suspicion. There is a pleasing story in regard to
Hildegarde who, after her divorce, went to Rome and devoted herself to a
religious life. By her charitable deeds and acts of piety she gained a
great and well deserved name for sanctity. It is said that one day she
met Taland, who was reduced to the life of a blind mendicant. By the
power of her holiness, she restored his sight, and he, filled with
remorse, confessed his crime and brought about a reconciliation between
Hildegarde and the king. No less naive is the legend related of one of
Charlemagne's daughters. His children included several girls, all
beautiful; but for political reasons their father denied them the
privilege of marriage. He considered that if they were united to the
great nobles of the land, it would mean a division and consequent
weakening of the empire. But love laughed at politics. "His secretary,
young Eginhart, became deeply enamored of his daughter Emma, and the
youthful lovers, fearing his anger should he discover their affection,
met only at night. It happened that one night, while Eginhart was in the
princess's apartment, a fall of snow took place. To return across the
palace court must lead to the inevitable discovery by the traces of his
footsteps. The moment called for resolution; woman's wit came to the
assistance of the perplexed lover, and the faithful and prudent Emma,
taking her lover on her back, bore him across the court. The emperor,
who chanced to be gazing from his window, beheld this strange sight by
the clear moonlight, and the next morning sent for the young couple, who
stood before him in the expectation of being sentenced to death, when
the generous father bestowed upon Eginhart his daughter's hand, and the
Odinwald in fief. The tomb of Emma and Eginhart is still to be seen at
Erbach." Another daughter, Bertha, called after her grandmother--the
mother of Charlemagne, carried on a similar intrigue with Engelbert;
and, though not fortunate enough to receive her father's sanction to
marriage, with a gift of land, she became the mother of Nithart, who was
a famous historian of his time. Charlemagne's own character enabled him
to understand, and his justice prompted him to condone those instincts
which his policy would not allow to be satisfied in a lawful and
conventional manner.

[Illustration 5: _THE LEGEND OF THE ROSES
After the painting by J. Nogales.

We have seen that, save for the story of Hildegarde, the women