ds?"

"Aye," she answered, simply.

"Then name the man," the King demanded.

"Now we shall hear the name of her lover," Frederick said hastily. "It
will surely be he who was her accomplice."

"To whomsoever will defend me I will give all my lands and love," she
answered firmly, waiting for some knight to stand out from the others,
and declare for her cause and defence.

Each looked at the other, but no one spoke or moved. Then the King
cried:

"Sound the trumpet! Call the warrior knight by thy bugle!" The Herald
advanced with four trumpeters, whom he turned toward north, south,
east, and west, and had them sound their trumps.

"Who will here do battle for Elsa of Brabant," he shouted. No one
answered and the lonely, defenceless Elsa looked about pitifully, in
great anxiety.

"Ah, ye see how poor a cause she hath!" Frederick called, pointing to
her.

"Dear sovereign, once again I beg the right to call for a defender. My
knight dwells afar off, and cannot arrive at once."

"Again sound thy trumpets," the King directed the Herald, and again
they called to the four points of the compass. Still all was silent.
Then Elsa sank upon her knees, while the ladies of her court came
forward to crowd protectingly about her because they loved her very
much. She prayed earnestly that some defender might come to her, and
so affected were all present, except Frederick and his wife, that all
joined in her prayer.

Then a strange thing happened; those standing nearest the water's edge
saw a boat coming up the river, drawn by a lovely swan. In the boat
stood a handsome knight, so beautiful and kind of face, and so
glittering with silver armour, that they fairly held their breath in
admiration.

"See!" they cried. "Some one--a marvellous man appears upon the
river." All the others, excepting Elsa, who remained upon her knees,
went back to the river's edge to look.

"Oh, he is a brave knight--he stands in the prow--his armour gleams
like the sun--a swan draws him. He wears a helmet of light upon his
brow. He is nearing the shore!--He has golden reins upon his swan."
All but the King, Telramund, Ortrud, and Elsa were crowding about the
river's bank, to see the glorious sight.

Frederick and Ortrud were frightened, and cast strange looks of fear
at each other; the King rose from his seat to see; but Elsa, overcome
with joy, remained where she was, not even looking around.

"It is a miracle wrought among us," the nobles crie