can wed her before I go," said Otho, suddenly, as he sat that night
in the Templar's chamber.

"Why, that is true! and leave thy bride in the first week,--a hard
trial!"

"Better than incur the chance of never calling her mine. Dear, kind,
beloved Leoline!"

"Assuredly, she deserves all from thee; and, indeed, it is no small
sacrifice, at thy years and with thy mien, to renounce forever all
interest among the noble maidens thou wilt visit. Ah, from the galleries
of Constantinople what eyes will look down on thee, and what ears,
learning that thou art Otho the bridegroom, will turn away, caring for
thee no more! A bridegroom without a bride! Nay, man, much as the Cross
wants warriors, I am enough thy friend to tell thee, if thou weddest, to
stay peaceably at home, and forget in the chase the labours of war, from
which thou wouldst strip the ambition of love."

"I would I knew what were best," said Otho, irresolutely. "My
brother--ha, shall he forever excel me? But Leoline, how will she
grieve,--she who left him for me!"

"Was that thy fault?" said the Templar, gayly. "It may many times chance
to thee again to be preferred to another. Troth, it is a sin under which
the conscience may walk lightly enough. But sleep on it, Otho; my eyes
grow heavy."

The next day Otho sought Leoline, and proposed to her that their wedding
should precede his parting; but so embarrassed was he, so divided
between two wishes, that Leoline, offended, hurt, stung by his coldness,
refused the proposal at once. She left him lest he should see her weep,
and then--then she repented even of her just pride!

But Otho, striving to appease his conscience with the belief that
hers now was the _sole_ fault, busied himself in preparations for his
departure. Anxious to outshine his brother, he departed not as Warbeck,
alone and unattended, but levying all the horse, men, and money that
his domain of Sternfels--which he had not yet tenanted--would afford, he
repaired to Frankfort at the head of a glittering troop.

The Templar, affecting a relapse, tarried behind, and promised to join
him at that Constantinople of which he had so loudly boasted. Meanwhile
he devoted his whole powers of pleasing to console the unhappy orphan.
The force of her simple love was, however, stronger than all his arts.
In vain he insinuated doubts of Otho,--she refused to hear them; in vain
he poured with the softest accents into her ear the witchery of flattery
and song,