ch and nobility?"

"Such indeed is my opinion, daughter."

"Then is it not your duty at once to acquaint the three Archbishops with
what you have already told me, so that the disaster of his election may
be avoided?"

"It is a matter to which I gave deep thought during my journey thither,
and I also invoked the aid of Heaven in guiding me to a just
conclusion."

"And that conclusion, Father?"

"Is to say nothing whatever about my experiences in Frankfort."

"Why?"

"Because it is not given to a humble man like myself, occupying a
position of no authority, to fathom what may be in the minds of those
great Princes of the Church, the Archbishops. In effect they rule the
country, and it is possible that they prefer to place on the throne a
drunken nonentity who will offer no impediment to their ambitions,
rather than to elect a moral young man who might in time prove too
strong for them."

"I am sure no such motive would actuate the Archbishop of Cologne."

"His Lordship of Cologne, my child, dare not break with their Lordships
of Treves and Mayence, so you may be sure that if these two wish to
elect Prince Roland Emperor, nothing I could say to the Archbishop of
Cologne would prevent that choice."

"Oh, I had forgotten, in the excitement of listening to your adventures,
but talking of the Archbishop reminds me his Highness of Cologne will
visit us to-morrow, and he especially wishes to see you. You may imagine
my anxiety when I received his message a few days ago, knowing nothing
of your whereabouts."

"Wishes to see me?" ejaculated Father Ambrose, wrinkling a perplexed
brow. "I wonder what for. Can he have any knowledge of my visit to
Frankfort?"

"How could he?"

"The Archbishops possess sources of enlightenment that we wot not of. If
he charges me with being absent from my post, I must admit the fact."

"Of course. Let me confess to him as soon as he arrives; your journey
was entirely due to my persistence. I alone am to blame."

The old man slowly shook his head.

"I am at least equally culpable," he said. "I shall answer truthfully
any question asked me, but I hope I am not in the wrong if I volunteer
no information."

The girl rose.

"You could do no wrong, Father, even if you tried; and now good-night.
Sleep soundly and fear nothing. On the rare occasions when the good
Archbishop was angry with me, I have always managed to placate him, and
I shall not fail in this instance."

Father Ambros