.

After receiving the formal salutation due to his rank, Rodolph cordially
embraced the Lord of Hers, and extended his regards to Gilbert, who
could not sufficiently admire the hero of Hohenburg.

"But for your father's obstinacy," he said to the youth, "you would now
be a knight. But I will see you win your spurs yet."

The greetings over, they all began to ascend the hill. The duke would
not pass the chapel without entering. The pavement upon which they knelt
had been worked with many a rich and curious device; but time and the
knees of the faithful had worn away most of the finest tracery. At the
foot of one of the columns still remained this fragment of an
inscription:

_Hoc pavimentum ... feci
... ductus amore Dei._

This was the spot upon which the duke loved to kneel. Before rising, he
drew from under his robe a golden chalice, and gave it to Herman, who
was beside him. The priest took it and carried it to the sanctuary.

"I would almost give the decade of Jura," exclaimed Rodolph, as he
approached the castle gate, "to know who made that superb pavement."

"It resembles more the pavement of a cathedral than the simple floor of
a chapel," said Father Omehr. "I wish we had such an one to our little
church at Stramen."

"Trust that to your successor," replied the duke; "you have given him
the walls, the pillars, the windows, and the roof, and are well entitled
to a pavement and alabaster altar at his hands."

They were now at the gate, into which were cut two niches containing
statutes of SS. Victor and Apollinaris. The bars, which yielded to every
stranger and to every peasant, flew open before the high-born group, and
the almoner, as he recognized the duke, bent his knee in reverence. They
mounted a heavy flight of stairs, and, traversing an arched gallery,
were ushered into the principal hall. This large room was hung with
solemn tapestry, reaching from the ceiling to the floor. The
characteristic piety of these ages displayed itself in the beautiful
recesses in the walls, adapted to the reception of holy water, and in
the devices upon the floor and ceiling, which always conveyed some pious
meaning. The walls were covered with paintings chiefly relating to the
exploits of the lords of Hers, or filled up with heraldic blazonry.

In the cathedral or in the castle, in the monastery or in the chapel,
durability was the principal object of the architect. It is true that
the genius of the age contrived