e a roaring fire. All were chattering and talking and
laughing but two--the fair young Baroness and old Ursela; the one sat
listening, listening, listening, the other sat with her chin resting in
the palm of her hand, silently watching her young mistress. The night
was falling gray and chill, when suddenly the clear notes of a bugle
rang from without the castle walls. The young Baroness started, and the
rosy light flashed up into her pale cheeks.

"Yes, good," said old Ursela; "the red fox has come back to his den
again, and I warrant he brings a fat town goose in his mouth; now we'll
have fine clothes to wear, and thou another gold chain to hang about thy
pretty neck."

The young Baroness laughed merrily at the old woman's speech. "This
time," said she, "I will choose a string of pearls like that one my aunt
used to wear, and which I had about my neck when Conrad first saw me."

Minute after minute passed; the Baroness sat nervously playing with a
bracelet of golden beads about her wrist. "How long he stays," said she.

"Yes," said Ursela; "but it is not cousin wish that holds him by the
coat."

As she spoke, a door banged in the passageway without, and the ring of
iron footsteps sounded upon the stone floor. Clank! Clank! Clank!

The Baroness rose to her feet, her face all alight. The door opened;
then the flush of joy faded away and the face grew white, white, white.
One hand clutched the back of the bench whereon she had been sitting,
the other hand pressed tightly against her side.

It was Hans the one-eyed who stood in the doorway, and black trouble sat
on his brow; all were looking at him waiting.

"Conrad," whispered the Baroness, at last. "Where is Conrad? Where is
your master?" and even her lips were white as she spoke.

The one-eyed Hans said nothing.

Just then came the noise of men s voices in the corridor and the shuffle
and scuffle of feet carrying a heavy load. Nearer and nearer they came,
and one-eyed Hans stood aside. Six men came struggling through the
doorway, carrying a litter, and on the litter lay the great Baron
Conrad. The flaming torch thrust into the iron bracket against the wall
flashed up with the draught of air from the open door, and the light
fell upon the white face and the closed eyes, and showed upon his body
armor a great red stain that was not the stain of rust.

Suddenly Ursela cried out in a sharp, shrill voice, "Catch her, she
falls!"

It was the Baroness.

Then th