| Show v f t 1 f gi t it- it JOAN Gil MM m ED e 3 J 5 7 R CRO T. T of oo et-oo r z Copyright 1898 1900 by S. S R. R Crock Crockett Crockett- tt CHAPTER V. V Johann the Secretary r Ten miles outside the boundary of off f the little hill state of this tho 3 of Plassenburg was met by another cavalcade bearing additional Instructions from the Princess Hel- Hel ene The leader was a s slender ender youth of middle height the accuracy of off f whose form gave evidence of much agility He was skinned dark-skinned of an olive complexion and with black hair which curled crisply about his small head His eyes ees were dark and fine looking straight and boldly out upon all comers Your Excellency he be said to the Ambassador I bring you the most recent Instructions from their Highnesses Highnesses Highnesses' High- High nesses nesses' Hugo and Helene of Plassen- Plassen I y 1 burg They sojourn for the th time e being being be be- 1 ing in the city of Thorn where they t- t build a new palace for themselves I 1 Iwas was brought from Hamburg to be one of the master builders I have skill in plans and I bring you these for z your approval and in ord order r to go over the rates of cost with you as Treasurer Treasurer Treas Treas- I of t the Plassenburg and the ther w r I j Dessauer took with Ith every token t of deference the sheaf of papers so carefully and sealed with the seal of Plassenburg 1 I J thank you yeu for your diligence rp good master architect he said I Ishall Ishall t shall peruse these at my leisure and nd I I I doubt not call upon you frequently 1 for explanations The young man rode on at his side i l modestly waiting to be questioned L. L What is your name sir asked r l J vo Von Des Dessauer sauer so that all the escort might hear r I am called Johann Pyrmont said c the youth promptly and with engaging engaging ing frankness my father is a Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg Ham Ham- burg merchant trading to the Spanish J y ports for oil on and wine but I follow him not I had bad ever a turn for drawIng draw draw- f 14 Ing and the art of design s. s 1 Also for having your own way as asIs 1 said the 1 Is common with the young Ambassador smiling shrewdly So f against your fathers father's will you I r. r t 1 hired yourself to an architect I I The young man bowed 1 r Nay sir sir he said but my good Fi j father could deny me e nothing on t 4 f which I had bad set my mind k Not he muttered Dessauer under his breath no nor anyone else f It had been a favorite scheme of if fi r dead princes- princes of Courtland to unite v. v ko Ito to their fat acres and populous mercantile merI mercantile mer mer- I cantile cities the hardy mountaineers of r land and pastoral uplands if There had come to Joans Joan's father t 0 Henry called the Lion and the late tt Prince Michael of Courtland a aIt aJ J i thought One had a daughter daught r the theother It other a son So with that frank carelessness carelessness care care- f of the private feelings of the 1 I which has distinguished distin distin- distinguished Individual ever great politicians they decreed YI that as a condition of succession N- N f their their male and female heirs should marry each other f j. j This bond of heritage-brotherhood heritage it as it was called had received the sanction of f the Emperor In full Diet h and now it wanted only that the Duchess Duch ess Joan of Hohenstein should be of ago in order that the provinces might I at last be united and the long wars of highland and lowland at an end i The plan has taken everything into t t consideration except the private characters characters char char- t. t of the persons principally affected af af- J t t Prince Ponce Louis of Courtland and v x V Vy 1 the young Duchess Joan ft V l 9 t It was t the e last day of the famous 4 tournament of the Black Eagle in the 1 princely city of ot Courtland Prince Louis had sent out an escort to bring In the tho travelers and conduct them with honor to the seats reserved for them The Ambassador and High Councillor of Plassenburg must be re- re 1 with all aU observance He Ile had bad he gave notice brought a secretary with him For so the young architect was now DOW styled In order to give him himan un an official position in the mission The surrounded the great oval space of the lists In clustered clustered clus clus- myriads and their eyes were bent inwards it was the crisis of the great melee S Scarcely arcely an eye in all that assembly was turned toward the strangers who passed quite u unobserved unobserved lOb served to their reserved places in the Princes Prince's empty box Only ODly his sister Margaret on high as Queen of Beauty looked down upon them with interest seeing that they were men who came and that one at least was young Fifty knights with white plumes on their their helmets had charged fifty wear- wear ng black and the combat still raged The Blacks have it said Dessaner Dessauer Des Des- sauer saner after regarding the melee with interest We have come in Jn time to see the end of the fray Would that he had also seen the shock And indeed the Blacks seemed to have carried all aU before them They were vere mostly bigger and stronger built men knights of or orthe the landward provinces provo provinces inces leces and their horses great solid solid- boned Saxon chargers had by sheer weight borne their way through th the lighter ranks of the Baltic knights on the white horses Not more than half halt a dozen of these were were now in the saddle and all over the field held were to i bo be- seen black knights receiving the submission of knights whose broken spears and tarnished tarnished tarnished tar tar- plumes showed that they had succumbed In the charge to superior weight of met metal l. l Pr or so soon as a knight yielded his steed became the property of his victorious foe and he himself was either c carried or limped as best he could to the pavilion of his party there to remove his armour and send it it also to the victor victor victor-to to whom in literal fact belonged the spoils Of the lie half-dozen half white knights who still kept up the struggle one shone shon pre eminent nt for dashing valor Set upon by more than a score of riders 40 I qa y r I 1 i iMy My brother you brother you I cried Margaret of Courtland In astonishment he still managed to evade them and even when all his side had submitted and he alone remained remained at at the find nd of the lists to which he had been driven he made ready for a final charge Into the scarce broken array of his foes of whom more than twenty remained still on horseback in the field But though his spear struck true In Inthe inthe inthe the middle of his immediate antagonists antagonists antagonist's onist's shield and this opponent