which she
allowed him to possess unresisting.

"Hilda," he said solemnly, "your guardian thought the Archbishop of
Mayence had relented, and would withdraw his opposition to our marriage.
Has Mayence said anything to corroborate that estimate?"

"Nothing."

"Has your guardian broached the subject to him?"

"Yes; but the attitude of my Lord of Mayence was quite inscrutable.
Personally I think my guardian wrong in his surmise. The Archbishop of
Treves murmured that Mayence never forgives. I am certain I offended him
too deeply for pardon. He wishes the future Empress to be a pliable
creature who will influence her husband according to his Lordship's
desires, but, as I have boasted several times, I belong to the House of
Sayn."

"Hilda, will you marry me in spite of the Archbishops?"

"Roland, will you forego kingship for my sake?"

"Yes; a thousand times yes!"

"You said 'For the Empress; not for the Empire,' but if I am no Empress,
you will as cheerfully wed me?"

"Yes."

"Then _I_ say yes!"

He caught her in his arms, and they floated into the heaven of their
first kiss, an ecstatic melting together. Suddenly she drew away from
him.

"There is some one coming," she whispered.

"Nothing matters now," said Roland breathlessly. "There is no one in the
world to-day but you and me."

Hildegunde drew her hands down her cheeks, as if to brush away their
tell-tale color and their warmth.

"'Tis like," said Roland, "that you marry a poor man."

"Nothing matters now," she repeated, laughing tremulously. "I am said to
be the richest woman in Germany. I shall build you a forge and enlist
myself your apprentice. We will paint over the door 'Herr Roland and
wife; sword makers.'"

Two men appeared at the end of the alley, and stood still; the one with
a frown on his brow, the other with a smile on his lips.

"Oh!" whispered the Countess, panic striking from her face the color
that her palms had failed to remove, "the Archbishop and the Count
Palatine!"

His Lordship strode forward, followed more leisurely by the smiling
Count.

"Prince Roland," said Cologne, "I had not expected this after our
conference of last night."

"I fail to understand why, my Lord, when my parting words were 'Tell
your porter to let me in without parley.' That surely indicated an
intention on my part to visit the Palace."

"Your Highness knows that so far as I am concerned you are very welcome,
and always shall be so, but at thi