emented
a hearty friendship with each other when engaged in the same bold fight,
delivering each other in the midst of a Gallic army. I affirm, however,
that you two have done more for each other: and therefore I declare your
affair of honor to be settled, and at an end. Sheathe your swords, and
embrace each other in my presence."

Obedient to the command of their general, the young knights for the
present sheathed their weapons; but anxious lest the slightest possible
shadow should fall on their honor they yet delayed the reconciling
embrace.

The great Alba looked at them with somewhat of an indignant air, and
said, "Do you then suppose, young knights, that I could wish to save
the lives of two heroes at the expense of their honor? I would rather at
once have struck you dead, both of you at once. But I see plainly that
with such obstinate minds one must have recourse to other measures."

And, dismounting from his horse, he fastened it to a tree, and then
stepped forward between the two captains with a drawn sword in his
right hand, crying out, "Whoever will deny in any wise that the quarrel
between Sir Heimbert of Waldhausen and Don Fadrique Mendez is honorably
and gloriously settled must settle the matter at the peril of his life
with the Duke of Alba; and should the present knights have any objection
to raise to this, let them declare it. I stand here as champion for my
own conviction."

The youths bowed submissively before the great umpire, and fell into
each other's arms. The duke, however, embraced them both with hearty
affection, which appeared all the more charming and refreshing as it
rarely burst forth from this stern character. Then he led the reconciled
friends back to their betrothed, and when these, after the first joyful
surprise was over at the presence of the honored general, started back
at seeing drops of blood on the garments of the youths, the duke said,
smiling, "Oh, ye brides elect of soldiers, you must not shrink from such
jewels of honor. Your lovers could bring you no fairer wedding gift."

The great Alba was not not be deprived of the pleasure of enacting the
office of father to the two happy brides, and the festival of their
union was fixed for the following day. From that time forth they lived
in undisturbed and joyful concord; and though the Knight Heimbert was
recalled soon afterward with his lovely consort to the bosom of his
German Fatherland, he and Fadrique kept up the link betwe