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
The Emperor Charles loved his sister Mary, and he now desired to show herhow dear she was to his heart. She had been obliging to him, and he hadin mind the execution of a great enterprise which she had hithertozealously opposed, yet for which he needed her co-operation.
It satisfied him to know that the father of his love would be absent from
Ratisbon for the present. He did not care who accompanied him.
When the regent reproached him for having taken Sir Wolf Hartschwert fromher without a word of consultation, although she was unwilling to sparehim, he had instantly placed Wolf at her disposal again.
The simplest and cheapest plan would have been to let Blomberg pursue hisjourney alone; but the monarch feared that the despatch might not bequickly delivered if anything happened to the old man on the way, andhe had said before witnesses that he would not allow him to go withoutcompanionship.
He scarcely thought of Barbara's filial feeling. She loved him, and theplace which she gave to any one else in her heart could and musttherefore be extremely small.
How powerfully the passionate love for this girl had seized him he darednot confess to himself. But he rejoiced in the late love whichrejuvenated him and filled him with a joy in existence whose freshblossoming would have seemed impossible a few days before.
How superb a creature he had found in this German city, from which, sinceits change of religion, he had withdrawn his former favour! In his youthhis heart had throbbed ardently for many a fair woman, but she surpassedin beauty, in swift intelligence, in fervour, in artistic ability, and,above all, in sincere, unfeigned devotion every one whom his faithfulmemory recalled.
He would hold fast to the loved one who bestowed this happiness andfresh vigour of youth. To make warm the nest which was to receive hisdear nightingale he had conquered the economy which was beginning todegenerate into avarice, and also intended to accomplish other sacrificesin order to procure her the position which she deserved.
He no longer knew that he had wounded her deeply the night before. Hewas in the habit of casting aside whatever displeased him unless itappeared advantageous to impose restraint upon himself; and who wouldever have dared to resist the expression of his indignation? Had Barbaraobeyed her hasty temper and returned him a sharp answer, he certainlywould not have forgotten it. The bare thought of her dispelledmelancholy thoughts from his mind; the hope of soon seeing and hearingher again rendered him friendly and yielding to those about him. Thetrivial sin which this sweet love secret contained had been pardoned inthe case of the man bound by no older obligation, after a slight penance,and now for the first time he fully enjoyed the wealth of the unexpectednew happiness. It must also be acceptable to Heaven, for this wasdistinctly shown by the more and more favourable turn of politics,and he held the return gift.
That it was the right one was proved by the nature of the gratifying newsbrought by the very last despatches. They urged him directly towardthe war which hitherto, from the most serious motives, he had