e a tower or a bit of a wall may still be standing, to remind the
wanderer, that once upon a time a knighted race dwelt there. But should
the decayed wall fall upon me, and bury the last of my family under its
ruin, no one shall ever say of me--He drew his father's sword in an
unjust cause."

"Every one to his thinking," answered Dieterick; "all this sounds very
fine, but I, for my part, would stretch a point for the sake of
re-establishing my house, and making it habitable. But whether you
change your determination or not, I hope, at all events, you will
remain with me a few days longer."

"I am grateful for your kindness," answered Albert; "but, you see,
under existing circumstances, I have nothing more to do in this town. I
propose leaving it by daybreak tomorrow."

"Well, then, one may send a remembrance to a friend by you, I suppose?"
said the secretary, with a most crafty smile: "of course you ride the
direct road to Lichtenstein?"

The young man blushed up to the forehead. Since Bertha's departure she
had not been the subject of conversation between him and his host, and
therefore his sly question took him so much the more by surprise. "I
perceive," said he, "that you do not understand me yet. You believe I
have only turned my back on the League for the purpose of joining the
enemy? How can you think so ill of me?"

"Ah! away with you," replied the wary scribe; "no one else but my
charming cousin has influenced your conduct. You would have shut an eye
to every thing the League did, had old Lichtenstein been on our side;
but now that you know he belongs to the other party, you think yourself
justified in joining it also."

Albert might defend himself as well as he could; the secretary was too
firmly rooted in his opinion to allow himself to be talked out of it.
Moreover, he thought this step very natural, and saw nothing in it
dishonourable or blamable. With a hearty remembrance to his cousin in
Lichtenstein, he left the room of his guest. But on the threshold of
the door he turned round again, and said, "I had almost forgotten to
mention, that I met George von Fronsberg in the street, who begs you
will go and see him this evening at his house."

Albert had already determined not to depart without taking leave of
Fronsberg, but he felt nervous at appearing before a man whose
intentions towards him were kind, but whose plans he had thwarted. He
buckled on his sword, thinking upon this painful meeting, and w