er; 'and I conjure thee to
grant it me, by the shoulder of thy horse, and by the edge of thy sword,
and so as they may never fail thee when thy need is at the utmost.' 'Thou
art, then, a brother of the Sacred Fire,' said Baron Herman of Arnheim;
'and I may not refuse thee the refuge which thou requirest of me, after
the ritual of the Persian Magi. From whom, and for what length of time,
dost thou crave my protection?' 'From those,' replied the stranger, 'who
shall arrive in quest of me before the morning cock shall crow, and for
the full space of a year and a day from this period.' 'I may not refuse
thee,' said the baron, 'consistently with my oath and my honour. For a
year and a day I will be thy pledge, and thou shall share with me roof and
chamber, wine and food. But thou, too, must obey the law of Zoroaster,
which, as it says, Let the stronger protect the weaker brother, says also,
Let the wiser instruct the brother who hath less knowledge. I am the
stronger, and thou shalt be safe under my protection; but thou art the
wiser, and must instruct me in the more secret mysteries.' 'You mock
your servant,' said the strange visiter; 'but if aught is known to
Dannischemend which can avail Herman, his instructions shall be as those
of a father to a son.' 'Come forth, then, from thy place of refuge,' said
the Baron of Arnheim: 'I swear to thee by the sacred fire which lives
without terrestrial fuel, and by the fraternity which is betwixt us, and
by the shoulder of my horse, and the edge of my good sword, I will be thy
warrand for a year and a day, if so far my power shall extend.'

"The stranger came forth accordingly; and those who saw the singularity of
his appearance, scarce wondered at the fears of Caspar, the stall-master,
when he found such a person in the stable, by what mode of entrance he was
unable to conceive. When he reached the lighted hall to which the baron
conducted him, as he would have done a welcome and honoured guest, the
stranger appeared to be very tall, and of a dignified aspect. His dress
was Asiatic, being a long, black caftan, or gown, like that worn by
Armenians, and a lofty, square cap, covered with the wool of Astracan
lambs. Every article of the dress was black, which gave relief to the
long, white beard that flowed down over his bosom. His gown was fastened
by a sash of black silk net-work, in which, instead of a poniard, or
sword, was stuck a silver case, containing writing materials and a roll