For one moment Kunigunde hesitated, but suddenly a look of malignant
satisfaction crossed her face. She spoke a few words to Squinting
Matz, and then replied that Sir Kasimir should be allowed to satisfy
himself, but that she could admit no one else into the castle; hers
was a widow's household, the twins were only a few hours old, and she
could not open her gates to admit any person besides himself.
So resolved on judging for himself was Adlerstein Wildschloss that
all this did not stagger him; for, even if he had believed more than
he did of the old lady's story, there would have been no sense of
intrusion or impropriety in such a visit to the mother. Indeed, had
Christina been living in the civilized world, her chamber would have
been hung with black cloth, black velvet would have enveloped her up
to the eyes, and the blackest of cradles would have stood ready for
her fatherless babe; two steps, in honour of her baronial rank, would
have led to her bed, and a beaufet with the due baronial amount of
gold and silver plate would have held the comfits and caudle to be
dispensed to all visitors.
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