f
Gregory VII.

A bright smile now began to break over Rodolph's face, and he said,
turning to his friends:

"My gallant knights, this is but an expedient of the king's to gain
time, he will never confront us at Augsburg. We must prepare for a
struggle more desperate than ever, and, before another day, I must set
out for Saxony."

The prophecy of the King of Arles was soon verified. For five days after
leaving Canossa, Henry kept his oath; on the sixth he broke it, and,
with an armed band, prevented the Pope from appearing among the princes
at the Diet of Augsburg.

Before another week had passed, the lordships of Hers and Stramen seemed
almost deserted. Rodolph had passed into Saxony, to assemble an army
there, leaving Welf, the Duke of Bavaria, and the Lord Albert, to
collect the forces of Suabia. Rodolph had taken with him the Baron of
Stramen, with his son, and Gilbert de Hers. Father Omehr, who had been
secretly charged by the Pope to moderate the zeal of the King of Arles,
had also followed the duke, commuting his flock and the Lady Margaret to
the care of Herman. It was with a heavy heart that Gilbert saw the
towers of Stramen fading in the distance, and felt that he was leaving,
perhaps forever, a being to whom he was so deeply attached, without a
word, a glance, or even a look. He had, however, evinced his solicitude
for the Lady Margaret's welfare by solemnly charging Humbert to watch
over her in his absence and protect her with his life.

The knights and burghers of Suabia were now assembling at Ulm. Scarce a
man could be seen between the Danube and the Lake of Constance: mothers
were working in the fields, with their children about them, and here and
there some old or infirm vassal was seated at his cabin door. Little did
the Lady Margaret dream, as she gazed from her lattice over the
beautiful country, dipping down into the river, dotted all over with
thriving cottages, from which the quiet smoke of peace was
curling--little did she think, as she watched the green fields
struggling through the melting snow, and fixed her eyes upon the Church
of the Nativity, how soon those Cottages would flame, those fields be
red with human gore, and that church be polluted by a hireling soldiery.
Little did she think, when praying for the safety of her father and
brother, that her own paternal castle would be the first victim of the
war.

CHAPTER VII

The wild dog
Shall flesh his tooth in every innoce