel at making -others partners in their plans. But he showed nothing of it as he -answered-- - -"Of a confederacy of all German states on the basis of complete -religious liberty! It is of that I am thinking." - -She threw back her hood and opened her cloak. Then she asked with an -amused air-- - -"And for this it is necessary to _drive the Habsburgs over the Alps_?" - -Something very like a gleam of impatience, if not of anger, shot into -his eyes. - -"Could such a confederacy take place and the Emperor Ferdinand consent?" -he asked. - -"No! Nor could it take place while the Order of Jesus exists." - -"That also must go!" He showed plainly how indifferent it was. "But how -did you learn so much of my intentions?" - -"The dead gave up what the living had not sufficient trust to reveal!" -she said with some air of being hurt. - -"So von Teschen is dead! At Breitenfeld?" - -She nodded. - -"He was a useful servant, but too rash! Still, I am sorry to have lost -him!" - -"Was it altogether worthy of Albrecht von Waldstein to wait the issue of -a battle, and then to send congratulations to the victor?" The voice of -Ottilie von Thüringen conveyed sorrow. Her eyes, wide open, searched the -Duke's face, which showed nothing. - -"It is the handle of the sword I seek, not the point. There is nothing -worthy or unworthy. Without a command I cannot sway a single state! I -must begin by taking the sword by the handle." - -"Your Grace seems to have forgotten the tenor of the compact made with a -Habsburger, a rebel, but still a Habsburger. Let me remind you of it. -The objective was the restoration of your Grace to the command of the -armies of the Emperor, or of the Catholic League. To do this it was -necessary to encourage the Protestant powers to attack, and the greater -the danger to the Empire, the more sure would be your restoration. That -accomplished, the sword once more in your hand, you were to demand the -throne of Bohemia." - -"And who says that my purpose does not hold?" - -"Albrecht von Waldstein seems to say it. He talks of confederacies, of -driving out the Habsburgs. He who aspires to sit beside a Habsburg upon -a throne must first be worthy of her, and not diminish her worth in -lowering the lustre of her family and her name!" - -The splendid voice rang out with the pride and command of a great -princess, rebuking a too aspiring courtier. - -Wallenstein bowed to the utterance as to the throne itself, but raising -his head again and throwing back his wide shoulders replied-- - -"I have not forgotten, Ottilie! But the Habsburg princess that would sit -beside Wallenstein upon the throne of Bohemia derives her title from -him. It is not Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, a joining of -two monarchies. I confess that Europe holds but one princess, and that a -Habsburger, who can be an equal mate by reason of her intelligence, her -beauty, and her race, for Wallenstein, but she must learn that what he -does is right. Forgive me if I set the matter out too harshly. No man -ever played a greater game for greater stakes under auspices more -divine; but Wallenstein must play it." - -The eyes of the Countess Ottilie flashed in the light of the candles and -the firelight as she turned her head to answer him. - -But her answer died upon her lips, for the man-servant knocked and -entered. - -"A general officer from Vienna passing by with troops for Prague craves -audience, your Grace!" - -The Countess Ottilie resumed her hood and sat down again by the fire. -Wallenstein, anticipating no long interruption, understood that she -would contrive to remain incognita while he admitted this stranger to a -short audience. - -Nigel Charteris entered. - -As he came forward into the full light the Duke of Friedland started -perceptibly. - -"It is an omen! The circle, the oval, and the arc once more!" he -muttered. - -"Ah! Major-General! So _your_ star mounts! Whilst _mine_ flickers in a -far-off sky." - -"I had thought to have found your Grace alone, Duke!" said Nigel, -casting a glance at the hooded lady. - -"She is like yourself and myself a chance traveller to Znaim. I know -her. She is a friend before whom one may speak freely. What of the war?" - -Nigel told briefly what was known in Vienna, what he guessed that -Wallenstein already knew. - -The lady spread out her long slender fingers to the fire. Nigel saw them -without regarding them. He could not see her face, nor was he concerned -to try. She was Wallenstein's affair. - -Nigel did not wish to let the occasion slip, nor to lay too much stress -upon it. - -"In short," he said, after his recital of the position as a soldier -understood it to explain to a soldier, "the affairs of the Emperor are -in a serious plight, and he looks round for aid." - -"Is not His Holiness the Pope sending him an army, or at least an aid?" -asked Wallenstein. - -"It is said that His Holiness has too much to occupy his troops in -Italy," said Nigel. "Meantime Saxony is getting ready for the march." - -"The winter will stop him!" said Wallenstein. - -"He is like to winter in Prague!" said Nigel. - -The lady by the fireplace may have shivered, or shrugged her shoulders -in the least. A thought came to him that his prophecy might have gone -home to the Duke more truly than he knew. It was at Prague that -Wallenstein maintained a princely house. He must, in the event of the -Saxons attacking Prague, submit to their dominance, a thing unpleasant -and inconsonant with Wallenstein's character, or remove his household -before their approach, or make an alliance with them and so cut himself -entirely adrift from the Empire, or raise troops for the Emperor and -defend the town. In any event out of the four he must make up his mind -and act soon. - -"To whom then does the Emperor look to save him from his enemies?" - -"There is but one, your Grace, and that the Duke of Friedland!" - -Again the lady at the hearth held out her fingers idly to the blaze, and -Nigel's eyes following the action saw the red glow of the blood between -them, and this time he marked their slenderness. - -"The Emperor must needs bid high!" said the Duke. "And soon! The posture -of affairs is not what it was. There must be no more talk of edicts! The -time has come when there can be no more Catholic States and Protestant -States but German States! If the Emperor becomes strong again through -his armies, it can only be in order to be able to treat on a more equal -footing. But what possible price can he offer me to forego my private -peace, my ease, the enjoyment of my revenues, and submit to the -harassments of raising an army? I speak not yet of a supreme command. -Cæsar made war against the Gauls because he needed money before he could -gratify his ambition. I do not need money." - -Nigel noticed that the lady's head gave an impatient toss, as who should -say, "What ails the man?" - -"You do not covet the honour of the supreme command, and of driving -Saxony back to his frontiers and the Swede across the Baltic?" Nigel -said in genuine amazement. - -"For what? To become again a private gentleman?" - -"There would be the Turks next, who are even now talking of invading -Hungary." - -"More toil! More glory, if you like, or perhaps death in the course of -the task. And again to what end if successful?" - -"The great soldiers have never looked to the end when they began their -campaigns," Nigel replied, glowing; "but none of them has ever rested of -his own will while great victories were yet to be won." - -"The Emperor would scarce like to endow me with such powers as I should -demand before I listened to him. There is but one Wallenstein. When the -Emperor chooses to send his request in language plain and manifest, -offering to confer such absolute power to raise him an army as I -consider my least due, I will consider it. Till then I lift no finger, -not even if the Saxons thunder at the doors of Prague. Tilly has failed. -Pappenheim has failed, Maximilian will fail." - -The lady at the hearth put up her long fingers to adjust the hood more -closely to her head. This time Nigel saw them. He knew them. But were -they Ottilie's or Stephanie's? The cloak? Where had he seen that? His -heart beat faster. For an instant he forgot Wallenstein, the Emperor, -the whole of his mission in the presence, the hidden presence, of -Ottilie. - -He sprang to her side. A curious cold smile lit up the face of -Wallenstein. - -"Ottilie!" Nigel exclaimed. - -She threw back her hood, rose, faced him, held out her hands-- - -"Ottilie is no more! I am Stephanie!" - -"No more?" Nigel murmured with quivering lips. "No more?" - -"Stephanie was Ottilie when she followed the star of Wallenstein, -worshipped his ambition and wrought as she did even to this day for his -success. But no longer! She is satisfied. She could be one with the -lofty spirit of a Cæsar but not with the bargaining, bartering craft of -merchant Wallenstein, who asks what reward he shall receive at the very -hand that opens the gate of the Palace of Glory." - -"I go to Vienna, Colonel Charteris, you to Prague. God speed you back -again! Now if you will see me to my carriage I need no longer be a -hindrance to the chaffering!" - -It may be imagined what confusion this outburst, spoken in calm level -tones, icy with suppressed passion, stirred in Nigel's mind. The -pressure of her hands, the first look into his eyes, had told him that -what he had ravished from a not unwilling Ottilie was his from -Stephanie, Archduchess though she was, when time and season were more -propitious; and the blood beat into his face. - -He bowed over her hands and went towards the door to give the order to -the servants. - -Then the Archduchess turned to Wallenstein-- - -"Adieu, Duke! Our astrologer's figure holds another meaning than the one -we gave it. Bid him be more exact, and take into account what he has -forgotten, the beatings of our hearts, ... of those of us that have -hearts!" - -Wallenstein bowed low. His face showed nothing of what he felt. - -"Adieu, your Highness! There is perhaps more in the spirit of -Wallenstein than the merchant, more than the politician, more than the -soldier. I give your Highness thanks for all your furtherance, while I -deplore the rupture of the alliance, from which it is your Highness's -pleasure to withdraw. Adieu!" - -Nigel returned as the last word was spoken, and Wallenstein proceeded-- - -"Adieu also, General Charteris! My best wishes go with you! If His -Imperial Majesty should inquire, you have my authority to tell him in -what state of mind you have found me, and nothing of what Her Highness -has indiscreetly disclosed. I know that in all things I can rely upon -your discretion." - -Nigel gave him the assurance, and after a parting salutation led the -Archduchess to her coach. - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - LOVE AND A LOCKSMITH. - - -The utter hopelessness of the affair was the first sane reflection that -approached the gate of Nigel's mind as he journeyed on to Prague after -the Archduchess had set out for Vienna. They would meet again. Yes, it -was in the minds of both. They were only at the beginning. They would -both go on. They had made no pledge to go on; but having exchanged -looks, clasped hands no more, he had gone northward and she southward, -and Nigel's first sane reflection, after the first glow of the supreme -exaltation of spirit we call love had passed, was that in some way or -other that journeying apart would be symbolical of their lives. He asked -himself what would happen if some stranger from over seas, not being a -prince of the blood, should in the Court of King Charles fall into a -like passion for an English princess, were any old enough. He had no -doubts upon the subject. The amorous fool would be despatched in haste -to his native land. The princess would be dealt with by appointing a -company of noble gaolers and a residence from which egress would be -difficult, until a husband of the right hue of blood could be purchased -for her, and there would be an end of youthful escapades. And Nigel knew -that he in his own country would have approved. The Habsburgs were, if -anything, prouder than the Stuarts. What then could he, a Scot, a plain -gentleman, who by a series of strokes of fortune had risen in the -Imperial service to be a major-general, expect? Dismissal! And the -Archduchess? The Elector or a convent. As yet, Nigel reflected, and this -was after the first sane reflection set out above, as yet the secret, -that secret that was more delicious, more thrilling than any in the -world to them, lay in their own hearts. - -He would cherish it. She would cherish it. In time to come they would -make plans, wild hazardous resolutions. Would they find the courage to -carry them out? He could answer for himself. Her history, as far as he -knew it, answered for her. She had an equal courage, a haughty daring, a -mind full of resource, and eyes that could stir him to any deed. - -So he rode on to Prague and disposed his troops in the garrison and went -round the defences with the commander of the garrison, making -suggestions, sage and otherwise, and incidentally learned how unpopular -the Emperor was: how he had quartered troops on Protestant hamlets, and -enforced mass, torn lands from Protestant hands and handed them to -Catholics, or those who said they were. The commandant was not hopeful -as to the front they would present to Saxony. All Nigel could offer was -vague encouragement that something was in the wind that would put a -different complexion on the affairs of the Empire. - -Then having accomplished his errand he returned to Vienna and found -Father Lamormain eager to hear the result of the interview with -Wallenstein. - -This Nigel reported in a very few words, which Father Lamormain summed -up by saying-- - -"You inferred, Colonel Charteris, that the Duke is willing to treat on -conditions!" - -"On conditions which he will impose himself!" - -"And these are?" - -"That the war is to be waged or not, as the necessity to redress the -balance of power dictates, and that the settlement shall be on the basis -of entire religious freedom for the Empire." - -"That is the hardest condition! But we must needs bow to the tempest. -Time will bring its own opportunities afterwards. And the next?" - -"That all appointments of officers, from the highest downwards, shall be -in the Duke's gift without the need of reference to Vienna." - -"The Duke would be the fountain of honour, and every captain his sworn -vassal. That is also a hard condition and smacks of Cæsarism!" the -Jesuit commented. "Freedom he asks and power absolute while he exercises -his functions, but for reward, what reward does he crave?" - -"None that he spoke of to me!" - -"Ah!" said the Jesuit reflectively. "We are bidden to distrust the -Greeks and people bearing gifts. I am also inclined to look a little -further when a man is willing to undergo great toil and asks nothing." - -"There will be the spoil of the cities and the ransom of the prisoners!" -said Nigel. - -"The spoil of Stockholm?" the Jesuit inquired with a smile. "Now as to -yourself, General. Will you stay here and take your chance of a command -under Wallenstein, or join Tilly?" - -"I would be where there is work to do!" said Nigel. "And Wallenstein may -not name me!" - -"You would have made a good regular had you been trained early," said -the Father approvingly. "But some day woman will come into your life and -divide it into the camps of love and duty." - -For an instant a flush came into Nigel's cheeks and passed. Had she not -come sooner than the Jesuit expected? - -The interview ended, Nigel proffered a formal request to the War -Department to be allowed to join General Tilly. As the permission did -not depend upon the War Department so much as upon the Emperor, not upon -the Emperor so much as Father Lamormain, still a few days elapsed before -he could set out. Couriers were expected. Negotiations had been begun -with Wallenstein with as much ceremony as if he had been a crowned head. - -To any man less genuinely a man of action, this compulsory and to -himself excusable dawdling in the very neighbourhood of the Archduchess, -would have been a delightful interlude between the stern acts of war. -Such a man would have had the capacity for idleness in some measure, and -some knowledge how to enjoy it rather than employ it. He would, far more -quickly than Nigel, have found a way to enjoy it, and to enjoy it in -company with some beloved fair, or perhaps with several. - -Nigel's love was a possession. The Archduchess, mysterious combination -of Stephanie and Ottilie, had the whole of his heart for her encampment. -There was no little citadel or outward tower which her forces did not -occupy. But as yet the exaltation of his love did not manifest itself in -any outward signs. He neither talked more, as many lovers do, nor was -more silent, as some are wont to be, nor manifested exceeding nor -profuse gentleness, a manner unbecoming in a soldier. If any at Vienna -had known him well, they might have thought him more self-contained than -usual. He felt that he must needs keep a close-knitted grip upon -himself, for he told himself that, if he should come within arm's length -of the object of his worship, his will would be as the green withes that -bound Samson, and his lips would incontinently profane the image of the -goddess, as they had once before done when she had appeared under the -humbler of her guises. That the Archduchess, on her side, might be as -fully and completely woman as he was man, did not realise itself to him. -It was not possible that it should. So that he did not picture her as -beating her wings against the palace cage, whose wires were the servant -spies, stifling or trying to stifle in her generous heart the desire to -give of her womanhood with lavishness to him whom her imagination had -crowned and enthroned in a vision of perfect man. - -But where lover and beloved are within a bowshot length, and both are -thirsty to gaze the one upon the other, both eager to exchange the story -of their moods, surely the god Cupid will find a way to bring about -their meeting. - -And Love, who laughs at locksmiths, employed one. One noon, as he -returned from some of his military duties, Nigel found an apprentice -locksmith awaiting him in his quarters, whose grimy hand drew from his -leathern apron a key bright from its new forging and chasing by the -tools. Nigel, being asked by the lad if it pleased him, replied with the -wonderful presence of mind Dan Cupid gives, that it pleased him well. It -was the duplicate of the key of that orchard close within the gardens of -the palace. - -The place was no longer in doubt. Where Colonel Charteris had been -received in jocund May by the Archduchess, Nigel would meet Stephanie in -hoar December. And the hour? Love dictated that the first hour of dusk -was the first possible, and the first possible was the one of which Love -must avail himself. - -To gain access to the gardens by night it was necessary to reach them by -one of the doors which led from one of the lower corridors of the palace -into the orangery, and by one of those of the orangery into the garden -terrace. - -That afternoon Nigel spent an hour not unprofitably in the orangery -examining the trees, learning their history from the gardeners, and -where the keys hung by which one might let one's self out into the -terrace. - -By this time his face and figure were too well known to the pages or the -domestics of the palace to excite remark, and he easily contrived an -errand to one of the officers on guard in the palace, which made it -reasonable for him to be seen passing along the corridor in question and -returning. But on his return he took the left hand into the orangery -instead of the right into the courtyard, and an instant sufficed for him -to find the key and let himself out on to the terrace. - -By what means the other conspirator would reach the rendezvous he did -not know, but from the rambling building of the palace many doors led -into the gardens. Few of them showed any trace of usage, but one no -doubt led to the private apartments of the Archduchess. - -Once more the moon befriended him, but this time she seemed to Nigel to -be like himself, or perhaps more justly like his mistress. For, fitfully -gleaming, now wholly to be seen, now half in shadow, now again wholly -lost, the moon seemed to scurry from one clot of cloud, ragged and grey -and wintry, to another hiding-place still more opaque, and always -scurrying. Nigel knew well it was the wind in the upper air that drove -the clouds across her face, but the image pleased him as he went by -purposely circuitous ways towards the orchard close, his key securely in -his pocket, his cloak wrapped round him, his hat pulled down well across -his brows, his sword in its place at his side. - -There was nothing languorous about this night, nothing effeminate but -the moon. But in chill December, as in soft breathing June, an -assignation with a maid is as fruitful of lovers' walks and the exercise -of lovers' patience. - -So he drew near to the orchard close, and paused in the shadows before -he set key to lock. - -Now that he was so near he felt more of love's awe. He wondered if it -had been some rustic maiden--Elspeth Reinheit, for example--he would -have felt it. But of Elspeth Reinheit he had never felt in such a way. -Many maidens in many places had cast questioning, subtly troubling, -glances at him, and always till he had seen her, whom he had deemed -Ottilie the mysterious, their glances had fallen from him like spent -arrows from a buckler. She alone was above all different in kind, a -creature of a lone world where he was a hardy adventurer. He was a new -Pizarro penetrating a deserted temple of the Incas, and finding a -solitary priestess whose lofty mien and more than human beauty forbade -him to desecrate the sanctuary, while she chanted in an unknown tongue -songs of infinite allurement. - -He thrust the key into the lock. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - AN ASSIGNATION. - - -The lock yielded. The door opened. But the walk was bare as far as the -fitful moonlight showed. He strode forward almost as if he feared an -ambush, though at this part of the garden the short bare trees and -standards made but the cover of a spider's-web tracery, through which -one sees what is beyond. Only towards the middle of the orchard was -there a spot where several walks met, and this was nearly surrounded by -evergreen bushes and laurel and holly. This alone loomed blackly in -front of him. Towards this he strode. And even as he gained the entrance -a tall figure of a woman, cloaked and hooded, emerged from the -encompassing dusk, and coming nearer, revealed itself as that of the -Archduchess. - -Dimly Nigel divined that she wore the deep blue velvet and sable furs -which he had seen aforetime. More clearly he distinguished in the depths -of the hood the dancing of those lustrous eyes, the pouting red lips of -that royal mouth, the pallor of the cheeks. - -He took her hand to kiss, but she bent forward with a look of -enticement. - -"Nay! tall captain!" she said. "We need not use the fashion of the -courts. It was not so you kissed Ottilie, or so she told me." - -But nevertheless she tendered but her cheek, in token, as he understood -it, that she had but surrendered the furthest outworks. That vain -imagining of his, that to be within arm's length of her was to throw the -reins upon the neck of passion and let it gallop, had vanished when he -put the key in the lock. - -Woman the queen, woman the giver and the withholder, leaned graciously -towards him by reason of the love that had descended upon her, abasing -her to him, exalting him to her, banishing all thrusting rebellious -swashbuckling imaginations from the presence. Tumultuous his thoughts -sprang towards speech, but little could he find but an almost -breathless-- - -"Stephanie! Of all living men to choose me for your lover?" - -"Nay! tall captain!" Craftily she had ranged herself beside him and -rested her hand upon his shoulder, looking up into his eyes with her -face of roguish wooer. "Nay! tall captain! You had already taken my -sister-half, Ottilie, by assault, and it is not seeming that an -Archduchess should be bussed by more than one bold fellow, so I even -proffer my cheek to the same smiter for honour's sake." - -The tone of raillery set him at his ease. He felt that beneath it beat -the true womanly heart. And over him stole a great, a measureless -content. - -He took her left hand in his, and holding so much of her closely to his -side, they began to walk here and there about the orchard by first one -and then another of its many paths. - -"It is amazing that I did not guess your riddle before, my love," he -said. - -"Count Tilly guessed it at Magdeburg!" she said. "But he feigned not to, -thinking doubtless it would be as well my madcap freaks should not come -to the Emperor through him." - -"But you put on a different seeming! The voice was like, but the -language of Ottilie was different, smacked of the country lady. The face -of Ottilie was like that of the Archduchess, but the manner and bearing -were less haughty and less assured." - -"But the truth was that you saw me in distant places and in changed -circumstances, so that you were prone to think of me as two distinct -women." - -"And now tell me the meaning of this masquerade! It was for Wallenstein! -I am sure of that! You were in love with Wallenstein?" - -"Never! You are going to be my first lover and my last!" Her tone was -deep and serious. There was something of presage, of mystery, a hint of -doom. - -"I was taken, as a girl will be, with the glamour that glowed about his -name, as he rose from step to step by great leaps of success. It was the -star of Wallenstein that I followed. I dreamed of being caught up into -its orbit, and, moving, throned above the nations in its company, -sharing and contributing to its brightness." - -"And Wallenstein? Did he know?" - -"Wallenstein knew that I was favouring his party and his plans. He knew -that I was willing to run terrible risks, as I have done, to forward his -aims. But Wallenstein is a merchant, not a prince, a politician, not a -man! The glamour became more transparent as time went on, and when I met -you, Nigel, it was as if a wind from the hills swept over the plain, -sweeping away the mists of morning and leaving everything clear and -visible. For you showed yourself a man. You were not old and full of -wiles like Father Lamormain or Maximilian. You were not like a mere -courtier, as so many that I have known are, ready to agree to this and -that and everything. You withstood me, thwarted me, outplayed me." - -"Not always, Stephanie! There was a castle called the Wartburg!" - -At this reminiscence the Archduchess flushed beneath her hood, which -Nigel did not see. But he felt the sly pinch that accompanied her cry. - -"Speak not of it! You took more away with you than you brought!" The -hood was turned up towards him now, and he could look down into the -depths of those translucent womanly eyes, brimming with the tenderness -of first love, more magical than which is nothing of human tenderness. - -"And I," said Nigel, "had never loved woman till I saw you in the -Pastor's house at Magdeburg. It was as if a bee had stung me. I felt the -sharp prick, told myself it was naught. But the poison worked. At -Erfurt, when I knew it was you that had wept in the cathedral, and we -stood by the bridge looking at the rivers and the stars and heard you -speak of love, I recognised the pain again, I knew the longing that had -set in, but also, knowing that you spoke not of me, again I brushed the -thought aside. But never for long...." Something seemed to come into his -mind.... He paused awhile, the Archduchess hanging upon his next words, -savouring the essence of what had gone before.... - -"Who stole my despatches?" - -"The same hand that restored them! Speak not of them!" - -"I wondered if I had awakened what would have happened!" - -"A woman's wit----" - -"Would have been little proof against a man's sword-thrust in the dark," -said Nigel sternly. - -"I will not run such a risk again," she said with humility, "unless it -be to save you!" - -"Foolish princess!" he rejoined, and held her suddenly in his arms. -"You are bewitched! And so am I." This time there was no pretence of -offering a cheek. It was a fortunate dark shadow in which they stood, -and lips levied toll of lips, and were not satisfied with the rate of -customs. Heart beat to heart and beat the more, but Nigel's reverence -for her, for all he held her so closely, was as high as her greatness of -soul. - -"It is enough, tall captain, and yet not enough. But our plans! We have -already spent a foolish hour and made no plans." - -Her warning tumbled Nigel headlong out of his tower to an ungrateful -earth. Plans to what end? - -"Oh, Stephanie! My princess! To-morrow or the next day or the next I -must set out for Tilly's army. A plan to see you, to hold you, what need -I but this key and your sweet graciousness?" - -"Once to meet you in my orchard close! Once was easy and possible. But -do you think we could meet twice and not be spied upon. I know the -palace of Vienna and its ways as you can never know them. Spies of -Father Lamormain, hirelings of Maximilian's, hirelings of France and -Spain." - -"And your love is a great and precious jewel," said Nigel, "too great, -too precious to be jeopardised." - -"If you would wear it and me forever," ... she murmured, "we must hide -it now, peeping at it now and then in secret, till the time is ripe to -run the great risk of our lives and proclaim it in the ears of the court -and of Europe. Whether it will be a convent or death for me, or death -for you and me, for I would die rather than wed Maximilian, or life for -both of us, is hidden behind the shadows as the dark encircles us now. -But we must not barter our chances for any trifling joy----" - -"It is no trifling joy, Stephanie! This, save the mark, is heaven to -hold you to my heart." - -"Oh! Nigel! Nigel!" she sighed. "Your love is the love of a man that -comes and goes in gusts, roaring like the wind, gentle as the breeze, -and then it is gone till it awakens again. I say not you are inconstant, -but you do not fear, as woman does, the hour of emptiness when there is -no lover, no husband." - -"By Heaven! I am no inconstant, Stephanie! I can bide my time, and if I -lose not my life in these wars, surely there shall be a roof-tree in -bonnie Scotland waiting us." - -"To-morrow, all being well, the Archduchess shall send for Colonel -Charteris to the Long Gallery, but for a brief talk of the affairs of -state. The following evening I shall try to meet you here at the same -time to say farewell. But remember how we may be beset, and use a double -caution. Look for a way into the gardens by another avenue than the -palace. Now I leave you! Do not follow! Wait a full half-hour! Make sure -you are not spied upon! Make a wide circuit to the orangery and have a -glib excuse if you are met. Good-night." - -For a brief half-hour Nigel waited, exploring the orchard close. There -were two other gates, by one of which the Archduchess had beaten her -retreat. No sign of any lurking spy made itself apparent. This time -Cæsar's daughter had escaped suspicion, and the lovers had their -precious hour of interlude. - -Nigel's mind was more at rest after he had made the circuit of the place -and sounded every shadow by the aid of the fitful moon. More than ever -alive to the privilege of her love, he was equally alive to the danger -that she ran. Histories and mysteries of the courts of Italy, of Spain, -of France, sprang to life in his mind, things read, or heard in the -guard-room, or handed down in fearsome stories of the hearth at home. -The fairy princess had been folded in his arms, had breathed kisses of -mortal joy upon his lips, had gone. If she were not a fairy princess, -then a thousand unknown dangers threatened them. He could guess -Maximilian as one very possible architect of evil; only Maximilian was -just then preparing to defend Bavaria, and could know nothing if the -very wind shouted "Nigel and Stephanie." Father Lamormain was another, -nearer home, absolutely inexorable in working out his plans. At present -in ignorance of this princely indiscretion he was friendly towards -Nigel, but let him gain an inkling and Nigel felt that their projects of -happiness would be thwarted by means impossible for himself and her to -foresee and to avoid. - -As he turned the key in the lock and took one farewell look of that -wintry orchard before closing the gate behind him his mind was full of -joy; and as the gate closed joy fled before foreboding. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - PASTOR RAD AGAIN. - - -After the victory of the Lutheran faith at Breitenfeld, Pastor Rad had -found himself without a definite mission. In his enthusiasm he had made -his way to the camp of Gustavus at Werben and marched with the Swedes to -that field of triumph, using such opportunities as occurred to labour by -way of exhortation and of prayer. So that his sonorous voice was lifted -up, it mattered little who listened or regarded. At first the Swedes, -drafted into whose ranks were many Brandenburgers, Pomeranians, and -Saxons, listened to, if they only imperfectly understood, his vociferous -ministrations. But after Breitenfeld the jealousy of the Swedish native -ministers, who had at the beginning, while the issue was uncertain, held -out the right hand of fellowship, manifested itself, and he was made to -understand that his presence with the Swedish portion of Gustavus' army -was superfluous. That army speedily moved onwards towards the west, and -Pastor Rad, having reached Erfurt along with it, considered it a -suitable opportunity for making his way back to Eisenach, where his -flock, and his livelihood, lay peacefully enfolded in the forest. - -His reception did not savour of fervency. The interest of utterly rural -communities in external events happening a hundred miles away is hard -to kindle, and, when kindled, needs much application of the bellows to -keep it at a red heat. Magdeburg had fired them. His own narratives and -sermons had blown up their sparks to a blaze, but, with the marching of -a small body of their young men to join Gustavus, the countryside had -returned to its arduous agricultural pursuits, to its wood chopping and -charcoal burning, to its smithies and its inns. - -"Here comes Pastor Rad!" said Jacob Putkammer, the tailor. "Now we shall -hear!" - -"About Breitenfeld?" was the pastor's eager question. "It was glorious." - -"Yes! Yes! The Swede beat Tilly till there was not a whole suit of -clothes in his army! We know all that." - -"What we want to know," said Marx Englehart, the smith, "is what has -become of Elspeth Reinheit?" - -"Elspeth Reinheit?" queried the pastor in astonishment. - -"You remember, pastor, how you set about driving the devil out of her! -Over yonder at Ruhla!" - -The pastor flushed at the remembrance. - -"Yes! Didn't some soldier come interfering and carry her off?" said the -smith. "I wasn't there. I had too much to do at the time to make a -holiday." - -"Holiday! Marx!" said the pastor sternly. "It was a solemn duty we had -to perform, and we were shamefully interrupted." - -The tailor's eyes glinted as he said-- - -"I can picture him now dusting your gown for you!" - -The pastor looked, as he felt, very angry. - -"I don't know what became of her." - -"Well!" said the smith, "I shouldn't advise you to go too near old -Reinheit, her father. He's in an awful fume against you, pastor. Of -course at the time he thought it was all for her good, but he did not -expect you would go to the length of whipping the poor girl." - -"How else should one persuade the devil out of a woman?" asked Pastor -Rad. - -"Ah!" said the tailor. "We are not learned in these matters. Now if you -had been married to her, no one would have complained. There is no -better way." - -"There was a good deal of talk before that that you were cocking your -cap at her!" said the smith slowly. - -"And might have done worse! Old Reinheit's got a fine stocking of gold -somewhere, and look at his farm," said the tailor. - -"Lay not up for yourselves----" began the pastor. - -"That's all very well!" said the tailor. "But a good-looking wench, even -if she has got a devil, is none the worse for having a rich father. -_She_ didn't lay up the treasure. Besides, I wouldn't give half a batz -for a woman who hadn't got a bit of the devil in her." - -"Come! come! Jacob!" said the pastor. "Your tongue speaketh of vanity as -your trade does. As for Nicholas Reinheit, I shall even go up to his -house and comfort him." - -"Well!" said the smith. "It is only just and manly so to do, but look -after your skin, for he is a man who can still use his hands if he is a -bit over sixty." - -A good many people met Pastor Rad as he went through the town to -Nicholas Reinheit's farm, and every one of them asked him-- - -"Where is Elspeth Reinheit?" - -And some careless people even put it in this way-- - -"What have you done with Elspeth Reinheit?" - -It was bad enough to be asked where she was. It was iniquitous that he -should be taxed with having put her away. - -It was not very strange that Pastor Rad should not have known what had -become of Elspeth. He had seen Nigel carry her off. That was all of a -piece with his own unworthy suspicions of Elspeth's character. As to her -after-fate Pastor Rad had very little doubt of that. She would have been -abandoned in some city to her own wretchedness and shame, not daring to -return home. All armies left a track of human litter that had once been -spotless maidens and chaste wives. He felt himself aggrieved at his own -personal loss. He had fully intended to wed Elspeth in due time and -inherit as much as he could of Nicholas Reinheit's wealth. Nicholas the -farmer had not been overmuch in favour of the idea, but old Pastor -Reinheit, the girl's uncle, who had died at Magdeburg, was desirous that -the wedding should come about. Altogether Pastor Rad was not very eager -to meet the girl's father, but the tailor and the smith, who represented -public opinion in Eisenach, had led him in his haste to declare that he -would face Nicholas, and he would. Pastor Rad's consciousness of his own -honesty of purpose upheld him. - -Nicholas gave him a grudging "good-day!" He was a stoutly built, rather -fat man, but anxiety had perceptibly thinned him, and his cheeks hung -loose and baggy. - -"The Lord comfort you in your affliction!" said Pastor Rad. - -The old man turned on him with a snarl-- - -"It is easy to say. You took away my daughter. You set some silly tale -going about her being possessed till the countryside demanded that she -should suffer discipline. Fool! It was you that was possessed. And you -set about giving her a public whipping, my daughter Elspeth, as good and -true a maid as ever walked, and all those mawkish fools of elders and -hugger-muggers sitting in a ring all about you mum and not lifting a -finger." - -"The discipline has been found efficacious in cases of possession!" said -Pastor Rad. - -"Very likely," retorted Nicholas, "where some servant girl has gone -distraught and howled like a wolf up and down the village, or an old -witch has given a man's horse the murrain. Whip 'em! Burn 'em! Drown -'em. But my daughter Elspeth! And then forsooth one of the Emperor's -captains takes her out of your hands and rides away with her, and you -with your three or four hundred men with muskets and pikes never move a -finger. Where is she now? Tell me that! Is she alive or dead? You -professed to have a liking for her at one time. Why, man, if you had had -a spark of love in you, you would have followed that captain's troops -till you dropped! Pastor! Pastor means shepherd, doesn't it? What manner -of shepherd are you that lets the wolf snatch his lamb out of his very -fingers?" - -Nicholas spat solemnly on the hearth. - -"You forget," expostulated Pastor Rad, "that there were above three -hundred troopers, well armed and well horsed. We should have been cut in -pieces." - -"And would they have gone scathless? Has the forest lost all its -manhood?" - -"What was done or left undone cannot be remedied!" said the pastor. - -"Did you know the man?" the farmer asked after a pause. - -"Yes, it is the same fellow, a Scot, so they told me, who broke into the -house at Magdeburg!" - -"And saved all your lives, so Elspeth told me! 