"Nay, lad: did you ever hear of a wolf that could live without
marauding? Or if he tried, would he get credit for so doing?"
"After all," said Friedel, "does not the present agreement hold till
we are of age? I suppose the Swabian League would attempt nothing
against minors, unless we break the peace?"
"Probably not; I will do my utmost to give the Freiherr there time to
grow beyond his grandmother's maxims," said Wildschloss. "If
Schlangenwald do not meddle in the matter, he may have the next five
years to decide whether Adlerstein can hold out against all Germany."
"Freiherr Kasimir von Adlerstein Wildschloss," said Eberhard, turning
solemnly on him, "I do you to wit once for all that threats will not
serve with me. If I submit, it will be because I am convinced it is
right. Otherwise we had rather both be buried in the ruins of our
castle, as its last free lords."
"So!" said the provoking kinsman; "such burials look grim when the
time comes, but happily it is not coming yet!"
Meantime, as Ebbo said to Friedel, how much might happen--a
disruption of the empire, a crusade against the Turks, a war in
Italy, some grand means of making the Diet value the sword of a free
baron, without chaining him down to gratify the greed of hungry
Austria.
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