Ebbo looked at Sir
Kasimir, who owned that he should have brought them from Ulm, but
that he had forgotten.
"Jewels are not plenty with us," said Ebbo, with a glow of amusement
and confusion dawning on his cheek, such as reassured the little maid
that she beheld one of the two beautiful young knights. "Must we
borrow?"
Christina looked at the ring she had first seen lying on her own
Eberhard's palm, and felt as if to let it be used would sever the
renewed hope she scarcely yet durst entertain; and at the same moment
Maximilian glanced at his own fingers, and muttered, "None but this!
Unlucky!" For it was the very diamond which Mary of Burgundy had
sent to assure him of her faith, and summon him to her aid after her
father's death. Sir Kasimir had not retained the pledge of his own
ill-omened wedlock; but, in the midst of the dilemma, the Emperor,
producing his dagger, began to detach some of the massive gold links
of the chain that supported his hunting-horn. "There," said he, "the
little elf of a bride can get her finger into this lesser one and
you--verily this largest will fit, and the goldsmith can beat it out
when needed.
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