This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
One person only besides Sir Seitz Siebenburg had not been deceived—theyoung knight Boemund Altrosen, whose love for Cordula was genuine, andwho, by its unerring instinct, felt that she had invented her tale andfor a purpose which did honour to her kindness of heart. So his calmblack eyes rested upon the woman he loved with proud delight, while SeitzSiebenburg twisted his mustache fiercely. Not a look or movement ofeither of the two girls had escaped his notice, and Cordula's boldinterference in behalf of the reckless Swiss knight, who now seemed tohave ensnared his future sister-in-law also, increased the envy andjealousy which tortured him until he was forced to exert the utmost self-restraint in order not to tell the countess to her face that he, atleast, was far from being deceived by such a fable. Yet he succeeded incontrolling himself. But as he forced his lips to silence he gazed withthe most open scorn at the bales of merchandise heaped around him. Hewould show the others that, though the husband of a merchant's daughter,he retained the prejudices of his knightly rank.
But no one heeded the disagreeable fellow, who had no intimate friends inthe group. Most of the company were pressing round Heinz Schorlin withjests and questions, but bluff Count von Montfort warmly clasped Els'shand, while he apologised for the bold jest of his young daughter who, inspite of her recklessness, meant kindly.
Nothing could have been more unwelcome to a girl in so unpleasant asituation than this delay. She longed most ardently to get away but,ere she succeeded in escaping from the friendly old noble, two gentlemenhastily entered the brightly lighted entry, at sight of whom her heartseemed to stop beating.
The old count, who noticed her blanched face, released her, askingsympathisingly what troubled her, but Els did not hear him.
When she felt him loose her hand she would fain have fled up the stairsto her mother and sister, to avoid the discussions which must now follow.But she knew into what violent outbursts of sudden anger her usuallyprudent father could be hurried if there was no one at hand to warn him.
There he stood in the doorway, his stern, gloomy expression forming astrange contrast to the merry party who had entered in such a jovialmood.
His companion, Herr Casper Eysvogel, had already noticed his futuredaughter-in-law, recognised her by an amazed shrug of the shoulders whichwas anything but a friendly greeting, and now eyed the excited revellerswith a look as grave and repellent as that of the owner of the house.Herr Casper's unusual height permitted him to gaze over the heads of theparty though, with the exception of Count von Montfort, they were alltall, nay, remarkably tall men, and the delicacy of his clear-cut,pallid, beardless face had never seemed to Els handsomer or moresinister. True, he was the father of her Wolff, but the son resembledthis cold-hearted man only in his unusual stature, and a chill ranthrough her veins as she felt the stately old merchant's blue eyes,still keen and glittering, rest upon her.
On the day of her betrothal she had rushed into his arms with a warm andgrateful heart,