'Tis a pity he saved -yours!" - -"Friend Nicholas! You are too much beside yourself with grief. I was but -an instrument of God." - -"He rode with you to Erfurt, as I mind," the farmer went on. "Did he -treat Elspeth as a light o' love?" - -As a matter of fact, the pastor had been too much engaged in the -contemplation of his coming sermons to remember, so he answered -truthfully enough-- - -"I noticed nothing unseemly in his behaviour either to Elspeth or to -Ottilie von Thüringen!" - -"It may be that the captain but took her to a place of safety, thinking -her in danger!" said the farmer, growing more placid as the thought -sprang up that there was ground for hope. "I remember a regiment staying -near here the night after your hocus-pocus at Ruhla. They came at -nightfall, and with the dawn, or soon after, an officer came riding -helter-skelter down the hill from the Wartburg with a single soldier -after him, and in half an hour they mounted and rode away. Maybe he was -the very man." - -"But if he brought Elspeth thither why did he not send her to you?" -propounded Pastor Rad. - -"Because the girl would have had more sense than to get in your path -again!" - -"As if I had no work of the Lord's to do, where the hosts of the Lord -were drawn out unto battle?" - -"Depend upon it," said the farmer, "Elspeth's in the Wartburg hiding!" - -The pastor shook his head. He would have liked to know that she was. -After all, there was an air of solid comfort about old Reinheit's abode, -sadly marred by the lack of Elspeth's trim figure in coif and apron -trotting to and fro. The more he thought of it the more he wanted to see -her. At last he said-- - -"It may be that the Lord will vouchsafe light I will go even unto the -Wartburg and question the Landgravine, if peradventure she knows where -the maiden is." - -"You need not darken my door again if you find her not," said Nicholas -Reinheit. "She can milk against any maid, make butter against any maid -or wife in the forest, bake against any, brew against any. God in -heaven! she must come back. And I shan't go to the church till she -does." - -Pastor Rad was too much surprised to say anything. For Nicholas had been -a very steadfast pillar of the Church, and it boded ill for Pastor Rad -if he did not succeed in restoring the lost lamb to the fold. - -So he picked up his staff and trudged thoughtfully away up the steep -path to the Wartburg. - -But the quest did not end there. For the Landgravine told him that the -Lady Ottilie von Thüringen had taken Elspeth away with her when she set -out for Halberstadt, which was the next day, or the next day but one, -after the Emperor's colonel had brought her. - -This news acted like a spur upon Pastor Rad. He stayed long enough to -send word by one of Reinheit's cowherds that he had learned something -about Elspeth and had gone to find her. If he heard nothing of Elspeth, -at least he was sure of getting trace of the Lady Ottilie, who had many -threads of connection with the Protestant leaders in various places. And -he did not have to go farther than Erfurt before he received some -information which caused him to return southward and set his face -towards Bohemia. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - THE PASTOR'S PILGRIMAGE. - - -The Archduchess Stephanie had rightly counted on a safe journey from -Halberstadt to Bohemia, however small an escort she might be accorded. -For, as the Countess Ottilie von Thüringen she claimed safe conduct -whenever there was any risk of getting embroiled with small bodies of -Protestant levies, and her escort was far too mindful of its own safety -to risk giving any other account of her than she chose to give. - -As it was a matter of knowledge to the chief conspirators in each place -that she was a medium of communication between Wallenstein and the -Protestant leaders, her name was sufficient to guarantee her safety -through country patrolled by their troops. - -So it was the track of the Countess Ottilie von Thüringen that Pastor -Rad picked up at Erfurt. He learned that she had an escort of twenty -Imperial troopers: that she had in her train several women servants or -companions, the information not being very exact or well-defined: that -she was making her way to Prague. - -To Prague, then, the pastor made his way easily enough. The man that had -come through the fires at Magdeburg and run innumerable risks at -Breitenfeld, although not himself using the arms of the soldiery but -only spiritual weapons, was in a measure a kind of prodigious heroic -creature, and fared well accordingly. Much talking and preaching made -him exceedingly hungry, and the farmers and burghers, who one after the -other housed and fed him, were as much amazed at, and respected him as a -trencherman, a thing they were well able to judge of, as they were at -his exploits, of which they were, in truth, obliged to take the greater -part at his own telling. - -Prague was in a great turmoil. For bruit of the advance of the Saxon -troops was in every mouth, though no one knew anything for certain. -Indeed Pastor Rad knew as well as any one, though he kept his own -counsel. The way of things was indeed greatly to his liking. The -Lutherans were getting the upper hand, just as but a short year before -the Catholics had done. It was in this wise. The Catholics had learned -that no sufficient aid could reach them from Vienna. They had looked for -Wallenstein to organise their defence, and had he chosen to raise his -own banner, it is possible that a sufficient force of Catholic gentry -and their retainers could have been mustered that, together with the -Imperial garrisons, might have given the Saxons a very long pause. - -But to the amazement of all, Wallenstein dismantled his house, collected -his furniture in waggons and his household in coaches, and set out -without haste towards Vienna. In fact, he rested at Znaim. This had -given the signal for something like panic, and although it was the dead -of winter, Catholic family after Catholic family followed in his wake, -each departure making it still more difficult for the next, and creating -confusion through the desperate efforts of each not to be the -hindermost. - -From the innkeepers Pastor Rad learned that the Countess Ottilie had -rested but a night and gone on to Znaim, which being learned, the -pastor could not resist the temptation of spending a day or two in the -congenial company of the Lutherans of Prague, proving how well he could -bray out prophetic denunciations against the fleeing Catholics. As he -took his daily stand near the south gate of the city, his exuberant -yellow locks floating in the wind, he was able to assail with his -scriptural invective all the fugitives, with the certainty that some of -his words at least would be, if not exactly treasured, at all events -remembered by dint of his unwearied reiteration. - -It was only when the burghers of Prague, tenacious of their privileges -and of the well-ordering of their city, even with the dismal prospect -before them of an occupation by their friends the Saxons, awakened to a -sense of the unseemliness of his clamour, that Pastor Rad remembered the -Lady Ottilie and Elspeth Reinheit, whose father was so well-to-do. - -Once again he took staff in hand and trudged on to Znaim. At Znaim the -host could only say that the Lady Ottilie had set out a full month -before for Vienna. - -He looked blank at the prospect. But he was by nature persistent, and -unwilling to give up his search, which was now somewhat uninviting. -Vienna meant Popery rampant, Jesuits in scores, rough soldiery, not -rougher than usual, but with the licence of authority to subject a mere -Lutheran pastor to all kinds of insults. There would be Lutherans even -in Vienna, but those few and needy, and for companions on the road he -would overtake the very Catholics he had so denounced. - -Of money he had no great store, but he had contrived some replenishing -of his purse at Prague, and husbanded his money as much as possible, -taking advantage of every opportunity that offered of a free meal. In -this way he accomplished the journey without much interruption, a few -hard blows from the servants of those who remembered his oratory at -Prague, excepted. - -Vienna with its populace, as it seemed to him, speaking all the tongues -except German and curiously garbed, thronging with priests and nuns and -soldiers, stared at him, professed not to understand his speech. He -slunk into the first inn that offered a semblance of refuge and frugal -fare at a modest price. Having slept as well as he was able, he set out -the next morning to find the Lady Ottilie von Thüringen. - -Having first approached some of his own belief and discovered that they -knew nothing of her, not even her name, he accosted some of the better -class of burgesses, who showed him greater courtesy than he expected, -but could give him no information. Failing with the citizens, he -addressed himself with more politeness than he was in the habit of using -(he had no very abundant stock in his wallet) to some of the gentlemen -who aired themselves and their newest raiment in the principal streets. -One or two of them manifested sufficient interest to take note of the -name on their tablets and asked him to describe the lady, which he did -with much particularity. These having heard, dismissed him with a vague -negative, but left a disturbing impression on his mind that they knew -more than they pretended. - -Two days went by in this manner and in losing his way and finding it in -the tortuous streets of the city. On the third day, however, he saw, as -he stood gazing at the palace of the Emperor, an officer of high rank, -as it seemed, come out and mount his horse which had been held by a -soldier at the entrance. - -The pastor's eyes roved wearily over this new subject, noting with -contemptuous attention the plumed hat, the gold lace galloons and other -striking embellishments, when something familiar in the officer's -features or attitude came home to his consciousness. Then he recognised -Nigel as the miscreant of Magdeburg, who had given him that -never-to-be-forgotten chastisement. - -Pulling his hat over his brows the pastor followed Nigel to his -lodgings, and from midday till dusk he watched, following when Nigel set -out, waiting when he returned. In what way he was to come at his desired -end he did not know; but his old suspicion that between Nigel and -Elspeth was some dark secret understanding had leapt to his mind with -renewed vigour. It was a great joy to him when at dusk Nigel once more -emerged, wrapped in a military cloak, bent upon some, so the pastor -judged, furtive errand. - -The dusk that favoured Nigel favoured him also. He followed with all the -sleuth-hound in his composition, alert and noiseless. He wanted no -second rencontre with that energetic Scot, but he did want to know very -much whither he was bound. - -He had much ado to keep pace, for Nigel walked quickly, but the pastor -was a sturdy man and young. He kept well up and always in the shadow. -The road lay away from the main streets into meaner ones, then left the -houses altogether. On the left lay the city walls, furnished now and -again with guard-houses, and defensive angles, and projections. On the -right was a high bank, surmounted by a wall, of what height or thickness -he could not gauge. - -At a certain point Nigel stopped, looked round a moment, and then began -to climb the bank. The pastor stood in the nearest shadow at the foot -and watched till Nigel was at the top. Then the darkness was too much -for him. Very stealthily the pastor climbed too. He was not a forest man -for nothing. At the top it was clear that Nigel had disappeared. He must -therefore have climbed the wall. - -The wall was high, about twice the height of a man, with a coping-stone -at the top, pent-house-wise, and grown thickly with moss and lichen and -wild flowers. The wall was also rough, and the little clumps of moss -showing in the interstices marked uneven places of which a climber might -take advantage if he had long fingers and stout toes. But how to get off -the ground was a problem. For a few moments he groped, half inclined to -impute to "the Popish captain," as he called him, the sin of witchcraft, -in addition to those of greed, unchastity, impiety, and a string of -others of which the pastor was satisfied already. Then something that -flicked him in the face, to wit, the leafless bough of a tree, brought -him the solution. To spring for one a little above his head, and use it -for a hand-grip while he stepped from toe-place to toe-place, and -finally could dig his fingers securely into a great clump of moss at the -coping with his right hand and haul himself up, took but a short -interval of time. The getting down was not difficult. - -The darkness had swallowed up Nigel. The grass made his footfall -noiseless. The pastor's eyes, accustomed to the half darkness of the -forest, were well fitted to the task at present. They enabled him merely -to avoid or to thread the tangle of the bushes and get more and more -into the open where the sky, now starlit, now cloudy by turns, allowed -him a longer vision. At last he saw that the belt of grassland dotted by -bushes was succeeded by formal walks and beds for flowers. A mile or so -ahead he caught fitful glimpses of lights in some tall pile of -buildings, which he conjectured to be the palace. These must be the -demesnes of the Emperor's dwelling-place. His Popish captain was bent -upon a rendezvous, doubtless with Elspeth. But where? Cautiously he -stalked along making a straight line for the palace, keeping to turf or -soft flower-beds by preference, and every now and then standing in the -shadow of a sapling to seek for the amorous pair, to listen for the -whispers that might betoken their presence. And so going farther and -farther he came to a hedge, behind which was another wall, this time of -no great height, but still sufficient. Along this he crept seeking for a -gate. Here was a garden close for growing fruit, he argued, and the -lovers might well have left a door unfastened in their eagerness. But -having made the circuit and discovered three doors all secure, he found -he must prove again his skill in climbing. The wind blowing just -sufficiently to make the twigs and boughs keep up a low whistling, made -it impossible to judge where he should make his attempt. So he selected -the corner with an eye to an easy ascent. Once upon the wall he paused, -lying flat and clasping its top with both hands. - -There he lay listening with both ears, trying to get used to the -whispering of the branches till he could distinguish the tones of human -murmuring. Then he dragged himself along a few more yards. - -Pastor Rad felt that Providence was with him. His motive was excellent -in his own eyes. He was engaged in the pursuit of the evil-doer. What he -should do when he had found him was not at present clear. Providence -would point out by process of revelation what the next step should be. - -For the time being he crawled to the detriment of his clothing along the -wall. His patience and his stealth, the latter not usually mentioned in -connection with Providence, were rewarded. He heard voices, a man's and -a woman's. - -The one was that of the ruthless Catholic Scotsman, the betrayer of -Elspeth Reinheit. Had he not cause to remember its deep tones? The other -was not Elspeth's. For a few instants he was at a loss. They were also -deep and rich and aristocratic; the words they uttered were choice -rather than homely. Then something in them recalled the very woman he -was seeking, Ottilie von Thüringen. - -At this moment when he waited for the inspiration he expected, an -untoward interruption befell. He dislodged a large stone, which fell -with a very noticeable thud on the inner side of the wall, and he was at -the same time clutched by the leg, and very unceremoniously pulled to -the ground on the outside of the wall by a pair of ruffians, who, with a -choice garnishment of oaths growled under their breaths, proceeded first -to rifle his pockets quite thoroughly, and then to bind his arms behind -his back, his legs together, and to lay him, so trussed, on his back. -Then they began to clamber up the wall, only to find that the love-birds -they had come to seek had flown. - -Pastor Rad wriggled in vain while his captors explored the orchard -close, and at the end of their fruitless search they returned, untied -his legs and marched him firmly and rudely towards the palace, where -they placed him in a guard-room, satisfied that if they had missed a -salmon they had at least caught a dog-fish. