The remark displeased Ebbo. In his isolated castle he knew no
superior, and his nature might yield willingly, but rebelled at being
put down. His brother was his perfect equal in all mental and bodily
attributes, but it was the absence of all self-assertion that made
Ebbo so often give him the preference; it was his mother's tender
meekness in which lay her power with him; and if he yielded to
Gottfried Sorel's wisdom and experience, it was with the inward
consciousness of voluntary deference to one of lower rank. But here
was Wildschloss, of the same noble blood with himself, his elder, his
sponsor, his protector, with every right to direct him, so that there
was no choice between grateful docility and headstrong folly. If the
fellow had been old, weak, or in any way inferior, it would have been
more bearable; but he was a tried warrior, a sage counsellor, in the
prime vigour of manhood, and with a kindly reasonable authority to
which only a fool could fail to attend, and which for that very
reason chafed Ebbo excessively.
Moreover there was the gipsy prophecy ever rankling in the lad's
heart, and embittering to him the sight of every civility from his
kinsman to his mother.
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