When Sir Kasimir spoke to him on
the subject of giving his allegiance, he stiffly replied, "Sir, that
is a question for ripe consideration."
"It is the question," said Wildschloss, rather more lightly than
agreed with the Baron's dignity, "whether you like to have your
castle pulled down about your ears."
"That has never happened yet to Adlerstein!" said Ebbo, proudly.
"No, because since the days of the Hohenstaufen there has been
neither rule nor union in the empire. But times are changing fast,
my Junker, and within the last ten years forty castles such as yours
have been consumed by the Swabian League, as though they were so many
walnuts."
"The shell of Adlerstein was too hard for them, though. They never
tried."
"And wherefore, friend Eberhard? It was because I represented to the
Kaiser and the Graf von Wurtemberg that little profit and no glory
would accrue from attacking a crag full of women and babes, and that
I, having the honour to be your next heir, should prefer having the
castle untouched, and under the peace of the empire, so long as that
peace was kept.
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