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - LUTHERAN AND JESUIT. - - -The officer of the guard at the palace was not clear as to what he was -to do with his unintended catch. The fact that he was, or styled -himself, a Lutheran pastor, was, in Vienna, in the eyes of such an -officer, a criminal offence in itself. In addition, he had been caught -upon the wall of the orchard close in the gardens of the palace. - -Upon examination he proved to be reticent even to moroseness. His only -explanation was that he had come to Vienna in search of a high-born -lady, the Countess Ottilie von Thüringen. The officer of the guard had -never heard of her, and till the morning had no one to consult. So -Pastor Rad spent an uncomfortable night. His supper was meagre. The -stone floor of the guard-room was hard, and the wind swept in under the -massive door and up the capacious chimney, incidentally swirling round -the Pastor's head and shoulders on its way. Half a dozen soldiers, who -smelt very vilely, sat round the fire and played cards with great zest, -and with oaths the most blood-curdling that Pastor Rad, who had heard -many things spoken in his lifetime, had ever heard. He slept badly. - -The next day Father Lamormain, who heard of everything, heard of this -incident and sent for Pastor Rad. - -It was the mark of Father Lamormain that he was uniformly courteous. He -kept all his hatred under lock and key. And his hatred of Lutheranism -was perhaps the profoundest passion of his life, next to the love he -bore to his own order of the regular priests. If Father Lamormain could -have gathered all the Lutheran ministry together, and compounded them -into one man, and severed that man's head from his body, he would have -acquiesced in that monstrous execution, without personal gratification, -but with a sense that the most desirable of events had come to pass. But -to address an individual Lutheran (minister and layman were alike to -him) with a frown, with harsh speech, or even with mild contempt, was -impossible to him. - -Pastor Rad, unkempt as to his abundant yellow hair, muddy as to his -raiment, presented an object for easy ridicule. Father Lamormain's -secretary led him in with an air of apology. The Emperor's confessor -requested him to be seated, and asked him if he had broken his fast. -Pastor Rad, much taken aback by his reception at the hands of this -renowned enemy of his faith, said No! Father Lamormain bade his -secretary give him what he needed, and bring him back in an hour. - -The secretary, understanding all his instructions implied, brought him -back washed, combed, brushed, and recognisable as a Lutheran pastor as -far as externals went. - -Pastor Rad was greatly mollified by these attentions, and found grace -enough to return thanks. - -"And now," said Father Lamormain, "you will pardon me, Pastor Rad, if I -ask you a few questions. You came to Vienna from Prague?" - -"Yes!" said the pastor. - -"At Prague, I understand, you found it necessary to speed some of the -Catholic fugitives with exhortations?" - -Pastor Rad admitted it. On reflection this seemed to be a gentle -description of his sonorous revilings; but he wondered how much Father -Lamormain knew and how he knew it. He also considered that it behoved -him to be careful. - -"May I ask you what brought you to Prague?" - -"In search of one, a maiden, named Elspeth Reinheit, a member of my -flock from Eisenach." - -"How did she come thither?" - -"I had learned that she set out for Prague in company of a certain -Countess Ottilie von Thüringen." - -"Yes?" - -"I learned that the Countess had set out for Vienna, and followed." - -"Truly a good shepherd!" said Father Lamormain pleasantly. "You left the -ninety-and-nine at Eisenach to discover your one lost lamb in Vienna!" - -"And this Countess?" - -"No one knows her in Vienna!" - -"So you went to look for her in the orchard close in the palace -gardens?" - -Pastor Rad hesitated. Then he said-- - -"I did not seek her there. But she was there!" - -"Yes!" said Father Lamormain. "You saw her!" - -"No, I heard her voice!" - -"So you knew her voice?" - -"Yes, I had met her in Magdeburg during the siege!" - -"She is a Lutheran also?" - -"She consorted with the Lutherans! I know nothing of her except that she -has been at the Wartburg staying with the Landgrave's family." - -Pastor Rad suddenly began to suspect that he was too confidential. - -"She is evidently a lady of rank!" said the Jesuit. "She was alone in -the orchard?" - -"No! She was with a cavalier." - -"Ah! You knew him also?" - -"Yes! I do not know his name! I saw him first at Magdeburg. He was a -fierce fighter. He is a foreigner. I saw him yesterday as he rode away -from the palace, and he lodges in the Fremdengasse. He is an officer." - -"You seemed to have followed him! Did you suspect him of stealing your -lamb?" - -"Yes!" said Pastor Rad with an indignation which was not fictitious. - -"And instead you found him with this strange Countess! Can you describe -her to me?" - -"She is very tall. She has dark hair, dark eyes, red lips, a pale -complexion, and bears herself proudly!" - -"Ah! Such a one can hardly escape notice in Vienna!" said the Jesuit. -"And what is your purpose with this maiden--this Elspeth Reinheit?" - -"To take her back to her father, and if she be indeed yet a true maid, -to marry her!" - -"She would scarcely have suffered loss in company of a great lady?" - -"I do not know anything of great ladies! But I have many reasons to -think this foreign officer may have wronged her--even in Magdeburg." - -"'Judge not, that ye be not judged,' Pastor Rad. I promise that, if she -be in Vienna, she shall be handed over to you. See to it that you deal -tenderly with your lamb in return for our gentle dealing with you." - -"I was robbed of my money!" Pastor Rad complained. - -"It shall be repaid to you twice over," said the Jesuit. "How much was -it?" - -The pastor told him, and the Jesuit noted it on his tablets. - -"Now get to your lodgings and wait there a day. A servant shall go with -you." - -On the same day Nigel Charteris was summoned by the Emperor's Military -Council, and bidden make his way through Bavaria to join his old -commander Count Tilly. There and not in Austria or Bohemia it was -thought that a period might be put to the King of Sweden's progress. -Tilly had men enough in conjunction with the Elector Maximilian's, but -lacked officers. The Council feared the Saxons less, who were at Prague, -and so in a manner at their doors, than the foreigner Gustavus, who had -so signally shown his mastery alike upon the Elbe and upon the Rhine. - -Asking what forces he was to conduct, he was told that a mere escort -would be sufficient. The road was open, and speed alone was necessary. -Nigel was more flattered than if three regiments had been confided to -him, for the Council made it appear that it was he, Nigel, and not -regiments, that was wanted. He knew that at the moment there was no -superfluity of troops in and around Vienna to defend it should the -Saxons decide to move southward, but his experience of the behaviour of -the Saxon troops at Breitenfeld had left him with a poor opinion of -their courage, their initiative, and their leadership. - -Father Lamormain saw him after he had received his orders. He made no -reference to Pastor Rad, of whose nearness Nigel was unaware, nor to the -orchard close, nor to Stephanie. That some prowler or other had been -about the trysting-place Nigel was aware, and, on account of the -Archduchess, he had refrained from encountering him. Having seen nothing -himself, he imagined that his own and his mistress's persons had enjoyed -a like invisibility. Unaccustomed to fear himself, he had not understood -why Stephanie in her concluding embrace had trembled and clung to him -with the mingled weakness, tenderness, and passionate strength of which -woman is capable at supreme moments of danger. It had touched his -heart. It had left him determined that nothing at the last should -separate them but the hand of death itself. So he looked upon this -expected summons to resume duty at the front with the confidence of -youth, that nothing but a few short weeks lay between him and her he -loved,--weeks perhaps in which he might compass more of that military -glory he coveted, and so lessen the distance that yawned between them. -What if he should find the opportunity to wrest from the pretendedly -reluctant and chaffering Wallenstein the laurels of the Empire to lay at -her feet? - -So Nigel met Father Lamormain with no suspicion at the back of his mind, -but rather with brave hopes and the supreme joy that a man feels who -knows that he is beloved by her whom he conceives to be the star of -womanhood. - -Father Lamormain bade him exert himself to the utmost. He told him that -the armies of Tilly and Maximilian constituted the final barrier that -prevented the Swedish hosts, reinforced by Germans from every Protestant -state, from rolling through Bavaria, resistless as the Danube in flood, -and finally reaching Vienna. He made him feel, as the clumsy brief -remarks and explanations of the Army Council had not, though they had -borne some suggestion, that on his own personal devotion and -intelligence depended the whole fortune of the Empire. The appeal was -the more sure that it was in the first place an appeal to his simple -loyalty as a mercenary soldier, and not to his nationality. In the -second place, Father Lamormain appealed to his faith. He spoke in no -uncertain way of the fate of those heretics who should fall, striving -against the Emperor and Holy Church. He touched slightly on the -indifference of the Holy Father, Urban the Eighth, to the calls of the -Emperor for succour, and the apparent hostility of the fervently -Catholic King of France and his Cardinal Minister. He deplored them, but -did not gloss them over. He was evidently, so Nigel thought, working -towards producing in Nigel a proper state of mind from which might -spring the spiritual flower of a heroic death. It was the rule of the -order. For the individual, sacrifice; for the cause of the order, -everything that might enhance its progress. - -It was as if the Jesuit strove to wean him from earthly aims, to instil -into him something of the essence of his own self-lessness: and, for the -brief while that the audience lasted, Nigel's soul and mind took some -impress in its wax of youth of the deep and hard graven die that was the -Jesuit's. - -More than before Nigel felt that an active benevolence in regard to him -ran like a golden thread through the tissue of Father Lamormain's talk, -that, while urging self-immolation on the altar of the Empire, he urged -it only as a means of spiritual safety from pitfalls that otherwise -yawned for him in this world and the next. - -To the hidden meaning Nigel possessed no clue. The one all-obliterating -fact of his love for the Archduchess and her love for him prevented the -die of the Jesuit making more than a faint permanent impression upon his -mind, sufficient only to be memorable. - -Father Lamormain seemed to be aware of this faintness of impression, for -he sighed deeply as Nigel, having received his last benediction, took -his final leave. - -Nigel rode forth towards Bavaria fully determined to fight the Swede, -but whether the eyes of Stephanie, or the heavenly crown pictured for -him by Father Lamormain, glittered the more brightly to his thoughts, -is a question each one must settle for himself. - -One thing Father Lamormain had kept back, and that was the progress of -the negotiations between the Emperor and Wallenstein, which were still -at a delicate stage, and were yet shaping towards success. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - AN EMBASSY FOR STEPHANIE. - - -Two months slipped past for Gustavus Adolphus, two months of strenuous -nights and days, two months of petty hostilities and multifarious -negotiations. Richelieu was attempting to isolate Austria, bargaining -with the Princes of the League that they should stand aside as neutrals, -bargaining with Gustavus that, if they did, he should respect their -neutrality. Then there could be nothing to prevent Gustavus from -crushing Austria, and Richelieu's cup of joy would be full. Maximilian -had indeed made a secret treaty with France, hoping to save his -dominions from the Swede. But Richelieu's plan for isolation fell -through, for Gustavus found reason to suspect the intentions of -Maximilian, and marched into Franconia, whence Count Tilly had driven -out Gustavus's General, Horn. When Gustavus marched, he had with him -Horn, and Banner, and Duke William of Weimar, and forty thousand men. - -Count Tilly was forced to retreat to the very confines of Bavaria, while -Gustavus made a triumphant entry into Nuremberg, which received him with -immense ovations. - -Two months had also slipped past for Ferdinand and much had happened in -Austria. It was summed up in this that Wallenstein had been gathering an -army. He had refused to consider the question of its command in the -field. He had undertaken its muster, contented to show the Emperor once -again how potent was the name of Wallenstein wherewith to conjure men -from all the quarters of Germany and beyond. - -But Ferdinand the Emperor and his Father Confessor, encouraged yet to -hope, resting on the fact that an army was being mustered between Vienna -and Prague, at Znaim, to which haven Wallenstein had returned, making it -his headquarters, were nevertheless perturbed about the attitude of the -Elector Maximilian. Father Lamormain knew that the French Cardinal was -endeavouring to detach him from the Emperor, knew also that Maximilian -had much to gain from neutrality, immunity for his country, which had -hitherto been spared the devastations of the war, and eventual -aggrandisement for himself if the sun of Austria sank to its setting. On -the other hand, both the Jesuit and the Emperor remembered oft-repeated -proofs of Maximilian's fidelity to the Catholic faith and to the -Emperor. - -"Your Majesty must send an ambassador!" said Father Lamormain. "Such an -ambassador as by his own nobility and charm of person and of eloquence -shall sway the mind of the Elector, nay, his very heart, so that it -shall tend towards your Majesty and thereby abide. And that quickly!" - -Ferdinand smiled that pallid half-sardonic smile of his which seemed to -sum up the weariness of generations of Habsburgs, and to be in itself a -satiric comment upon the futility of human endeavours to stem the -progress of events. He put a question-- - -"Whom?" - -"The Archduchess Stephanie!" - -The Emperor frowned the merest suspicion of a frown. Father Lamormain -watched him peacefully, as if it had been an affair of shuttlecocks and -not a deep political design. - -"Alone? Since when has Austria depended upon its women?" - -"To the first question your Majesty, No! To the second, Always!" - -"Ah!" said the Emperor. "My son Ferdinand." - -"The Archduke Ferdinand! And with him the Archduchess Stephanie." - -"Is she likely to add such cogency to our arguments that Bavaria will -steady itself to be our last buttress?" - -"The Elector Maximilian has sought her in marriage. The project has been -deferred by the war, but the living princess, with pleading in her tones -and promises in her eyes, should outweigh all the bribes of Richelieu." - -"If Stephanie chose, she could bewitch him that he could not but choose -to adhere to our side. But it has seemed to me that she was indifferent -to his suit." - -"Princesses can have no choice of their spouses!" said Father Lamormain. -"Your Majesty must be round with her, leave her no room for wavering, -bid her to her duty." - -"You have as much influence with her as I, Father. If I do my part, so -must you." - -"Your Majesty may count on my endeavour! It is a happy moment when the -need of Austria must outbalance all personal whims." - -"The roads are open? You can arrange for a sufficient and well-equipped -retinue, for a small company of our goodliest dames and demoiselles?" - -"We are still Austria, your Majesty!" - -"The project is good, Father! Put it in hand at once. The more haste the -better." - -Ferdinand's face cleared perceptibly. - -On further reflection Father Lamormain judged it the wiser plan to -prepare the mind of the Archduchess for the order of the Emperor. He -knew perhaps better than any one, except Stephanie, how rebellious a -Habsburger there was in her. It is even possible that the Archduchess -considered her own doings as fulfilling all the _reasonable_ demand of -the parental laws. She would, however, have placed her own -interpretation on the meaning of "_reasonable_." - -He lost no time in seeking her out in her own apartments, and entreating -a few moments' conversation. - -He began by asking her whether by any chance a young woman, Elspeth -Reinheit by name, had travelled with her from Prague, on her way home -from Halberstadt. - -The Archduchess, evidently astonished at the question, said-- - -"No! What makes you ask?" - -"There is a certain Lutheran pastor, your Highness, who has journeyed to -Vienna, one Melchior Rad, who seeks this Elspeth Reinheit." - -"Yes! But what has that to do with me?" - -"He is convinced that this girl was brought by a certain mysterious -Countess Ottilie von Thüringen, _of whom I have more than once heard_, -to Prague, that she set out for Znaim, and from Znaim for Vienna." - -"Indeed! I know of no Countess of the name!" - -"Nor do I," said the Jesuit. "Though I have searched the records of -heraldry," he added quietly. - -The Archduchess felt that the Jesuit was playing the cat to her mouse. - -He proceeded: "But the singular thing is that when asked to describe the -Countess Ottilie he described your Highness passably well." - -"Whom he may have seen at Halberstadt!" said the Archduchess, determined -that the cat should not gobble her. - -"Only he has not been there!" said Father Lamormain. - -"A prodigy!" said the Archduchess. - -"More prodigious still, he recognised your voice, though he did not see -your Highness by reason of the darkness!" - -"Recognised my voice!" said the Archduchess, now roused to a fine -appearance of indignation. "Where was this prowling Lutheran that he -could hear my voice and neither see me nor be seen?" - -"Upon the wall of the orchard close in the gardens of the palace of -Vienna!" - -But the Archduchess was quick of wit. "Dear Father Lamormain," she said -without a blush, and with an amused irony in her tones, "since when is -it reported that I have taken to assignations in the dark in orchard -closes?" - -"Nay!" said Father Lamormain. "Perchance I used not the right words. It -was clumsy of me! The honest Pastor Rad but recognised the voice of his -Countess talking to her lover in the orchard close!" - -"And the lover?" the Archduchess asked with an accent of merriment. "Did -his Lutheran sapience recognise him also?" - -"He had followed him thither!" said the Jesuit. "It was no other than -our faithful Scot, who has to-day departed for Tilly's army!" - -"I believe none of your pastor's tales! There is no Elspeth Reinheit -about the palace, even in the kitchens, no Ottilie von Thüringen that I -have ever heard of in Vienna. As for me I have a suitor, or had one, of -whom you have spoken aforetime, the Elector Maximilian. One suitor at a -time is trouble enough." - -The Jesuit knew too many particulars of the doings of Ottilie von -Thüringen to be in any doubt as to her identity, but his suspicions of -Nigel were too slight to credit the whole story of the pastor, so he -said-- - -"It would be a great ease to the mind of the Emperor could you but take -the Elector's suit in grave earnest," and he sighed heavily. "For the -Empire is in great jeopardy. The Swede advances towards us. We have -nothing as yet to oppose him but Tilly's army, gathered from a hundred -garrisons. The Holy Father refuses his aid. France, ever jealous of us, -seeks to bribe Maximilian into neutrality. With Maximilian and the other -princes of the League neutral, what chance does Austria stand?" - -There was no mistaking the priest's seriousness. It impressed the -Archduchess more than if he had preached a sermon on the end of all -things. She had an uneasy conscience, for had she not helped to pull -down the Empire? - -"But what can I do?" she asked. - -"You can give yourself for the Empire! In a time of peace you would have -been wedded before this to whomsoever the Emperor judged it fit. In this -time of war you can gain eternal salvation by offering yourself to our -old ally." - -"But how?" - -"An embassy goes out to Bavaria to meet Maximilian to beg him to delay -his scheme of neutrality, to oppose a strong front, to let his cities be -besieged but not surrendered, to fight inch by inch of his soil, until -we can bring a fresh army to his aid and drive back the Swede." - -"And the embassy consists of?" - -"The Archduke Ferdinand! Your Highness might well go with him, and some -of our ladies. When Maximilian hears you plead for the Empire, hears you -offer to stay with him and share his toils and his glory, there will be -dealt the death-blow to the plots of France, and for Sweden it will be -the beginning of the end." - -"And what if the Elector flout me? It is ill offering the goods in the -market that have once been denied to the buyer." - -The Father Confessor smiled. - -"We have never denied Maximilian. And the good wine has become the -mellower in our Austrian cellars!" - -The Archduchess drew up her head and pouted her red lips. - -"We will consider this matter. The Empire shall not perish for need of -us. Though, in faith, wanting Maximilian, the Empire still has -Wallenstein!" She looked covertly at the priest as she mentioned the -name. - -"Your Highness has at times much prized our Wallenstein!" - -"Yes, and with cause! By Wallenstein and not by Maximilian shall we be -delivered. By all means let us use Maximilian as our buttress, but our -sword and buckler in the open field will be Wallenstein. I would it were -he and not Maximilian that I had to seek out!" - -Father Lamormain marked the maidenly flush that accompanied the -outspokenness, and adding them to what he had already known of her -doings, he began to regard the tale of Pastor Rad as arising from some -strange ferment in his brain. In any case his main point was gained. The -Archduchess would go. How deep were her feelings towards the Elector, or -towards Wallenstein, he could not gauge. But he knew the depth of the -Habsburg pride, that, rebellious or not, must in the long-run fan the -altar flame in the shrine of the Imperial house. - -But Father Lamormain, reader of hearts and minds, of eyes and mouths and -tones, was not omniscient, and he did not read the Archduchess -Stephanie; for how should he know that in one short hour she had thrown -down the image of Wallenstein and set up that of the Scottish soldier of -fortune. Had he reflected that the western road might lead to the Scot -as easily as to the Elector? The cat was allowing the mouse too much -law. