o their wishes. The Prince being
a young man of no particular force of character'" (the merchant paused
in his reading, and looked across at his _vis-a-vis_ with a smile, but
the latter appeared to be asleep), "'he will probably succumb to the
Archbishops, therefore merchants are advised to base no hopes upon an
improvement in affairs, even though the son should succeed the father.
Despite the precautions taken, the arrest and imprisonment of the
Prince, and even the place of his detention, became rather generally
known in Frankfort, but the news is in the form of rumor only, and
excites little interest throughout the city.'

"There, Sir Roland, what do you say to that?"

"Oh, nothing much," replied Roland. "The account might have stated that
in the boat were five rowers, who worked lustily until we reached the
Rhine, when, the wind being favorable, a sail was hoisted, and with the
current assisting the wind, we made excellent time to Ehrenfels. I
observe, further, that your secret service keeps you very well informed,
and therefore withdraw a tithe of the harsh things I said regarding the
stupidity of the merchants."

"Many thanks for the concession," said Goebel, replacing the document
with its fellows. "Now, as a plain and practical man, what strikes me is
this: you need only return to Ehrenfels for two months, and as there is
little use for money in that fortress, your maintenance being
guaranteed, and seven hundred thalers allowed, you can come away with
four hundred thalers more than the sum you demand from me, and thus put
your project into force without being under obligations to any despised
merchant."

"True, Herr Goebel, but can you predict what will happen in Frankfort
before two months are past? You learn from that document that the shrewd
Archbishops anticipate an insurrection, and doubtless they command the
force at hand ready to crush it, but during this conflict, which you
seem to regard so lightly, does it ever occur to you that the merchants'
palaces along the Fahrgasse may be sacked and burnt?"

"That, of course, is possible," commented the merchant.

"Nay, it is absolutely certain. Civil war means ruin, to innocent and
guilty alike."

"You are in the right. Now, will you tell me how you escaped from
Ehrenfels?"

"Yes; if you agree to my terms without further haggling."

"I shall agree to your terms if I believe your story."

"It seems impossible, sir, to pin you down to any definite barg