Let your young Freiherr regard this damsel as his own, and you will
see he will love her as such."
"I trust so, my liege."
"Moreover, if she turn out like the spiteful Trautbach folk," said
Maximilian, rather wickedly, "plenty of holes can be picked in a
baby-wedding. No fear of its over-firmness. I never saw one come to
good; only he must keep firm hold on the lands."
This was not easy to answer, coming from a prince who had no small
experience in premature bridals coming to nothing, and Christina felt
that the matter was taken out of her hands, and that she had no more
to do but to enjoy the warm-hearted Kaisar's praises of her son.
In fact, the general run of nobles were then so boorish and violent
compared with the citizens, that a nobleman who possessed intellect,
loyalty, and conscience was so valuable to the sovereign that
Maximilian was rejoiced to do all that either could bind him to his
service or increase his power. The true history of this expedition
on the Emperor's part was this--that he had consulted Kasimir upon
the question of the Debateable Ford and the feud of Adlerstein and
Schlangenwald, asking further how his friend had sped in the wooing
of the fair widow, to which he remembered having given his consent at
Ulm.
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