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - A RECONNAISSANCE. - - -Gustavus, in view of the proposals for the neutrality of the Elector, -had granted a fortnight's cessation from hostilities. The Elector made -use of it to strengthen his positions, and an intercepted letter showed -Gustavus that, whatever Richelieu might think, the Elector had no -intention of being neutral. Gustavus, once undeceived, marched with all -the army he could muster against Tilly, and drove him out of Franconia. -Tilly, advised by Maximilian, came to a stand on the banks of the Lech, -which forms one of the frontiers of Bavaria. The firm intention of Tilly -was to hold back Gustavus from the virgin territories of Maximilian. - -The army of Count Tilly was drawn up in a position chosen by himself, -astride the main road from Donauwerth to Neuburg, Ingolstadt, and -Ratisbon, a position naturally defended on three sides by water, -strongly fortified and armed. No bridges lent the Swedish army access. -They had been destroyed. Along Tilly's front in an almost straight line -was the river Lech in a state of turbulence and flood. - -Gustavus stigmatised it as a brook, but even brooks have played a great -part in the history of battles; and, sanguine leader that he was, it is -doubtful if he expected to cross it by a wild rush through its -treacherous waters. - -Disposed in earthworks at suitable intervals behind the river were -numerous pieces of ordnance ready to dispute the passage of the Swedes. -And into the rear of the defences Maximilian himself had led up those -regiments that constituted the household troops of his command, as -opposed to those that formed part of the Imperial army under Count -Tilly. - -The conjoined host was a formidable one, well armed, provisioned, -rested, numbering not much less than the forty thousand of the Swede. - -A week before Nigel had ridden into Tilly's camp, much to the old -general's surprise. - -"I had thought Wallenstein would have clapped hands upon you to command -a brigade!" - -"I am not rich enough!" said Nigel. "Besides, who knows whether he will -be needed." - -"H'm!" was the old general's comment. "If old Tilly gets knocked on the -head he will be needed, and soon. But what am I to do with you? Had you -brought me three or four regiments now! Said there was a lack of -officers, did they? Fools! Of captains and lieutenants? Yes! They have a -habit of getting killed! Of colonels even I lack one or two, but of -generals! I warrant Gustavus has not half as many. 'Tis the way of -Imperial armies!" - -"'Tis no matter what I am called!" said Nigel. "Give me a regiment. I am -content to be called 'Colonel.' Give me a chance of having at them, -sword, musket, gun, anyhow." - -"You shall stand just as good a chance of getting killed as I do," -grunted the Count. - -Nigel was satisfied. The old general's thirst for danger was well known, -and he had not forgotten Breitenfeld. Presently Count Tilly assigned -him his command. It was a small brigade, comprising three regiments of -musketeers and two batteries of ten pieces each. One of the regiments -had just lost its colonel, the colonels of the other two were but young -in experience, and had but recently been promoted. - -The artillery was commanded by a major, who, Tilly said, might be relied -upon to handle his pieces and his men in a soldier-like fashion, but had -no head for tactics. This Nigel was to supply. Nigel's lines were well -up the Lech towards the little town of Rain, and the northern angle of -the triangle that formed the whole position of the camp. - -For some days at least Nigel did nothing but drill and exercise his -little force, make himself acquainted with his officers, and make -reconnaissances along the road by which Gustavus must come. - -The next best thing to a solitary hill-top for descrying an advancing -host is a church spire, and one such, in a village some ten Scots miles -from Rain, and a mile or two off the road to Donauwerth, Nigel had -marked for a look-out tower. - -Before the late sunrise of a wintry morning, wrapped in his ample -horseman's cloak, he had crossed the Lech by the only and that a pontoon -bridge and galloped for the village. - -There was but a faint glimmer of dawn visible over the flat country as -he approached the place, and little more as he slid from his horse, -tethered it in a farmer's half-filled barn, and strode forward to the -village church. - -Cautiously he stole in at the door and up the winding stone stair to the -belfry tower, and then up a rickety ladder into the spire itself as far -as he could get. There was an open trap-door at the top, and inside was -darkness. - -He pulled himself up, and, feeling with his hands that a gangway of -planks was laid against the outer framework of the spire, he crawled -along it, hoping to find a convenient chink, or a small window hatch, to -serve his purpose. The cold damp wind of the morning rather than the -light apprised him that such a peep-hole was near him, and he felt about -and about for the fastenings. - -It was just when his hands had in fact touched the rusty hasp that the -feeling came over him that he was not alone. The place was dark but not -noiseless, for the wind whistled eerily and partially lifted loose laths -of wood by one end, only to let them fall again as if in mockery of the -work of men's hands. But over and above these noises was something more. -It was as if other hands at some other point of the circumference were -seeking slowly and noiselessly to undo a stubborn latch or rusty bolt. -This muffled noise had made itself heard once or twice, and Nigel -crouched warily on guard. Then, framed in a pause, came a clink of -metal, of a sword against a spur, then silence. - -Through a hundred little chinks the dawn began to steal and make of the -darkness merely a misty gloom. Nigel had risen to his feet, and there -across the unfloored space loomed the figure of another man, in cloak -and headpiece like himself, standing stark against the roof. - -With a grim quick motion Nigel ripped open his hatch, and with an -answering jerk the stranger opened his. The wind rushed across with a -roar and a whistle, and the dawn poured in till it made a twilight. - -"Eh! sir! It's braw and snell the morn!" said the stranger, making a -polite salute with his sword. - -"Aye is it!" said Nigel, surprised beyond measure by the sound of the -Scots tongue, but returning the compliment in kind. - -"Mebbe ye wouldna refuse a wee tassie o' usquebaugh!" the stranger went -on affably. - -"When I know, sir, whether you come here as friend or enemy," said -Nigel, looking across at the weather-tanned but open face something -suspiciously. - -"Man! ye should never refuse a cup offered in kindness, be it by friend -or enemy. But to lat ye ken, I'm just ane o' yon Gustavus' officers, and -I came here to spy out Count Tilly's dispositions. Give me twa glimpses -and a keek oot o' this spy-hole and I'm your very humble servant." And -without more ado he bowed, turned round, and scanned the camp at Rain, -which he could see quite well through a glass. - -And under his breath he counted and added-- - -"Thirty thousand, or mebbe thirty-twa! And a wheen o' cannon! And a -river in front and the highroad behind. It's ower safe! I wouldna give a -fig to be in yon." There was a note of good-natured contempt in his -voice. "Eh! sir!" - -"And why, sir?" asked Nigel, amused by the coolness of this gentleman, -for gentleman he seemed for all his plainness of speech, which, it -struck Nigel, might have been assumed. - -"I have no liking to fight through the bars of a hencoop with the back -out. Give me a gentle hillside and a wide plain, where there's no -rinnin' awa' till all's daen, where there's room to get each at other. I -dinna favour your fortified camps!" - -"As for me," said Nigel, "I have had experience of both kinds of -fighting, but on this occasion it is for me to await you on the other -side of the river. I am with Count Tilly!" - -"I gave you credit, sir, for more sense, seeing you'd a Scots tongue in -your heid!" was the commentary. - -"But it's richt ye should tak' your fill o' what ye can see! I'm for -doon the stair," he added. - -Nigel made a movement to intercept him. He waved his glove in friendly -deprecation. - -"Hoots aye! I'll wait for you at the foot! Ye'll be perverse enough to -be wishing to carry me back to breakfast in Tilly's camp. And I've made -up my mind to tak' ye back with me to sup our brose! I'll wait! Never -fear!" - -With which he went quietly and unhurried down the stair--and Nigel took -a long look from his hatch. Very dimly he descried something in movement -along the road from Donauwerth, and on the wings of the morning air came -the sound of a solitary trumpet. Gustavus was advancing, and it behoved -Nigel to get back to the camp. He descended the stair, and found the -enemy standing, stamping his feet in the roadway. - -"Now, sir! where's your horse? Mine's here. I've no wish to carry you, -or you me, and there's no need to hack the puir beasties, so if it's all -the same to you we'll fight on foot!" - -"It's all the same to me," said Nigel, throwing off his cloak. "My horse -is in the barn yonder." - -"Good!" said the other. "Swords is it? And the first man to be disabled -is the other's prisoner! Are these the conditions of the combat?" - -Nigel saluted. "My name and condition is,--Nigel Charteris of -Pencaitland--Major-General--commanding a brigade under Count Tilly." - -"And mine is Sir John Hepburn, Captain-General of the Scots Brigade, -serving with Gustavus Adolphus. It is a rare pity we should meet so. I -kent your father lang syne. Even now I am willing to go my ways and -allow you to do the same." - -A swirl of remembrance gushed into Nigel's brain at the words, "Sir John -Hepburn!" - -"It is just that you are Sir John Hepburn that I dare not!" said Nigel. -"Were you a lesser man!" - -Sir John Hepburn stood on guard, a man of forty, broad-shouldered, -well-knit, wary. - -"Have at you, Sir John!" said Nigel, and the battle began. - -They were both good swordsmen, but the fact that each had made up his -mind to disarm the other without doing him much bodily hurt, engendered -such an excess of caution as made it an affair of more length than -bloodshed. Both men were winded before either had scored a scratch. - -By mutual consent they dropped their points and took breath, but spoke -never a word. Both had wrists of the hardest sinew, and both had learned -most of the tricks of fence that Spain, Italy, and France could teach. - -It was curious how each divined a change in the attack, and attuned his -defence to meet it. - -The one fact that emerged from the continual parry and thrust was that -Nigel was the better able to recover his wind, and slightly the more -agile, and so, given an equal fortune, would wear his opponent down. - -"Faith! Nigel Charteris! ye're a wise chiel at the swords!" blurted Sir -John at the end of the fourth bout. - -Once more they crossed, and the sparks flew from their weapons, and this -time indeed neither man came off scathless, though the wounds were too -slight to hinder either, and then came Nigel's opportunity: for in -making a new attack Sir John did not recover himself quickly enough to -prevent fleet-footed Nigel slipping beneath his guard, and by a turn of -the wrist making it necessary for Sir John to have his own broken, or to -let go his sword. Nigel had him at his mercy. - -"Do you yield yourself a prisoner, Sir John?" - -"Aye! do I! But for no long time!" He picked up his sword, and wiped it -with a lace handkerchief and thrust it into its scabbard. - -Nigel looked round. Coming at a sharp trot was a small troop of horsemen -from the direction of Donauwerth. - -"I doubt ye'd best cry quits and tak' your horse. They won't follow you -if you're by yourself, but if you're hampered with a prisoner, I canna -vouch for them." There was a kindly gleam in his eyes as he said it. - -Nigel took the hint, and holding out his hand said, "Farewell, Sir John! -And thanks for your courtesy." - -"Farewell, Mr Charteris, and if at any time you should see fit to change -camps, or need a friend in other ways, call upon Jock Hepburn!" - -And while Nigel sought his horse, the other turned to his, and meeting -the horsemen rode off with them. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - - THE DEFENCE OF THE LECH. - - -Two Bavarians had been recommended to him as aides-de-camp, men of good -breeding and great courtesy. They had arrived with the Elector -Maximilian, but had asked Tilly as a favour to be attached to an officer -of experience with the view of learning all they could. In some way -Nigel's name came up, and to Nigel they were attached. Nigel found their -society and their comradeship very agreeable, and kept them constantly -employed. At the table their talk ran much on the notable warriors of -old and modern times, and personal daring and valour they extolled as -the most godlike virtues: from which Nigel deduced that they had seen -little of actual service, for men who have been through the grim -experience of a hardly-fought campaign, not to say two or three, know -how little these avail at one time, how greatly at another, according to -the twists and turns of fortune or the success of strategy: know how -they are displayed by the commonest soldier or by the greatest general -without bragging, or any claim to be considered unusual. But the two -aides were not much older than himself, and very devout men, and there -was no harm in their talk if it was rather too much in one tune. - -Gustavus' army made a formidable show as it took up a position on the -high ground on the opposite bank of the Lech. Nigel noted that his -artillery was lighter and more numerous than Tilly's, and his batteries -were placed more closely together on ground that was somewhat higher -than Tilly's, and therefore should have more effect gun for gun, and -showed an intention of making a great attack on one spot. - -Nigel knew that their own position was a strong one, and with the river -swollen as it was by melting snows, that it was practically impossible -for Gustavus to push home his attack, however heavy the fire of his -artillery, without a bridge. - -On the morrow when day broke the artillery on both sides began their -clamour, and, although a few shots fell into the midst of the most -forwardly placed regiments, the battle for hours was between artillery. -The position chosen for his artillery by Gustavus showed at once the eye -of the strategist, for the fire swept across the northern angle of the -triangle, and in that area the fire was constant and appalling in its -severity. If Tilly had chosen the post of posts for Nigel that offered -the greatest number of chances of death, that was it. Nigel even thought -that Father Lamormain's exhortations to get slain, if possible, were in -a fair way to fulfilment. And to his surprise his two aides-de-camp, -unaccustomed as they were, showed a noble rivalry in devotion. They -dared the most hazardous risks, while they carried his orders to the -different contingents, with an air of doing nothing notable which -charmed Nigel, though it made him shake his head. For his own part he -urged upon his artillery commander the greatest economy in his fire, to -direct it with the greatest care upon one selected spot till he had put -the enemy's guns to silence, and to reserve himself and his men as much -as possible for the attempt to cross that would surely be made later in -the day. - -Then on the Swedish bank of the river a great smoke arose from fires of -damp wood and straw. The wind blew it into Tilly's camp, where it -mingled with the smoke of the artillery. It soon became difficult to see -what was forward. - -"The bridge!" said Nigel. "He is building a bridge!" - -For long it was impossible to be sure where it was being begun. The -noise of hammering was lost in the noise of the firing. The smoke -belched forth for hundreds of yards along the river bank. The fire of -Gustavus' ordnance continued, relentlessly pounding away upon all the -batteries of Tilly within range, and being light, their position was -changed from one half-hour to another as the Swedish officers thought -fit. - -"A bold swimmer might spy it out!" was the suggestion of one -aide-de-camp. - -Nigel had thought of it; but for a man to go into that icy and turbulent -water was to meet certain death, even were he roped. He would be numbed -before he could see anything, or shot by some of the Swedes, who -doubtless lay securely along their higher bank. - -A boat, a raft, anything that floated on the surface would be a mark. -No! There was but one way, to wait till the bridge workers had advanced -to mid-river and then shatter their handiwork. But with what engine? -Nigel had discovered that the guns of the Swedes from their slightly -higher elevation commanded all the available pieces of Count Tilly, -raking the Imperial entrenchments with a desolating precision. - -Yet a reply had to be made. Every officer that could be spared was busy -encouraging the gunners to face the enemy and load their pieces, sponge, -ladle in the powder, ram home the fresh charges, with the certainty that -here and there along the line a great ball would come, smashing backs -and limbs, or terrifying the manhood out of their veins. - -Again and yet again Nigel himself would snatch the rammer from a -trembling wretch and ram home the charge: would point the gun, wedging -it up to get the greater height needed. It was desperate work. And his -two aides worked like him, shirking nothing. - -A little change in the breeze and he saw where the Swedish engineers, -working like men possessed, pushed out the bridge a few planks at a -time, fastening them to pontoons which others rolled down to them. Now -he knew his direction, and five of his guns were trained directly on to -the growing bridge. But scarcely had they dropped their first hustling -load of round-shot than a furious cannonade of the Swedes put the whole -five out action. No gunners' bravery availed, or could avail. It was -tempting useless slaughter. - -Then Nigel led down files of musketeers from the entrenchment and -disposed them along the banks to scare away the workers, but the enemy -did likewise, and so harassed the musketeers that few of their shots -reached a mark at all. - -All along the banks on either side the battle raged in some sort. Mainly -it was an affair of cannon-balls, but wherever musketry could be -expected to make an impression Tilly ordered his men forward, exposing -himself to the continual cannon fire. But everywhere the Swedes made the -greater havoc, though the position, if resolutely defended, was still -impregnable, and the Imperialists became more and more depressed. - -The bridge crept out another yard. It could be seen how Gustavus was -bringing up a fresh picked body of his veterans, Swedes all of them, -calm, resolute, bearded men, bronzed and scarred with many a fight, -ready for the rush across that would herald the hand-to-hand fighting -that would follow. - -Nigel hated the suspense. He longed for the moment when he could lead -down his musketeers and pikemen to the crash of the charge. And yet was -it wise to wait? Could nothing be done? - -A raft with twenty men upon it? Dare he? He named it to his aides. Dare? -They would dare. They need not risk his life, more valuable than theirs. -Here was greater fighting to be done. There was no taunting. But how -skilfully they plied him too! - -Up the river four hundred yards to give it greater impact they got some -of the Bavarian woodmen to lash logs together and cross them with other -logs, and three men from the banks of the Danube to guide the raft as -well as they could and fend it off the banks with long poles. A small -keg of powder and a hatchet apiece made the cargo for this short voyage. -Except the polemen, the rest crouched low, holding by the ropes. - -Nigel was there. He did not ask himself why he was there, risking his -life, but what he would be able to do. - -The river boiled and swirled. The logs creaked. The whole raft would -have turned if it could, if it had not been for the frantic straining of -the polemen. - -The setting out of the voyagers was unnoticed amid so much din and -turmoil, but they had scarcely fared half the way in less than a minute -of time than musket-shot came scrambling among them. Two hundred yards -more, a mere leap it looked along the water. They held their breath and -braced their limbs for the shock. There was the half-built bridge. A -crash! What a rending, and churning of the waters! They were upon it, -the raft driven half upon it; of the raft's crew half of them were -hurled into the river, the other half upon the bridge. Five of the -bridge builders went down before them, two of them to Nigel's sword. -Then the keg of powder was staved in and set endwise under the planking -and a match made ready. But the bridge builders were reinforced by -twenty stout pikemen, who pushed on to the bridge head and thrust at -Nigel's men with fury. - -It was an unequal contest, for while five men engaged the enemy, the -other five or six endeavoured to free the raft from the timbers of the -bridge, and Nigel waited in the deadliest peril, firing the match. - -The raft was wellnigh free, the water began to take hold of it again, -twisting it determinedly, when the Swedes, checked for the moment by the -stubbornness of the Imperialists, bore down their opponents. But Nigel -had got the tarred rope well alight. "Now for your lives!" he said, and -regardless of pike-thrust and musket-shot they flung themselves on to -the raft and swept on, while the powder sullenly exploded, breaking -loose a full half of the work completed, and blowing seven or eight -stout pikemen into the waves. - -For Nigel there was the rushing water, a volley of musketry, a sharp -pain followed by a momentary sensation of falling into the stream, then -nothing. - -But night was drawing in, and Gustavus could not cross. