rritories were small; his vassals proverbially lazy and
peaceable; his treasury empty. The dismallest prospects were before him:
and he passed a sleepless night writing to his friends for succor, and
calculating with his secretary the small amount of the resources which
he could bring to aid him against his advancing and powerful enemy.

Helen's pillow that evening was also unvisited by slumber. She lay awake
thinking of Otto,--thinking of the danger and the ruin her refusal to
marry had brought upon her dear papa. Otto, too, slept not: but HIS
waking thoughts were brilliant and heroic: the noble Childe thought
how he should defend the Princess, and win LOS and honor in the ensuing
combat.

CHAPTER XII.

THE CHAMPION.

And now the noble Cleves began in good earnest to prepare his castle for
the threatened siege. He gathered in all the available cattle round the
property, and the pigs round many miles; and a dreadful slaughter of
horned and snouted animals took place,--the whole castle resounding with
the lowing of the oxen and the squeaks of the gruntlings, destined to
provide food for the garrison. These, when slain, (her gentle spirit, of
course, would not allow of her witnessing that disagreeable operation,)
the lovely Helen, with the assistance of her maidens, carefully salted
and pickled. Corn was brought in in great quantities, the Prince paying
for the same when he had money, giving bills when he could get credit,
or occasionally, marry, sending out a few stout men-at-arms to forage,
who brought in wheat without money or credit either. The charming
Princess, amidst the intervals of her labors, went about encouraging the
garrison, who vowed to a man they would die for a single sweet smile
of hers; and in order to make their inevitable sufferings as easy as
possible to the gallant fellows, she and the apothecaries got ready a
plenty of efficacious simples, and scraped a vast quantity of lint
to bind their warriors' wounds withal. All the fortifications were
strengthened; the fosses carefully filled with spikes and water; large
stones placed over the gates, convenient to tumble on the heads of the
assaulting parties; and caldrons prepared, with furnaces to melt up
pitch, brimstone, boiling oil, &c., wherewith hospitably to receive
them. Having the keenest eye in the whole garrison, young Otto was
placed on the topmost tower, to watch for the expected coming of the
beleaguering host.

They were seen only to