But not till after delay enough to fret the impatient
nerves of illness did Maximilian appear, handing her in, and saying,
in the cheery voice that was one of his chief fascinations,
"Yea, truly, fair dame, I know thou wouldst sooner trust
Schlangenwald himself than me alone with thy charge. How goes it, my
true knight?"
"Well, right well, my liege," said Ebbo, "save for my shame and
grief."
"Thou art the last to be ashamed for that," said the good-natured
prince. "Have I never seen my faithful vassals more bent on their
own feuds than on my word?--I who reign over a set of kings, who
brook no will but their own."
"And may we ask your pardon," said Ebbo, "not only for ourselves, but
for the misguided men-at-arms?"
"What! the grewsome giant that was prepared with the axe, and the
honest lad that wanted to do his duty by his father? I honour that
lad, Freiherr; I would enrol him in my guard, but that probably he is
better off here than with Massimiliano pochi danari, as the Italians
call me. But what I came hither to say was this," and he spoke
gravely: "thou art sincere in desiring reconciliation with the house
of Schlangenwald?"
"With all my heart," said Ebbo, "do I loathe the miserable debt of
blood for blood!"
"And," said Maximilian, "Graf Dankwart is of like mind.
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