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - A SURPRISE AT RATISBON. - - -Nigel awoke to the jolting of an ox-waggon, over which was a rough -covering. He was lying in his cloak on a truss of straw. Beside him sat -one of his aides-de-camp, Captain von Grätz. But just now he looked -strangely unlike a military man, and was reciting prayers, fingering a -rosary which hung about his neck while he did so, with an earnestness -that suggested that some one was on the point of death. - -For a moment or two or three Nigel could not bring his mind to any clear -understanding. The officer had a lantern. Outside, through the opening -in the rough hood, was a blue sky and frosty-looking stars. Tramp! -Tramp! The army was on the march. Whither and why? Heaven, what a pain! -In his side, or was it in his shoulder? Nigel felt stiff for the most -part, but the pain was sharp and not always in one place. - -The aide-de-camp raised the lantern and looked at him, gave him a -draught of some kind, which sent the blood circulating more warmly, and -made his stiff limbs feel as if they were being teased by a thousand -pricks. Then he said "Hush!" and went on praying till Nigel fell asleep. - -In the morning they had reached Neuburg, and Nigel was sufficiently -himself to understand what had happened. Count Tilly had had his right -leg shattered by a cannon-ball, and a man of seventy-three, tough even -as Tilly, does not suffer such wounds with impunity. Altringer, his next -in command, was dead. The Elector Maximilian, swayed by Tilly, had -ordered a retreat from that wellnigh impregnable position. With -nightfall the retreat had begun, to Neuburg first. Then it was to be -Ingolstadt, where another stand would be made. Count Tilly was still -alive. The next question Nigel put was for the other aide-de-camp. He -had been drowned in the Lech. He had "died for the faith," as his -comrade-in-arms said. - -"You are a regular priest?" - -The aide-de-camp inclined his head in token of assent. - -"We obey orders!" he said softly. - -"What is the matter with me?" - -"You had a pike-thrust through your left shoulder, a musket-shot grazed -your ribs, you were knocked unconscious from a blow from the raft as you -fell into the water. The poleman just snatched you from the gates of -heaven!" The Jesuit sighed as he said the last words. "As for myself, it -is not time yet." - -Nigel had no reply ready. He decided however that, as he did not feel -any resentment against the poleman, he was not yet prepared for the end -his companion, evidently in good faith, desired for him. - -A night and a day at Neuburg and the army with its men and its waggons, -its artillery, its swarms of camp-followers, passed on to Ingolstadt. - -Count Tilly still lived, and while he lived Maximilian acted upon his -advice. - -"Defend Ingolstadt as long as possible. Throw troops forward into -Ratisbon and hold that. Holding the two you hold the Danube!" - -Other advice he gave, that all wounded and camp-followers should be sent -forward to Ratisbon. Ingolstadt was strongly fortified and might turn -the edge of Gustavus' sword if it contained nothing but fighting men. -Ratisbon would be a safe refuge for a few weeks. - -Nigel was carried into the presence of Count Tilly at Ingolstadt. - -The old general, looking shrivelled, sunken, his eyes feverishly bright, -lay in his bed. His hat with the red feather and his sword hung upon the -wall. - -He looked up and recognised Nigel. - -"You too, boy?" - -"Not badly!" said Nigel. - -"Go on to Ratisbon! You'll be well enough to fight the Swede again in -three weeks!" His voice faltered even in its weakness. He turned his -head away a minute or two. Nigel knew what the old warrior was thinking, -and could not find it in him to utter the worthless consolatory hopes -that he might. - -"But _I_ shall never fight again! The Swede has beaten me. I would that -we had fought in the open and not cooped up behind trenches and rivers. -Well! It is Wallenstein's chance now, and for _me_ nothing but the -priest's viaticum. God be with you, boy!" - -Nigel clasped his thin sword-hand with his own, and the young soldier of -fortune looked into the eyes, the stern, sharp, wistful, wild eyes of -the old soldier, who was doomed beyond possible help of army surgeon, -and the old man knew that the young one held him for a brave man, who -had been staunch to his profession, and loyal to the Emperor even to the -death. There was more comfort in Nigel's eyes than in a thousand -protestations from men who had never faced ball and pike-thrust on a -hard-fought field. - -Nigel gulped down something and whispered hoarsely-- - -"Good-bye, General. The Holy Saints help you!" - -His orderlies carried him out, and two days afterwards Tilly died, the -sound of Gustavus' cannon, without the walls of Ingolstadt, ringing in -his ears. - -Nigel reached Ratisbon in the train of the troops sent on to defend it. -Every day he was under the ministrations of the Jesuit, who combined the -art of the healer with that of spiritual director, as if he had never, -sword in hand, hewn down Swedish pikemen on the bridge at the Lech. -Every day made him gain something of ease. And once lodged in a -comfortable upper room at Ratisbon he began to recover the usage of his -legs. - -But he was still far from the recovery of his full vigour, and spent -most of the day looking from a window seat, his shoulders leaning -against cushions because of his wounds, upon the passing trivialities of -the street, while the aide-de-camp was out about his military duties. - -It was while he was thus employed that his soldier servant announced, "A -high-born lady visiting the sick, colonel!" - -Wondering what new adventure this might be, he bade the soldier bring -her up. - -First came a sour-visaged dame, whom Nigel half recognised and then -decided that he did not. Hard on her heels came one that brought a -sudden flush into his pallor. It was the Archduchess Stephanie. - -It was clearly as unexpected on her part. But with wonderful presence of -mind she entreated him not to rise, and bade her maid set down her -basket and wait below. - -Then as the door closed she sprang to him. - -"Nigel! My love, Nigel! In Ratisbon!" - -She knelt at his side, and placing his arm about her neck laid her face -against his, and crooned softly to him as she would have done to a -babe. - -And he could say little but press her dear hand closer to him and -whisper "Stephanie! You too in Ratisbon!" - -"We came, my brother Ferdinand and I, to strengthen the hands of the -Elector Maximilian, so that he fell not into the sin of neutrality." - -"You and Ferdinand?" There was a world of inquiry in his tone. - -"Yes, Nigel! Ferdinand was to play the fisherman and I the bait." She -sprang from him and dropped a stately curtsey, pulling her face -straight, serene and wonderful to behold for any one, but to Nigel not -the Queen of Sheba nor Zenobia of Palmyra would have seemed more -wonderful. - -"And I the bait!" she repeated and laughed. - -"But Maximilian had hopelessly broken his neutrality by the time you -arrived!" said Nigel. - -"We could not know it till we came! And then I told the Elector what I -had told him in any hazard, I would not wed him were he twenty times -Elector and the Great Mogul besides. It is not in my blood or my -humour." - -Nigel's eyes spoke the admiration for her boldness that he felt. - -"Then you have tricked the Emperor, and Father Lamormain, and flouted -Maximilian----" - -"To follow you, Tall Captain, or carry you off in my arms, or what shall -I do? I had no certain knowledge you were here. I had learned that the -camp had been broken up, that Tilly had retired to Ingolstadt, and when -I heard that the wounded were sent on to Ratisbon I began my search, -wondering how much of you I might find." - -"It is naught!" said Nigel, getting up. "I have lost blood. I have a -scratch in the ribs, a thrust of pike in my left shoulder, but they -heal. A Jesuit is living with me, Captain von Grätz, salving me, -preaching to me, and doing military duty too." - -"Not a word to him! Father Lamormain suspects! I know not how much, but -much!" - -"You must plan, and I must plan!" said Nigel. "We are in a serious case. -If we be not wedded in a little, wedded we two shall never be. It is too -much to set the Emperor and the Elector at defiance and not expect -reprisals. But if we be wedded, beloved Stephanie, we may even get off -with a hair shirt and smock, saving your Highness, and exile to some -remote castle in the Grisons." - -Nigel was no screech-owl, nor in the way of seeing ill before it came -except to prevent it, so his tone was gay; but there was doubt beneath. - -"How did the Elector take it?" he went on. - -"Faith, Nigel mine, but like as a pinch of sunshine peeps out between -the gathering clouds and is now quite shut out, so he seemed to smile, -but his brows were threatening black and his teeth gleamed a little. - -"There is a touch of fantasy about the Wittelsbachers. Born in a lowlier -station, Maximilian might have become a sad kind of troubadour, or a -prophesying friar. Being a prince, he is capable of carrying out any -wild imagining he might have to snatch me to him, or to wreak his -disappointment." - -"And we are in his hands here!" said Nigel. - -"To-morrow, think you, Tall Captain, if I took the air on horseback -without the walls, the Swede not yet being come up, that you could mount -a charger and meet me by chance three leagues distance. If there were no -guards out we might perchance slip further still and make our way----" - -"To what port of shelter?" - -"To Znaim! Sure Wallenstein would make you one of his new captains, and -Znaim would be a veritable city of refuge!" - -Nigel drew in his breath. "Stephanie, you have a godlike courage! To -Wallenstein! And yet why not? He will want officers. Here I am on the -list of the sick. There shall I be serving the Emperor! It is a bold -plan, Stephanie, but we must venture all, or be forever cravens!" - -"To-morrow! Nigel! Heaven send not the Swedes too soon to close the -gates. At midday three leagues away by the road from the eastern gate!" - -"And to-morrow if it see not our wedding shall see the eve of the -bridal!" She took Nigel by both hands, dealing as tenderly as with any -babe, and looked upon him with such a look of mystery and love and -motherhood in her eyes as caught him up into heaven and left him -entranced while one might count a hundred. Her look smote through his -eyes and on to his very soul, and put her impress there as it had been -the seal of the greatest Empire of all the world. - -Then they kissed in solemn troth-plight, and the Archduchess went down -the stair leaving the room a darkness, though it was still broad day. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIX. - - THE CLOUDS AND SERGEANT BLICK. - - -Not for the first time in his military life did Nigel feel lonely. In -this town of Ratisbon he had many military comrades, but no friend who -would be as a wall against which he could set his back when it came to -the grim push of steel against a half-ring of foemen. In bonnie -Scotland, had he sought to carry off a king's daughter, he could have -raised a sturdy dare-all troop of kinsfolk, men of his blood and name, -who would have broken down the West Port, scaled the crags of Edinburgh -Castle, risking their necks and their lands in a desperate endeavour to -win the guerdon for him of his heart's desire. And desperate though it -might be, with the king's daughter willing, what Scottish noble would -not have made the essay with a light heart? And here in Ratisbon was no -one on whom he might rely for a stout arm and a reckless generosity of -service. - -A friend such as he needed, not to speak of ten friends, must be told -everything. One cannot ask a friend to aid one in carrying off a king's -daughter without telling him what the dangers are. Rapidly he told off -the officers he knew in Ratisbon. All were in the pay of the Emperor or -the Elector. At the mention of either the shoulders would go up, there -would be long draughts of beer, a cloud of smoke, pursed-up brows, and -"Not to be thought of, my friend!" They were trusty fellows for the most -part, would not betray his confidence, but neither would they throw -themselves whole-heartedly into an enterprise which, successful, would -bring to some certain death, and to the rest a very intangible reward, -and failing would involve all in equal ruin. - -Then again there were the Jesuits. Which of his trusty friends might not -be Jesuits, if not, like his remaining aide-de-camp, a regular priest in -an officer's uniform, then an officer, drawing Jesuit pay as well as the -Emperor's? - -He thought of the Emperor with his proud, cold, supercilious face. There -was as little reason for hope of forgiveness as there was hope of -consent from him. From the Emperor he passed to Maximilian, the prince -who should have been a Jesuit, as he was the foster-child of Jesuitism. -Of a lineage as proud as that of the Habsburgs, of a renown for policy -as for valour, ruler of some of the fairest provinces and greatest -cities of the Empire, he would of a surety in his love be as relentless -an adversary as fate. Men of his dark complexion take the malady of love -not lightly. Least of all men, being who he was, would he be pitiful. -Brook a rival, once disclosed to him, in a Scots mercenary, were he -Wallace Wight himself? As well might the Danube cease to flow eastward, -ever eastward. And behind, but peering between these two haughty and -melancholy faces in Nigel's thought, was Father Lamormain's gentle, -suave, and smiling countenance, from whose mouth had flowed persuasive -speech that clothed the stern resolved marching orders of that sinister -brotherhood in whom there was no shadow of turning. Into no conceivable -scheme of Father Lamormain's could fit any idea of the marriage of Nigel -with the Archduchess. He had shown himself favourable to the Elector's -suit. Nigel's service to the Emperor would not count for aught if he -should stand in the way of the Jesuit advance. - -Nigel looked out upon the clouds of peril. He might win through with the -Archduchess, make her his wife, reach Wallenstein. So much was possible, -keeping their own counsel, acting swiftly with one mind, one courage. As -for Wallenstein, it was impossible to predict how he might receive them, -as friends, as hostages, or with cold negatives that should say "it lies -not with my interest." - -Nigel Charteris gazed upon the clouds of peril, and gazed undaunted. He -was in that uplifted mood into which a mighty love exalts the soul, so -that from its peak of splendour it can look down upon the clouds below -hurtling their lightnings and sending up dim reverberations of their -embattled thunders. For one hour of ecstasy shared by Stephanie he would -cheerfully meet the after-doom. - -He heard a footstep on the stair, a heavy tread, and the clank of spurs. -His reverie was dissipated like a bubble. What new thing was to happen? - -"Blick!" - -"Me! Colonel!" - -It was Blick, big-shouldered, red-faced, bull-necked, smacking somewhat -of beer and other liquors, soldierly Sergeant Blick. - -"How in the name of----?" Nigel began. - -"Sent out foraging from Ingolstadt, general! Got through the Swedish -lines at night, waggons and all, but couldn't get back again. Met an -infernal ambush of Swedes in a forest road. My men stood stoutly by me, -and we gave a round dozen of them their 'fall out,' but what with their -muskets and the trees it was no go. So we set spurs to our horses and -made straight for Ratisbon. The devil was in it, for they got our -waggons, a load of hams and a few barrels of good Bavarian beer, a -score of lean fowls----" - -"Enough, Blick! I warrant you left nothing of meat and drink but what -you could not carry off! So you came to Ratisbon, and found me out?" - -"Yes, colonel! Ingolstadt will come tumbling down in a day or two at -most, and then the Swedes will come here after the Elector, as some say, -or be off to ransack Munich, where he keeps his treasures, as others -say. And in faith I don't see what's to stay him, now poor old Tilly's -dead!" - -"Dead?" - -"Aye! Died as Gustavus fired the first round of his cannon. He was a -tough fighter, and his soldiers ever got leave to sack a town in their -own way. No fine manners and milk and water about the old General with -the Red Feather. Rest his soul!" - -"Amen!" said Nigel devoutly, making the sign of the cross. "Now what are -you going to do?" - -"I've reported myself and men to the general in command of Ratisbon. He -says, 'Wait till the army retreats from Ingolstadt and then join it.' -Meantime I'm just looking after the horses and taking a ride to keep -them in condition and get fodder for them, and there's mighty little in -Ratisbon!" - -Nigel smiled. He knew that Blick considered it a lamentable thing when -he and his troop, not to mention the horses, did not get full rations, -and that, if the regulations did not bring him and his to eat, he helped -himself to the best with a very fair ability. - -"If the Swedes are not upon us to-morrow, Blick, I want you to do me a -service." - -"How