er?"

Startled by so sudden a query, the wily Templar faltered in his reply.

The red blood mounted to Otho's brow. "Nay, lie not, sir knight; these
eyes, thanks to God! have not witnessed, but these ears have heard from
others of my dishonour."

As Otho spoke, the Templar's eye resting on the water perceived a boat
rowing fast over the Rhine; the distance forbade him to see more than
the outline of two figures within it. "She was right," thought he;
"perhaps that boat already bears her from the danger."

Drawing himself up to the full height of his tall stature, the Templar
replied haughtily,--

"Sir Otho of Sternfels, if thou hast deigned to question thy vassals,
obtain from them only an answer. It is not to contradict such minions
that the knights of the Temple pledge their word!"

"Enough," cried Otho, losing patience, and striking the Templar with his
clenched hand. "Draw, traitor, draw!"

Alone in his lofty tower Warbeck watched the night deepen over the
heavens, and communed mournfully with himself. "To what end," thought
he, "have these strong affections, these capacities of love, this
yearning after sympathy, been given me? Unloved and unknown I walk to
my grave, and all the nobler mysteries of my heart are forever to be
untold."

Thus musing, he heard not the challenge of the warder on the wall, or
the unbarring of the gate below, or the tread of footsteps along the
winding stair; the door was thrown suddenly open, and Otho stood before
him. "Come," he said, in a low voice trembling with passion; "come, I
will show thee that which shall glad thine heart. Twofold is Leoline
avenged."

Warbeck looked in amazement on a brother he had not met since they stood
in arms each against the other's life, and he now saw that the arm that
Otho extended to him dripped with blood, trickling drop by drop upon the
floor.

"Come," said Otho, "follow me; it is my last prayer. Come, for Leoline's
sake, come."

At that name Warbeck hesitated no longer; he girded on his sword, and
followed his brother down the stairs and through the castle gate. The
porter scarcely believed his eyes when he saw the two brothers, so long
divided, go forth at that hour alone, and seemingly in friendship.

Warbeck, arrived at that epoch in the feelings when nothing stuns,
followed with silent steps the rapid strides of his brother. The two
castles, as you are aware, are scarce a stone's throw from each other.
In a few minutes Otho paus