went down it availed the brave white knight nothing For at the same mo- mo t. t Y f f ft J r- r J f 1 3 Z f c r i I f r 1 ment merit half halt a score of lances struck him on the shield OE oa op- the br breastplate i an n the visor bars of his helmet and he fell heavily to the earth Nevertheless Nevertheless Never Never- scarcely had bad he touched the ground when he be was again on his feet Sword in hand h he stood for a m mo moment mo ment meat unscathed and undaunted while his foes toes momentarily disordered by bythe bythe bythe the energy of the charge reined in their steeds ere they could return to the attack But at this moment the Princess Margaret sister of the reigning I Prince rose in her place and threw down the truncheon which in such cases stops the combat e eThe The black knights have won so soshe soshe soshe she gave her verdict but there Is no need to humiliate or Injure a knight who has fought co so well against so many Let the white knight come hither though hither though h he be of the losing side His is the reward of highest honor Give him a steed that he may come and receive the meed of bravest In In the tournay The knights of the black were manIfestly manifestly manifestly man man- a little disappointed that after fter their victory one of their opponents should be selected for honor But there was no appeal from the decision of the Queen of Love and Beauty For that day she reigned alone without without without with with- out council or diet Imperial The white knight came near and said something In a low voice unheard unheard un un- heard by the general crowd to the Princess I insist she said aloud you must that all an may see the face of him who has won the prize Whereat the knight bowed and undId undid undid un un- did his helmet A cropped closely-cropped haired fair-haired head was was revealed the features clearly chiseled chiseled led and yeti yet of ofa a massive beauty the head of a marble marble marble mar mar- ble ble emperor My brother you brother you cried Margaret of Courtland In astonishment The Ambassador looked curiously at his secretary He was standing with eyes brilliant as those of a man In in fever His face paled ev even even under its dusky tan His lips Ups quivered He had straightened himself up as a's brave and generous men do when they see seea a a deed of bravery done by another or like a woman who sees the man she loves publicly honored The Prince said Johann Pyrmont Pyrmont pyrmont mont in a voice hoarse and broken it is the Prince himself And on his high seat the States Councilor Leopold von von Dessauer smiled well pleased After the tournay of the Black BlackEagle BlackEagle Eagle Leopold von Dessauer had gone to bed early feeling younger and lighter than he had done for years Part of his scheme for there northern provinces of his fatherland consisted in gradual substitution of a few strong states for many weak ones ones' For this re reason reason son he smiled when he saw the eyes yes of his secretary shining like stars Von Dessauer was lying awake and thinking of the strange chances which help or mar the lives of men and women when a sudden sense of shock a numbness spreading upward through his limbs the rising of rheum to his eyes and a humming in his ears announced the approach of one of those attacks to which he had been subject ever since he had been wounded in a duel some years before a a duel in which his present Prince and his late master Karl the Millers Miller's son had both been engaged The Ambassador called for Jorian in a feeble voice That sleeping light-sleeping soldier immediately answered him Give me my cas case case of medicine said the old man that in the bag of rough leather So I feel my old attack coming upon me It will be three days before I can stir Yet must these papers paper's be put In the hands of of the Prince early t this ls morn morn- ing Ah there is my little Johann I was thinking about her him her him I I. I mean Well he shall have his chance He Ile made a wry face as a twinge of pain caught him It passed and h he hb resumed Go Jorian he said tap light upon his chamber door There is much to order ere at ni nine e o'clock he r- r rW W t h G l rl 1 N t I iii l r r f ff I 1 i. i itt l Jr 1 must adjourn to the summer palace to meet the Prince J Jorian rapped low with more reverence reverence rever rever- J f ence than is common from captains to i secretaries of ot legations At the sound 1 4 Johann Pyrmont clapped his hand to i r M th the hip where his sword should have 1 been j 1 3 Who is there he asked turning ii rt 1 about with keen alertness and In a S' S ol voice e which seemed seemed at once sweeter i and more commanding than even eyen the t. most imperious master-builder master would i. i naturally use uee to his underlings I I Jorian I Jorian His Is Ex Excellency is is taken sud suddenly ill III and bade me come for you j r Immediately the secretary opened the and in few js stood l' l 1 t 1 door a seco s at the old mans man's bedside k Here they talked low to each other v the young man with his hand laid ten ten- iJ 11 I t 1 h s J. J I. I I A 0 fi t I ff t I i l. l Ir i I J rL s r rI I am sec secretary of the noble Ambassador Ambas Ambas- ii of Plassenburg Plassenburg- fl I derly on th the forehead of his r- r Only their last words concern concern us us at at present 1 This will serve to begin my business business busi busl ness and to finish yours ours Thereafter the sooner you return to the better Remember the moon cannot cannot cannot can can- not long be lost out of the sky without without without with with- out causing remark The young man took the Ambassadors Ambassador's Ambassadors Ambassador's l I dors dor's papers and went out Dessauer d r took a composing draught and lay j i iback back with a sigh f It is humbling he said to Jorian that to compose your wits you must I Ido do it through the heart but In the I case of the old through the stomach l. l a strange draught he hath bath gotten said the soldier Indicating the door by which the secretary had I gone forth If I be not mistaken much water shall flow under bridge ere his sickness be cured f As soon as he had reached his own J chamber Johann laid the papers upon the table without glancing at them He went again to the window and looked across the city r To day I s shall all see the Prince he be r said It was exactly nine of the clock i q when he set out for the palace He atUr attired d In the plain black was dress of a secretary with only the narrowest narrowest narrow- narrow Jest J- J est corded edge and collar of rough rough scrolled gold At the great door of the outer pavilion pavilion pavillon pa- pa villon lie tie Intimated his desire to th the i officer in charge of the guard To be continued |
