"
"True enough! Knighthood must wait till we win it," said Ebbo,
gloomily.
"Nay, it is accepted," said Wildschloss. "The Kaisar loves his iron
chest too well to let you go back. You must be ready with your round
sum to the chancellor, and your spur-money and your fee to the
heralds, and largess to the crowd."
"Mother, the dowry," said Ebbo.
"At your service, my son," said Christina, anxious to chase the cloud
from his brow.
But it was a deep haul, for the avaricious Friedrich IV. made
exorbitant charges for the knighting his young nobles; and Ebbo soon
saw that the improvements at home must suffer for the honours that
would have been so much better won than bought.
"If your vassals cannot aid, yet may not your kinsman--?" began
Wildschloss.
"No!" interrupted Ebbo, lashed up to hot indignation. "No, sir!
Rather will my mother, brother, and I ride back this very night to
unfettered liberty on our mountain, without obligation to any living
man."
"Less hotly, Sir Baron," said Master Gottfried, gravely. "You broke
in on your noble godfather, and you had not heard me speak.
Pages:
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321