many troopers?" - -"Two besides yourself, men you can trust, men who are good swordsmen, -and see that your three horses are good for a long journey if need be. -And above all a quiet tongue, Blick, for you are meddling in a strange -business. If any trouble come of it to you, you may blame me, as you -obeyed orders. Meet me at the Eastern Gate with my horse at eleven. You -will find him at the stables of the 'Cloister Bell.'" - -"Yes, colonel! Two men, your own horse. Swords and pistols, at eleven, -Eastern Gate!" - -Blick saluted cheerfully. He wondered what was in the wind, but it was -in any case a pastime, and Nigel, though not a spendthrift, always paid -well for his services. - -When the aide-de-camp returned that evening Nigel said nothing of his -visitors, merely that he felt almost well enough to adventure the saddle -on the morrow, and should try a short ride. The Jesuit examined his -wounds carefully, and said he thought a gentle ride would do him no -harm. Nothing more was said upon that score, though they talked freely -about the progress of the Swede at Ingolstadt. - -"It is a hard fortress to take," said the Jesuit, "and it may well be -that the Swede may waste much powder and many good men before its walls -and then not take it. Every week he spends before it is a week gained -for us!" - -"How?" asked Nigel. "We are shut up here!" - -"Wallenstein's army grows daily, I hear. It is wonderful the magic of -his name. From all places men are hastening." - -Nigel expressed great wonder. He was surprised that, at a time when the -Emperor was at his wits' end for men, Wallenstein could find them from -the ends of the earth. But he also wished the Jesuit to tell him more. - -But the Jesuit said nothing of how he had heard the news. Only the -shadow of a fear ran across Nigel's heart that news went fro, as well -as to, over great distances, through this wonderful chain of the -brotherhood that served Father Lamormain. And he wondered whether this -kindly, helpful aide-de-camp, who had practically set him on his legs -again, would not with an equal kindliness conduct him to the strongest -dungeon in the citadel if he received orders. He knew it would be so. - -The next morning saw Nigel at the hour named at the east gate, saw his -eager charger nuzzling in his shoulder for joy, saw him gather his reins -and mount, and, followed by the escort, set out briskly, as a man -should, to his trysting-place. - - - - - CHAPTER XL. - - RIDE, RIDE TOGETHER. - - -To cover three leagues in an hour on such a horse as Nigel bestrode was -no great affair. - -It may have been a little more or a little less when Sergeant Blick, -with his watchful eyes, descried that his former colonel was rapidly -overtaking a little party that rode in the same direction. It consisted -apparently of a lady habited in a riding-dress suitable for the winter, -surmounted by a military-looking cloak, and a groom on another horse -just behind. - -As Sergeant Blick was a long way off when he saw so much, he did not -even attempt to guess who she might be. There were many highly-born -ladies in Ratisbon just at that time, though Blick did not know why. - -He was not long before he noticed that Nigel rode up on the lady's right -and saluted her, and that her movements were such as to suggest to an -observer that the meeting was a chance rencontre and a surprise. - -The groom, who, like themselves, carried pistols in his holsters, fell -back and gradually took up a position not far in front of Sergeant -Blick, but kept his horse trotting at a certain distance as if aware of -the soldiers, and not willing to mingle with them. - -But the colonel did not seem to have any intention of leaving the lady -to conclude her promenade alone. The two, in fact, rode quickly side by -side, as if bent on reaching some still distant goal in company. And it -was some time before it dawned upon Blick's mind that this had been a -rendezvous, and that his former colonel had entered upon the first phase -of the enterprise to which he had referred the night before. - -Had Blick been a Frenchman instead of a German he would have sniffed out -an affair of the heart as soon as he caught a glimpse of a petticoat, -but Blick was a German soldier, who had begun to get grizzled, and was -already weather-beaten and scarred, and cared a vast deal more for a -good dinner and a jovial emptying of beer-mugs than for toying with -wenches, and on the occasions when Cupid had asserted his rights of -dominion over him, the manifestations of Sergeant Blick's possession had -been uncouth and rough, and in nowise redolent of sentiment or of -poetry. Nor had he ever observed any amorous tendencies in his former -captain and colonel. He, on the contrary, had seemed to shun all such -opportunities of dalliance as the fortune of war threw in his way, to -care nothing, in fact, for women kind or unkind, only moderately for the -more gratifying enjoyments of wine and meat, and prodigiously, for an -officer, for clean muskets and well-sharpened pikes, or for well-groomed -horses and bright swords. Sergeant Blick could not account for the -change, and did not in his heart approve of it, the more that he could -make no manner of guess who the lady was. - -So he urged his horse a little more till he came alongside the groom, -whom he saluted civilly enough and asked plumply who his mistress was, -to which the groom replied with equal civility that she was the Countess -Ottilie von Thüringen. - -"Gott im Himmel!" said Sergeant Blick, and plied no more questions. - -He remembered well the Countess Ottilie in the early episodes, and -wondered the more. Then he gave up wondering, and remembered that he had -not drunk for over two hours, an unprecedented thing for him, when not -actually engaged on the stern duties of his vocation. Besides, the -effort of thinking could only be borne by the aid of liquor. - -"She was mixed up with those ... Lutherans! So she was!" said Blick to -himself. - -Blick's thirst found relief in time, for Nigel halted at the first -convenient inn which promised passable entertainment in the town of -Straubing, eight and a half leagues from the city of Ratisbon. He knew -that no hostelry on the road to Znaim could in the nature of things -produce a meal fit to set before this rare daughter of the Habsburgs. -For her nothing could be too kingly, but as the best that could be got -was coarse, he had perforce to trust to her love and a traveller's -appetite. - -They did well to find a hostelry which had another room than that used -by the common wayfarers. Nigel bade Blick give his men and the groom a -good meal, feed and water the horses sparingly, and have all ready in an -hour. - -Then they spoke of their immediate plans. - -Having encountered no obstacles hitherto, they decided to push on and -gain the furthest town they could before the hour of shutting gates. The -Archduchess would lodge in the convent. The town they thought to reach -was Passau, which possessed two convents as well as a number of churches -of old name and fame, in one of which they had it in mind on the morrow -to hear the priest pronounce over them the words "conjungo vos," by -which they should become one till death. - -"You are firm of purpose, Stephanie? There is still time to go back!" -said Nigel solemnly, looking into her eyes. - -"I am plighted, Nigel!" she replied with an equal seriousness. "Let us -go on!" - -They rose up from the table and went out, mounted and rode on to -Plattling. And this time Nigel bade Blick and the troopers ride in front -so that they might bring back word if any hindrance barred the road. For -Nigel had noticed, and so had Blick, that the roads were patrolled by -parties of the Elector's own bodyguard of horse, a circumstance which -would have had no significance if they had been upon the road between -Ratisbon and Ingolstadt, from which the Swedish troops might at any time -arrive. Still, beyond a salute the Bavarian troopers gave no sign. The -two rode on. - -But as they neared Plattling and the bridge across the Isar by which -they would reach the road to Passau, Sergeant Blick came back in haste -and warned them that the passing of the bridge was forbidden by a strong -party of cavalry in charge of an officer. - -Nigel spurred his horse forward, and the Archduchess did the like. They -were soon at the bridge. - -The officer was unknown to Nigel, but they saluted with great ceremony. -The officer saluted with still greater ceremony the Archduchess. - -"My escort, captain, tells me you are unable to let us pass the bridge!" -said Nigel. - -"My instructions are that in sum!" said the officer. - -"It would give us pleasure to hear them," said the Archduchess. - -"As regards your Imperial Highness," said the officer, "my instructions -were that, should you at any time desire to cross, I was to take care -that you had an escort of at least fifty men and two officers. I can -furnish them at once." - -"And General Charteris?" - -"His case comes under the second section. No officer or man of the -Imperial army may cross the bridge except by the written order of the -Elector, or unless he be carrying despatches to Vienna." - -"For what reason is the second order?" - -"To prevent desertions from the Elector and the Emperor's troops here to -join Wallenstein's!" - -"The Elector is very solicitous for our safety and your loyalty, General -Charteris. It seems that we must need curtail our pleasurable excursion -and return." - -The officer looked confused. He had no wish to cross the whim of an -Archduchess, but to disobey the Elector was worse. He bowed and made -numerous apologies. - -Force it was impossible to use. The bridge at Bogen, which was a mile or -two to the eastward of Straubing, would be equally guarded. Reluctantly, -but without appearance of reluctance, they turned their horses and went -back. To Nigel it appeared to be pure mischance. - -"No! Where the Jesuits are, dear Nigel, all is fore-thoughted. Our -secret is known or guessed. This was the Elector's prevision!" - -"Then we must hasten back before the gates close!" said Nigel, perturbed -to the depths. "You must be able to say that you had ridden further in -admiration of this beautiful country than you intended, and accepted my -escort, not wishing to be incommoded by a train of attendants." - -The Archduchess was full of foreboding. - -"If we are only back in time my excuse will at all events bear an -appearance of probability. But what are we to do next? You are not yet -strong enough to take the field. Yet you may depend upon the Elector -finding you some pressing duty out of Ratisbon, and he may urge that you -were strong enough to ride with me." - -"I must obey!" said Nigel. "But I could not leave you without putting -our marriage beyond question. Once Holy Church pronounces the blessed -words 'conjungo vos,' Stephanie, nor Emperors nor Electors can dissolve -the union." - -"It shall be, Nigel! It shall be before midnight to-morrow. Leave the -plan, the place, the time to me. I have learned some of the secret ways -of Ratisbon. And if you be ordered to-morrow on some futile quest, you -must use delay. Oh! dearest! I cannot help but fear, though I shall be -cool in plan and firm in execution." - -"Courage!" said Nigel stoutly. Though he felt something creeping over -him which seemed to give his very voice the lie. - -Presently as they interchanged some further words his voice sounded so -hollow and feeble that her woman's ear caught the change. - -"Nigel! What is it, Nigel?" - -"I feel a faintness!" he said. "It will pass!" - -"Thank the saints we are near Straubing! Let us walk our horses. It may -be we can get wine and supper, and a posting carriage. Her accents -betrayed the deep concern, the measureless pity the woman felt for the -man she had chosen. Could they be those of the proud Archduchess? Even -faintly as they reached his ears they brought the thought to his mind, -and filled his soul with a strange ecstasy of strength, carrying on the -action of his will, when will seemed to have no more to say. - -They reached the Black Eagle of Straubing. Brandy and hot soup was -served, and, once alone with him, the Archduchess stripped off his -cloak, his tunic, and with a table-knife ripped open his shirt from his -wounded shoulder, as she feared the wound had reopened with the toil of -riding. Blick was sent for an apothecary, salve and bandages. -Fortunately the man of drugs was to be found, and the wound washed and -salved and bound up anew. The Archduchess paid him with a golden crown, -bade him hold his peace for ever, and dismissed him. - -Then Blick found post-horses and a carriage, and they set forth once -more. Yet there was time, if the coachman and postboys did their best, -and the promise of gold was tempting. - -As the carriage bounded and rumbled along the starlit road, Stephanie -took her lover's head upon her soft shoulder, putting her arm about him -and drawing him to her as a mother does her child, and kissed him -softly, tenderly, as a mother does, and Nigel fell into a deep, peaceful -slumber, his last murmur being her name--"Stephanie." - -Very peacefully he slept, despite the rumbling and swaying of the -carriage, and the Archduchess, satisfied that his breathing was natural, -gave herself up to the maturing of her plan, listening now and then to -the clattering of the hoofs of their attendants' horses upon the hard -road not far behind. At the rate they had travelled she decided that -there was yet time to spare. She feared the Elector not at all, her -brother Ferdinand about as much, as far as her own self was concerned. -But she feared immeasurably for Nigel. The thought that she must be -parted from him almost inevitably, directly they had pledged their -mutual marriage vows, crushed her with a leaden weight. - -They stopped somewhere. She could not guess. The horses were steaming -with their exertions. Men threw cloths over them while they rested in -their traces. Then they resumed the journey, and presently Nigel awoke, -ashamed that he had slept, but with strength of mind and body renewed. - -They reached a little village called Obertraubling, two leagues short of -Ratisbon. - -The carriage stopped. Nigel sprang out. It was of no use, the postboy -said. One horse had gone lame. He could kill the horse by thrashing him, -but to get to Ratisbon with the carriage was impossible in the time. He -had done his best. Neither Blick nor his troopers nor his groom had come -up. Nigel went from one poor house and inn to another in search of one -or two fresh horses. Not a horse was to be found. - -"No one had a horse if not Farmer Grabstein, the last house in the -village." - -Postboy and coachman led the stumbling horses along to the house of -Farmer Grabstein. No one was about. Nigel knocked at the door and it -yielded. There was a fire upon the hearth. There was food of a rough -sort upon the table. There were even candles hanging from a beam. He lit -one at the embers and stuck it in a candlestick. Then he went back to -the carriage and bade Stephanie alight. - -She came into the farmhouse and sat down on a bench in the fireplace to -warm herself while Nigel made a search. Downstairs there was no one. -Upstairs (it was a rough wooden stair, steep as a ladder) were garrets -under the thatch. Rolled up in undistinguishable bundles appeared to be -some human beings. The air was fetid with their breath and their -personal exhalations. Was it worth while to wake them? At all events the -Archduchess could not go up that stair. - -Then he bade the men put their horses in the stable and sleep there -beside them. It would at least be warm. - -"Stephanie! My beloved! There is no help for it but wait here till Blick -comes up. Then he must get into Ratisbon and bring out horses by hook or -by crook! The night is yet young. Our plans have gone dismally awry. Yet -I would not have it different if it were not for the tongue of rumour -that will even now be busy in Ratisbon!" - -She knew well what he meant. The honour of the Emperor's daughter would -be besmirched, despite anything that might be said or done or attested: -and were it but one day's stain, that stain should not lie between her -and the husband she had chosen. - -"Show me the place!" she said with a touch of her old hauteur. Nigel -took the candle and preceded her. There was yet another room on this -floor, an apartment hung with leather, and having a good chest or two of -carved work, an oaken table and some chairs: the farmer's state-room, -doubtless used on high occasions. - -"Here will I abide! Go you, Tall Captain, and fetch me some old dame -from the village, so she be clean and not smelling of the cow-byre more -than ordinary, and bid her bring a blanket or two." - -Nigel went off into the dark again. But she without loss of a moment -examined the room and found a door which led into an outermost room, -where guns, boots, powder-flasks, and other utensils of the chase hung, -and beyond was a great door bolted and barred. This she undid, though it -taxed her strength, and found that it opened on to the stable-yard. That -she crossed and entered the stable, roused one of the men and bade him -rub down the soundest of the horses, feed and water it, and then strap -on a saddle she had found in the gun-room, in one hour's time. He would -be awakened if necessary. She would ride to Ratisbon. Neither his mate -nor any one else was to know. The present of a gold crown made him -promise mountains and marvels. She returned to their kitchen and awaited -Nigel by the fire. - - - - - CHAPTER XLI. - - A LATE ARRIVAL AT NICHOLAS KRAFT'S. - - -In one of the old burgher palaces of Ratisbon, then the dwelling of -Nicholas Kraft, whose guest he was, the Elector Maximilian held a -reception after supper each evening in the manner of the French monarch. -At these the ladies and gentlemen of his own household, Ferdinand the -Archduke and his sister the Archduchess, with their suite, were expected -to attend, together with some of the great burghers and their wives, -who, whether they possessed patents of nobility or not, were in point of -wealth and culture noble, and had the right of entry. The ruling classes -of the great free cities had long been accustomed to exchange courtesies -on something like equal terms with the princes and nobles who happened -to be within their gates, but not to exhibit any undue servility in -their regard. Maximilian fully understood this. In Munich, his capital -city, there would be differences, but Ratisbon was Ratisbon. Ferdinand -the Archduke held himself much aloof. As the son of the Emperor, and -possibly his successor, if the Electors should again choose a Habsburg, -he possessed much of the Habsburg pride of demeanour and tendency to -self-isolation. - -The guests had not all assembled. Maximilian himself, though talking -affably with the principal burghers, the few officers present, or some -of the ladies, looked gloomy. Indeed he had much to occupy his mind. The -latest advices from Ingolstadt told that the fortress town still held -out stoutly, and was still closely beset by Gustavus. Of movement -towards Ratisbon there were rumours enough, but Maximilian was being -well served with information, and these rumours did not trouble him so -much as they did the burghers. As in all the great free cities, there -was a party favouring Gustavus, another favouring the Emperor, a third -whose one desire was to maintain an exact neutrality. All wished the war -was at an end, because it interfered wofully with trade. - -"I had thought to have seen the Archduchess here to-night!" said -Maximilian to the brother of the absent lady. - -"In truth," said Ferdinand, "I cannot tell. She is accustomed to follow -her whims. I learned that she went out riding to-day. It may be that she -is late in returning, and is even now at supper." - -Maximilian smiled sombrely and made some polite and meaningless