“I am honored, your Highness, by the opportunity you give me.  I shall wait upon the Empress to-morrow at whatever hour it is convenient for her Majesty to receive me.”

“You are most kind.  I suggested that she should name an hour, and midday was chosen.”

The Archbishop bowed profoundly.  The young man rose, and held out his hand, which the Archbishop took with cordiality.  The Prince looked very straight-forwardly at his host, and the latter thought he detected a twinkle in his eye, as he said with decision: 

“To-morrow I shall formally notify my Lord of Mayence that the Empress has chosen your Palace as her place of residence until after the coronation, and I shall request his Lordship to crave your permission that I may call here every day to see my mother.”

Again Cologne bowed, and made no further protest, although Roland seemingly expected one, but as it did not come, the Prince continued: 

“Here is my address in Sachsenhausen, should you wish a communication to reach me in haste; and kindly command your porter not to parley when I again demand speech with your Lordship.  Good-night.  I thank you, my Lord, for your courtesy,” and the energetic youth disappeared before the slow-thinking Archbishop could call up words with which to reply.

Cologne did not immediately rejoin his guests, but stood a very figure of perplexity, muttering to himself: 

“If our friend Mayence thinks that youngster is to be molded like soft clay, he is very much mistaken.  I hope Roland will not cause him to feel the iron hand too soon.  I wonder why Mayence is delaying the Election?  Can it be that already he distrusts his choice, or is it the question of a wife?”

Meanwhile the front door of the Archbishop’s Palace had clanged shut, and Roland strode across the square careless or unconscious of spies, looking neither to the right nor to the left.  He made his way speedily to the Fahrgasse, walking down that thoroughfare until he came to Herr Goebel’s door, where he knocked, and was admitted.  Ushered into the room where he had parted from the merchant, he found Herr Goebel seated at his table as if he had never left it.  The merchant, with a cry of delight, greeted the young man.

“Well, Herr Goebel, you see I have been a successful trafficker.  Your bales of goods are all in Castle Pfalz, and I trust the barge returned safely to you with the money.”

“It did indeed, your Highness.”

“Has the coin been counted?”

“Yes; and it totals an enormous, almost unbelievable, sum, which I have set down here to the last stiver.”

“That is brave news.  Have any demands been made on you for its partition?”

“No, your Highness.”

“Now, Herr Goebel, I have determined that all that money, which is in effect stolen property, shall go to the feeding of Frankfort’s poor.  Buying provender shrewdly, how long would this treasure keep hunger away from the gates of Frankfort?”