Joan of the Sword Hand

autumn had begun to blow through its bowers, it was over-clambered with late-blooming flowers. Its bowers were creeper-tan

sudden fancy to a young man, should find her way where

ther have hied him straight back to old Dessauer with his news. More than anyth

Margaret had quit

l have lodged you in a dungeon cell for tha

tary turned towards her the blank look of one whose thoughts have

do not practise these outland peculiarities before my brothers. Either of them might look with prejudice upon such customs being observed generally throughout the city. I came back chiefly to wa

sufficiently from his reveries upon the interview in the s

ught. "A Princess of Courtland is no such mighty thing-and why should I

he Princess took the young man's hand and read his for

for a man," she said; "why

grip," said the secret

f Muscovy, I mean. He is a great fencer, and also desires to be a great friend of mine. He would give something to be sitting here teaching me how they take hands and bid each o

do his part. If the Princess of Courtland chose to amuse herself with him, well, it was harmless on either side-

et, after certain experiments; "but tell me, since you say that we are to be friends, and I have admitted your p

king love, yet a vein of Baltic practicality

" said the secretary carefully; "but I do not usually

re, indeed-gra

ncess. "I seem to have heard that name somewher

" said the secretary, grilling within a

is time. I am sure he did not know. And the estates-a little involved, doubtless,

within he was saying, "God help me! I get deeper and deeper. What a whirling chaos a single lie leads one into! Heaven give me speedy succour out of this!"

to strike the Princes

t a pupil at love!" Then aloud she said, "You are

he deceitful Count, pickin

e Princess rang out

of the house of Courtland, and we are accustomed to say what we think-the women of us especially. And sooner than carry out this wretched contract and marry the Prince Wasp, I will do even as I said to my brother, I will

ry impulsive persons. It reached the ears of a gay young fashionable, who had just dismounted at the gate

r this is according to the best traditions of Plassenburg!" And taking his face b

say to that! I will show them that Margaret of Courtland c

dazed by the rapid succession of emotions, Johann the Secretary stepped out of the green gloom of the y