reply, -but his manner suggested that he was not at his ease. - -"At what hour, Burgomaster, do you close the city gates?" Maximilian -asked of his next fellow-guest. - -"At eight, your Highness!" - -"And the keys?" - -"Are brought to my house, your Highness!" - -"Ah! Very salutary! You have all things well-ordered in Ratisbon." - -"Your Highness is good enough to commend us. Nevertheless, there are -many things that may well be improved." - -An hour slipped by. Some of the party played _truc_, some _scat_. In a -corner some musicians discoursed on viols and lutes and a clavier. The -Archduke grew impatient and sent a page to the lodging of the -Archduchess, bidding her attendance. An answer came back that she was -indisposed, but that, if the Elector wished to see her particularly, she -would endeavour to throw off her migraine and come. - -The Archduke sent a still more peremptory message. Maximilian looked -still more sombre. - -This time he stopped to speak to an officer who had just come in. They -stood apart. - -"The gates are shut?" was Maximilian's inquiry. - -"Yes, your Highness!" - -"Has the Archduchess in fact returned?" - -"No, your Highness!" - -"Have you had any message?" - -"Her coach broke down at Obertraubling, three leagues from Ratisbon! She -is spending the night at a farmhouse!" - -"Alone?" There was a perceptible quiver in his voice. - -"The Scottish officer, General Charteris, is with her!" - -"Ah! He has recovered from his wounds?" - -"I should have thought not! I have been doing my best, your Highness. -Two days ago he was too weak to mount a horse. But the eyes of an -Archduchess, your Highness, are a very potent salve!" - -Again the Elector frowned. - -"Can you make anything of this escapade?" - -The Jesuit returned the look in the Elector's eyes. Each seemed to -search the other's. - -"Whatever it was meant to be it has been frustrated, and your Highness -will find her submissive enough to-morrow." - -"But if she has given herself...." - -"Your Highness need not fear. She has but walked into one mouse-trap and -the Scot into another." - -Maximilian simply grumbled a dissatisfied "H'm!" His knowledge of the -Jesuits and their deep schemes was tempered by an insatiable jealousy -where the Archduchess was concerned, and a knowledge of the wiles of -women, which he deemed must be superior to that of any Jesuit but one, -that one being Father Lamormain. - -"It is time to apprise the Archduke Ferdinand that he is being fooled by -her women." Then he left the Jesuit abruptly and crossed over to -Ferdinand. - -"Our dear Stephanie will not, I fear, be here to-night!" - -"Why not, cousin?" was Ferdinand's somewhat petulant query. He was not -at all gratified at having come to Ratisbon, only to find that -Maximilian was once again defeated. He would almost have preferred him -to have taken up the position of the neutral. He was angry with the -Archduchess for her persistent opposition to his father's wish for the -match with Maximilian: annoyed with Maximilian for his continual -fidgeting about her absence, to which Ferdinand attached no importance. - -"Because she is not in Ratisbon!" - -"But I have had messages from her!" - -"From her women, who are doubtless in league to deceive you!" - -Ferdinand looked much that he did not utter. - -He looked at the clock that stood in one corner of the apartment. - -"Ten o'clock, and not returned. You must lend me a troop of your hussars -to scour the roads!" - -"With pleasure! But I beg that you will use discretion. The name of a -princess that will one day be Electress of Bavaria may not be lightly -bandied. May I suggest Captain von Grätz?" - -"As you will, cousin!" - -They had just signed to the Jesuit when the door opened, and the -servants announced-- - -"Her Imperial Highness, the Archduchess Stephanie!" - -The faces of the three men turned towards the door in amazement and -expectation. - -It was the Archduchess. She came clad in amber silk, heavy with the -richest embroidered work of raised flowers, a high stiff collar, her -round neck and swelling bosom bare, save for the velvet of darker hue -than the stuff which framed them, and a necklace of rare pearls. Her -train was upheld by two of the fairest dames of her company, and these -and two others and two pages were all attired as richly, yet served as a -foil nevertheless to her supreme dark beauty. In her eyes was the -lurking light of laughter, though her lip had more than usual of its -proud upward curl. Her eyes danced as with her quick gaze they lit upon -the three astounded faces of her suitor, her brother, and the officer -they called von Grätz. - -Nicholas Kraft and his wife hastened forward and bent the knee before -her. To them all graciousness she said-- - -"It is to seem an unwilling guest to arrive at your hospitable house so -late, but you must please excuse me for the chapter of accidents that -has done nothing but beset me this day." - -The Elector strode forward, his eyes roving over her as if they would -devour her, for he ever found fresh enchantment and delight in her -beauty, fain though he was not to betray himself too much. - -The Archduke followed, but not too eagerly. Captain von Grätz alone -remained where he was, prey to a hundred vexations, but showing nothing -in his calm face. - -"So eager yet, cousin Maximilian!" - -"Say rather anxious, dear Stephanie! I have done my best to have the -roads patrolled, but I fear your horse or your escort must have been -indifferent that you have been so delayed." - -"I am afraid it was my own fault, cousin, that I went too far and forgot -that my Scottish gentleman equerry for the day was but lately wounded in -your service and could ill bear the saddle. As it is, I have left him -behind me, and I fear that he will be but a fit subject for his bed for -some days to come! How triumphantly your music sounds!" - -"It should ring twice as bravely from thrice as many trumpets as we have -viols, would you but give me leave, Stephanie, and bid me don a bridal -suit. You are vastly goddess-like to-night?" - -"Because I am happy, despite the war that makes you all so gloomy!" - -"If I could think your happiness was in being here in Ratisbon with me, -then should not war last a week. I would even make terms and bid -Gustavus to our nuptials." - -"And sacrifice the future of Wallenstein?" she asked with a pretty -malice. - -"Why? What of Wallenstein?" - -"Wallenstein's army grows greater every day!" - -"'Tis well! We could make the better bargain with Gustavus." - -"And the Emperor?" - -"Would console himself for the loss of glory in finding a son-in-law who -would adventure the care of his rebellious Stephanie." - -The Elector's brow had cleared. He was enraptured to find her in so -winning a mood that he proposed a pavane. And in a few minutes dancing -was the order of the evening. - -The Jesuit watched and noticed how the Elector surrendered to his -passion, confident at last that he had virtually won the hand of the -princess. At last he left the court circle alone and quietly, and went -to the lodging he shared with Nigel. There another surprise awaited -him, for Nigel lay asleep in his bed. The Jesuit examined the bandages, -saw that they had been freshly put on, and that tied in the final knot -was a single long black hair. - - - - - CHAPTER XLII. - - IN THE ABBEY CHURCH. - - -It was as the clock at the cathedral boomed out eight on the next night -but one that the old abbey church of St Jacob, which by some is called -the Scots church, by reason that the Benedictines to whom it once -belonged were mostly of Scottish or Irish parentage, was dimly lit as to -a chapel on the left side of the choir. - -Nigel groped his way up the nave towards it. Another shadow crept out of -the darkness of a side door on the northern side, and as it came into -the dim circle of light from the single swinging lamp depending from the -arch of the chapel, Nigel made out that it was a woman, and that woman -the Archduchess Stephanie. - -They exchanged a whispered greeting and knelt down together upon the -cushion prepared for them upon the threshold of the chapel. Two men -entered by the door of the nave, cloaked, booted, and spurred, as was -Nigel, and strode with firm steps up towards the same chapel, and -halting sat down upon the nearest seat. They had doffed their hats as -they entered, hats with long plumes, and the cloaks did not altogether -conceal the steel gorgets which they wore, for the light, dim though it -was, caught them. Their stern war-worn faces looked steadily towards the -chapel. - -From the small door beside the chapel came a priest and his acolyte, a -choir boy. - -Rapidly the priest read through a short homily in an accent, though the -words were German, which betrayed an original acquaintance with the -country from which Nigel sprang. - -Then he proceeded with more deliberation to recite the marriage service -and to ask the questions and to prompt the replies which are therein set -forth. - -Low and prompt and firm came the answers from Nigel. Low and musical, -though not without some tremor in her utterance, came the responses from -the Archduchess Stephanie. - -Then came the moment of intense solemnity when the priest placed the -ring upon her finger with the words, "Conjungo vos," and an -irrepressible sigh came from her, the sigh of relief after a suspense -not so long as profound. Still they knelt, and the priest began to -celebrate the sacrament of the Mass preparatory to giving the two souls -before him the blessing of Holy Church. - -The two knelt oblivious to everything but the presence of one another, -and their ears strained not to lose any of the precious words which fell -from the priest's lips--words long familiar, sanctified in themselves, -sanctified further by long usage, thrice holy in being uttered on this -most solemn occasion in their lives. - -But while they knelt a procession of shadows seemed to the two onlookers -to come into the church, stealthily and slowly, and the two looking -round as stealthily, saw that a portion of the nave, and of the side -aisles, was being filled. Very quietly one of the two men departed by -the door by which the Archduchess had come. He was there one instant, -the next he had melted into the shadow. - -The mass went on. The acolyte did his office. The priest his. Not a -falter came into his voice. He seemed even more absorbed in his office -than his two kneeling listeners. - -Scarcely had he pronounced his final benediction, to which the now -solitary onlooker added a deep-toned "Amen," than all four, Nigel and -his Archduchess just risen from their knees, the solitary onlooker, and -the priest, were startled by the sound of a trumpet, and in a trice the -church seemed to be filled with lighted torches. - -The light fell upon a noble assemblage, which moved forward to the open -space before the choir. - -In the forefront were the Elector Maximilian and the Archduke Ferdinand. -Behind them came the principal officers of their suite and of the -garrison. - -Upon the faces of the Elector and of the Archduke sat stern -determination. Upon the others, more or less attuned to those of their -masters, sat a natural wonder, and on some something of dismay. They had -been bidden. They had come. They could only wonder what reason could -bring the Elector and his guest to the St Jacob's church at such a time. - -Round about stood a guard of perhaps fifty men of the Elector's -bodyguard, bearing torches and arms. - -As the facts gradually displaced the first natural burst of astonishment -in the mind of Nigel and the Archduchess, they drew involuntarily closer -together, and the priest preceding them with the paten still in his hand -they approached the Elector. - -The priest said in a loud clear voice-- - -"Be it known to your Highnesses and all men and all women that the -Archduchess Stephanie has this day espoused Nigel Charteris of -Pencaitland and has become his wife. They are now man and wife according -to the ordinance and the blessing of Holy Church. Let no man seek to -separate them on pain of the loss of his eternal salvation. Amen." - -"Good Father," said the Elector, "you have now done your office. We -also, as representing the Emperor, the faithful son of the Church, do -pronounce that, insomuch as the Archduchess has taken upon herself to -marry in direct disobedience to her father's wishes, she is hereby cast -out from his family, and from all the rights and privileges of her -birth, and henceforth will enjoy neither princely rank nor any fortune -except such as she may still hold according to the law as a private -person." - -"And now," said the Archduke Ferdinand, "insomuch as General Nigel -Charteris, being a trusted officer of the Emperor, has endeavoured to -desert, carrying with him the daughter of the Emperor and our sister, in -which he has committed two heinous crimes against the Emperor's majesty, -he will be immediately arrested and tried by a court-martial for the -first crime, and by ourselves for the second. Of the issue there can be -no doubt." - -"I deny, your Highness," said Nigel in a loud firm voice, "that I ever -had the intention of deserting the Emperor's service. Nor have your -Highnesses any evidence of such intention. My services are a complete -answer to the charge. - -"As to marrying the Archduchess Stephanie, I am a Scottish gentleman -whose forebears are of as old and gentle a race as your own. I admit the -right of no man, be he called Elector or Emperor, to say me nay." - -"Arrest him!" said the Archduke. - -"You must reach him through my body!" said the Archduchess, throwing -herself in front of Nigel. - -"You had best bid your lover good-bye, and waste no words!" said the -Elector grimly, and motioned the captain of the guard to come forward. - -"Halt!" rang out a grim harsh voice, which resounded strangely through -the domes and hollows of the church. - -And the solitary onlooker of the two, who had witnessed the marriage, -strode into the ring of light, fronting the Elector. - -"I am Sir John Hepburn of the Scots Brigade, serving Gustavus of -Sweden!" - -The Elector scanned his lineaments. The Archduke had never seen this -renowned leader in the field as the Elector had, and was inclined to -doubt. - -"You are a bold knight to place yourself in the hands of your enemies -like this!" said the Elector. "The age of chivalry is past, if it ever -was! What have you to say?" - -"But this, your Highness! I crave nothing. The lands of Charteris and -the lands of Hepburn in broad Scotland march together. We fight on -different sides, but we do not forget for all that and all that, that we -are brother Scots the world o'er. I came here to witness the wedding of -Nigel Charteris to Stephanie of Habsburg. I have seen it and shall -return to Gustavus." - -"We shall not hinder you, Sir John Hepburn," said the Elector. "The men -of your nation have strange customs, and it may be this is one of them -to penetrate into the enemy's camp to carry out a domestic rite. You are -free to go as you have come!" - -"Free to go!" The voice rang out like a gusty clarion. "Look around you! -It is for us to do as we will. You are all prisoners, every one of you." - -Involuntarily Elector, Archduke, officers, gentlemen, and ladies turned -their heads apprehensively. - -Out of the semi-darkness beyond the ring of the torches gleamed -rough-bearded faces and the glint of a hundred claymores. Nay there were -two hundred, three hundred. The effect of the darkness was doubtless to -add a mystery to what they saw. - -An officer sprang towards the door to raise the alarm. It was useless. -The hilt of a sword knocked him senseless upon the stones. - -"Do you see my warrant? Aye! I know well you do. What I undertake I -carry out. Here and now deliver Nigel Charteris his safe-conduct to join -Wallenstein, and I wager he will yet do the Emperor more service than he -has yet done, though I would fain he was upon our side instead of -against us. Come, your Highness! To the sacristy and sign the priest's -book and a safe-conduct. Swallow your arrests and your court-martial! As -for the Archduchess, she will after her man or she is no true woman." - -The Elector and the Archduke exchanged looks. Their guard was hopelessly -outnumbered, and it was clear that Sir John Hepburn held them in the -hollow of his hand. - -"If the Scots are like you, Sir John Hepburn!" said the Archduchess, -holding out her hand, which the Scots leader bowed over and kissed in -courtly fashion, "I am glad to marry a Scot. Next to my husband shall I -rank you as the first of my friends." - -"Aye, madame, and yonder Sir Archibald Ruthven as the second, for he it -was who brought up our little army. Now let us sign!" - -He motioned to the Elector and the Archduke. - -The priest led the way to the sacristy, and there, willy-nilly, -Maximilian of Bavaria and the Archduke Ferdinand wrote their names as -present at the marriage of Nigel Charteris and the Archduchess Stephanie -of Habsburg, and then, to Sir John's dictation, inscribed on parchment a -full safe-conduct which, if words could do it, granted safety to the -newly-wedded pair from all reprisals or attacks from Imperial troops or -officers, so long as Nigel Charteris remained in the Emperor's service, -and permitted his safe departure from Germany whensoever that service -should end. - -Then at the doors of the church, when they were at length thrown open, -were found a coach and four horses, and an escort of horse, at the head -of which was the doughty Sergeant Blick, waiting to conduct their -beloved colonel upon the first stage of his journey. - -With hearty hand-clasping and good wishes the colonel and his bride -mounted the coach and set out. - -Then Sir John Hepburn courteously saluted the Elector and the Archduke, -and putting himself at the head of his men marched them to the western -gate at Ratisbon, lit by the torches of their foes, and set out upon his -ride back to Ingolstadt. Thus ended a hitherto unrecorded episode in the -Thirty Years' War, and a most momentous chapter in the history of Nigel -Charteris of Pencaitland and his rebel Habsburger. - - - THE END. - - - PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS. - - - - - Blackwoods' Shilling Editions of Popular Novels. - - Bound in Cloth. With Coloured Illustration on Wrapper. - - - _=By NEIL MUNRO.=_ - - THE DAFT DAYS. - FANCY FARM. - - _=By IAN HAY.=_ - - "PIP": #A Romance of Youth#. - THE RIGHT STUFF. - A MAN'S MAN. - A SAFETY MATCH. - - _=By MAUD DIVER.=_ - - CAPTAIN DESMOND, V.C. - THE GREAT AMULET. - CANDLES IN THE WIND. - - _=By F. MARION CRAWFORD.=_ - - SARACINESCA. - - _=By BETH ELLIS.=_ - - THE MOON OF BATH. - - _=By KATHERINE CECIL THURSTON.=_ - - JOHN CHILCOTE, M.P. - - _=By J. STORER CLOUSTON.=_ - - THE LUNATIC AT LARGE. - - _=By SYDNEY C. GRIER.=_ - - THE POWER OF THE KEYS. - THE ADVANCED-GUARD. - - _=By W. J. ECCOTT.=_ - - THE RED NEIGHBOUR. - - _=By OLE LUK-OIE.=_ - - THE GREEN CURVE. - - _=By HUGH FOULIS.=_ - - PARA HANDY. - - _=By WYMOND CAREY.=_ - - "No. 101." - - - WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, #Edinburgh and London#. - - -Transcriber's Note: -Text in italics is marked with _underscore_, bold -text with the =equals sign= and small capitals with the #number sign#. -A number of printing errors have been corrected without comment (e.g. -missing quotation mark, missing letter). -There are some inconsistencies in how the author spelled German -cities/regions in the original publication. Notations in English, German -with umlauts and German without umlauts are found. The following changes -have been made: Wurzburg changed to Würzburg, Siebenburgen to -Siebenbürgen, Nuremburg to Nuremberg, Furstenberg and Furstenburg to -Fürstenberg. -On pg. 3 portable was changed to potable. -Archaic spelling retained. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mercenary, by W. J. 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