The words conveyed the deep, almost passionate admiration which the prince had for his friend.  The latter only shrugged his shoulders as he replied carelessly: 

“That is possible, if you intercede for me, but I do not want to owe my success to any man’s efforts in my behalf.  I am no poet of repute; I scarcely know whether I am a poet at all or not, and if my work cannot make its own way I shall not force it on the world.”

“You’ll be obstinate enough to let a fine opportunity slip, that’s like you.  Have you no ambition?”

“Only too much, I fear; perhaps that’s the origin of what you call my obstinacy.  I have never been able to subordinate myself and conform to the rules of every day life, and as to the restrictions and trammels of your German courts, I could not adjust myself to them.”

“Who told you you would have to adjust yourself to them?” questioned Egon laughingly.  “You will be flattered and spoiled there, as everywhere else, for you will appear in the heavens like a meteor and no one ever requires stars of that nature to follow a prescribed orbit.  Moreover you will be both a guest and a foreigner; and as such will occupy an exceptional position.  When in addition to that, the poet’s halo shines round your head—­”

“You will have found means to bind me to your country, you think?” interjected Hartmut.

“Well yes, I certainly have not supposed that I, myself, possessed the power to attach to us permanently so wild and restless a spirit.  But the rising fame of a poet is a bond which is not so easily broken.  This very morning I took an oath to keep you here at any cost.”

Rojanow gave him a surprised, searching look.  “Why this morning?”

“Ah, that’s my secret,” said Egon mischievously.  “But here comes some one to join us.  I hear steps on the stairs.”

Yes, there were steps coming up the old stone stairway, and a second later the bearded face of the old watchman peered out at the men on the platform.

“Please be careful, my lady,” he was saying.  “The last few steps are very steep; now here we are on the platform.”  He held out his hand to assist the lady, who was following him closely, but she paid no heed to his offer and stepped lightly out on the little stone balcony.

“What a lovely girl,” whispered Prince Adelsberg to his friend; but Hartmut, instead of answering, was making a deep and formal bow to the lady, who could not conceal a look of surprise when she saw him.

“Ah, Herr Rojanow, you here?”

“I am admiring the fine views from Hochberg of which you, madame, have heard also, apparently.”

The prince’s face bore a surprised look when he heard Hartmut address this lovely girl as madame, and saw that she knew him.  He came forward immediately, in order that he might share his friend’s acquaintance, so Hartmut was constrained to introduce Prince Adelsberg to the Baroness von Wallmoden; he made a passing allusion to the meeting in the wood, for the young wife was wrapped in her mantle of icy indifference.  It was scarcely necessary to-day, for Rojanow was as fully determined as she, to consider their acquaintance as of the slightest.