ear before his Majesty until after she had allowed
herself a short period of rest; but the baron, who probably feared that
some feminine caprice would spoil, even at the twelfth hour, the
successful issue of his mission, thought that he must deny this wish,
though in the most courteous manner and with the assurance that he would
procure her an opportunity to collect her thoughts quietly in the Golden
Cross.

Barbara unexpectedly wheeled her horse, struck him a blow with the whip,
and called to the astonished gentlemen, "In front of the Golden Cross in
a quarter of an hour. You, Wolf, can wait for me at the Grieb."

The last words were already dying away as she clashed swiftly up the
street and across the Haidplatz. Bright sparks flashed from the paving
stones struck by her horse's hoofs.

"Confounded witch!" cried Malfalconnet. "And how the unruly girl wheels
her horse and sits erect in her wild career over the flagstones! If the
gray falls, it will do her no harm. Such rising stars may drop from the
skies, but they will leap up again like the cats which I threw from the
roof when a boy. His Majesty will get something to trouble him if he
continues his admiration. Sacre Dieu! What a temperament!--and a German!"

Hitherto both had ridden on at a walk, gazing after Barbara, although she
had already vanished in the darkness, which was illumined only by the
stars in the cloudless sky. Now the clock struck half-past ten, and
Malfalconnet exclaimed, half to the young knight, half to himself, "If
only the wild bird does not yet escape our snare!"

"Have no fear," replied Wolf. "She will keep her promise, for she is
truthfulness itself. But you would oblige me, Herr Baron, if in future
you use a tone less light in speaking of this young lady, who is worthy
of every honour. Her reputation is as faultless as the purity of her
voice, and, obstinate as she may be----"

"So this masterpiece of the Creator finds much favour in your eyes and
your keen ears, Sir Knight," Malfalconnet gaily interrupted. "From any
one else, my young friend, I should not suffer such a warning to pass;
but we are now riding in the Emperor's precincts, so it would cause me
sore embarrassment if my steel pierced you, for my neck, which is very
precious to me, would then probably fall under the rude axe of the
executioner. Besides, I wish you well, as you know, and I understand you
German pedants. Henceforward--I swear it by all the saints!--I will utter