Roland, whose brow had been knitted into an angry frown, now threw back his head and laughed joyously.

“Oh, that was a mere frolic,” he alleged.

It was the girl’s turn to frown.

“When you took stolen treasure from thievish Barons and Margraves protected by scores of armed men, with the object of breaking their power, for the relief of commerce, I admired you, but to say that the despoiling of a helpless merchant is a frolic—­”

“No, no, my dear, you do not understand,” eagerly corrected the Prince, unconscious of the affectionate phrase that caused a flush to rise in the cheeks of his listener.  “The merchant was, and is, my partner; a blameless man, Herr Goebel, who came near to being hanged on my behalf when these Archbishops took me captive.  I sought from him a thousand thalers; he insisted on learning my plans for opening the Rhine, and still would not give the money until, reluctantly, I was obliged to confess myself son of the Emperor.  This he could not credit, stipulating that before giving the money I must produce for him a safe-conduct, signed by the Emperor, and verified by the Great Seal of the Empire.  This document I obtained at dire personal risk, through the aid of my mother.  Here it is.”

He thrust his hand into his doublet, and produced the parchment in question, delivering it to the lady, who, however, did not unfold it, but kept her eyes fixed upon him.

“This distrust annoyed me; it should not have done so, for he was merely acting in the cautious manner natural to a merchant.  With a boyishness I now regret, I put my sword to his throat, demanding the money, which I received.  I took only half of it, for my mother had given me five hundred thalers.  Oh, no; I did not rob my friend Goebel, but merely tried to teach him that lack of faith is a dangerous thing.”

If the old man who listened could have exchanged confidences with the young woman who listened, he would have learned they shared the same thought, which was that the young Prince spoke so straight-forwardly neither doubted him for a moment.  The old man, it is true, felt that his talk was rather reckless of consequences, but, on the other hand, this in itself was complimentary, for, as he remembered, the Prince had been cautious enough when catechized by the three Archbishops together.

“I have often read,” said Cologne, with a smile, “pathetic accounts of prisoners, who in extreme loneliness carved their names over and over again on stone as hard as the jailer’s heart, but your Highness seems rather to have enjoyed yourself while so cruelly interned.  May I further beg of you to enlighten us concerning a somewhat bibulous youth who at the present moment is enjoying, in every sense of the word, the hospitality of Ehrenfels Castle?”

It was now the Archbishop’s turn to astonish the Prince.

“You knew of my device, then?”

“‘Knew’ is a little too strong.  ‘Suspect’ more nearly fits the case.  You won over your jailer, and some one else took your place as prisoner.”