own short-comings
may be, the actions of those above us affect business one way or the
other. May I read you a short report that came in while I was serving my
term of imprisonment?"

"Oh, read what you like," said Roland indifferently, throwing back his
head, and partially closing his eyes, with an air of _ennui_.

The merchant drew towards him a file of papers, and going through them
carefully, selected a document, and drew it forth, then, clearing his
throat, he read aloud--

"'At an hour after midnight, on St. Stanislas' Day, three nobles, one
representing the Archbishop of Mayence, the second the Archbishop of
Treves, and the third the Archbishop of Cologne, armed with authority
from these three Electors and Princes of the Church, entered the Saalhof
from the side facing the river, and arrested in his bed the young Prince
Roland. They assured the Empress, who protested, that the Prince would
be well cared for, and that, as an insurrection was feared in Frankfort,
it was considered safer that the person whom they intended to elevate to
the throne on the event of the Emperor's death, should be out of harm's
way, being placed under the direct care of the Archbishop of Mayence.
They informed the Empress that the Archbishops would not remove the
Prince from the Palace in opposition to the wishes of either the Emperor
or herself, but if this permission was not given, a meeting of the
Electors would at once be called, and some one else selected to succeed
the present ruler.

"'This consideration exerted a great influence upon the Empress, who
counseled her son to acquiesce. The young man was led to a boat then in
waiting by the river steps of the Palace, and so conveyed down the Main
to the Rhine, which was reached just after daybreak. Without landing,
and keeping as much as possible to the middle of the river, the party
proceeded down the Rhine, past Bingen, to the foot of the crag on which
stands the castle of Ehrenfels. The Prince was taken up to the Castle,
where he now remains.

"'The Archbishops from their revenues allot to him seven hundred thalers
a month, in addition to his maintenance. It is impossible for him to
escape from this stronghold unaided, and as the Emperor takes no
interest in the matter, and the Empress has given her consent, he is
like to be an inmate of Ehrenfels during the pleasure of the
Archbishops, who doubtless will not elect him to the throne in
succession unless he proves compliant t