Manchurian Books

This matter of business"--he emphasized the word--"must be settled
to-day, and to clear away all misapprehension, I desire to say that your
guardian has really no influence on this matter. It was settled before
you came into the room. You are merely allowed a choice of two outcomes:
first, marriage with Prince Roland; second, imprisonment in Pfalz
Castle, situated in the middle of the Rhine."
"What is that?" demanded the Countess.
"I am tired of repeating my statements."
"You would imprison me--me, a Countess of Sayn?"
Again the tears evaporated, and in their place came the smoldering fire
bequeathed to her by the Crusaders, and, if the truth must be known, by
Rhine robbers as well.
"Yes, Madam. A predecessor of mine once hanged one of your ancestors."
"It is not true," cried the girl, in blazing wrath. "'Twas the Emperor
Rudolph who hanged him; the same Emperor that chastised an Archbishop of
Mayence, and brought him, cringing, to his knees, begging for pardon,
which the Emperor contemptuously flung to him.


Pages:
273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297