as a dreadful risk, yet the
custodian hesitated no longer. He took down a bunch of keys, and asked
the Countess to follow him. Ascending the stair, he unlocked the door,
and stood aside for the Countess to pass through.

Some one with wildly tousled hair sat sprawling in a chair; arms on the
table, and head sunk forward down upon them. A full tankard of wine
within his reach, and a flagon had been overset, sluicing the table with
its contents, which still fell drip, drip, drip, to the floor.

The young man raised his head, aroused by the harsh unlocking of the
door, and with the crash it made as his father flung it hard against the
stone wall for the purpose of giving him warning, but the youth was in
no condition to profit by this thoughtfulness, nor to understand the
signals his father made from behind the frightened girl. He clutched
wildly at the overturned flagon, and with an oath cried:

"Bring me more wine, you old--"

Staggering to his feet, he threw the flagon wide, then slipped on the
spilled wine and fell heavily to the floor, roaring defiance at the
world.

The panic-stricken girl shrank back, crying to the jailer:

"Let me out! Close the door quickly, and lock it!" an order obeyed with
alacrity.

When Hildegunde emerged to the court her guardian asked no question. The
horror in her face told all.

"I am sorry, my Lord," said the cringing custodian, "but his Highness is
drunk."

"Does this--does this happen often?"

"Alas! yes, my Lord."

"Poor lad, poor lad! The sins of the fathers shall be visited on the
children to the third and fourth generation. Hildegunde, forgive me. Let
us away and forget it all."

The next morning the Countess began her imprisonment in Pfalz.

XV

JOURNEYS END IN LOVERS' MEETING

Roland slept until the sun was about an hour high over the western
hills. He found the captain waiting patiently for him to awake, and then
that useful martinet instantly set his crew at tying up the bales which
had been torn open, placing them once more in the hold. He was about to
do the same with the weapons captured from Furstenberg, but Greusel
stepped forward, and asked him to put pikes, battle-axes, and the long
swords into the cabin.

Roland nodded his approval, saying:

"They may prove useful instruments in case of an attack on the barge.
Our own swords are just a trifle short for adding interest to an
assault."

When once more the hatches were down, and the deck cl