--and that without
losing one instant--place the eagle of Austria where she shall float as
high as ever floated the cognizance of king or kaiser."

With that he started from his seat, and amidst the tumultuous cheering
of his guests and followers, made for the door of the pavilion, and
seized his own banner, which stood pitched before it.

"Nay, my lord," said Conrade, affecting to interfere, "it will blemish
your wisdom to make an affray in the camp at this hour; and perhaps it
is better to submit to the usurpation of England a little longer than
to--"

"Not an hour, not a moment longer," vociferated the Duke; and with the
banner in his hand, and followed by his shouting guests and attendants,
marched hastily to the central mount, from which the banner of England
floated, and laid his hand on the standard-spear, as if to pluck it from
the ground.

"My master, my dear master!" said Jonas Schwanker, throwing his arms
about the Duke, "take heed--lions have teeth--"

"And eagles have claws," said the Duke, not relinquishing his hold on
the banner-staff, yet hesitating to pull it from the ground.

The speaker of sentences, notwithstanding such was his occupation, had
nevertheless some intervals of sound sense. He clashed his staff loudly,
and Leopold, as if by habit, turned his head towards his man of counsel.

"The eagle is king among the fowls of the air," said the
SPRUCH-SPRECHER, "as is the lion among the beasts of the field--each has
his dominion, separated as wide as England and Germany. Do thou, noble
eagle, no dishonour to the princely lion, but let your banners remain
floating in peace side by side."

Leopold withdrew his hand from the banner-spear, and looked round for
Conrade of Montserrat, but he saw him not; for the Marquis, so soon as
he saw the mischief afoot, had withdrawn himself from the crowd, taking
care, in the first place, to express before several neutral persons his
regret that the Archduke should have chosen the hours after dinner to
avenge any wrong of which he might think he had a right to complain. Not
seeing his guest, to whom he wished more particularly to have addressed
himself, the Archduke said aloud that, having no wish to breed
dissension in the army of the Cross, he did but vindicate his own
privileges and right to stand upon an equality with the King of England,
without desiring, as he might have done, to advance his banner--which he
derived from emperors, his progenitors--above