’Tell me how the streets cross all round the Cathedral you know the city,’ said the stranger, holding out his hand.

Farina traced with his finger a rough map of the streets on the stranger’s hand.

’Good! that’s how my lord always marks the battlefield, and makes me show him the enemy’s posts.  Forward, this way!’

He turned from the Cathedral, and both slid along close under the eaves and front hangings of the houses.  Neither spoke.  Farina felt that he was in the hands of a skilful captain, and only regretted the want of a weapon to make harvest of the intended surprise; for he judged clearly that those were fellows of Werner’s band on the look-out.  They wound down numberless intersections of narrow streets with irregular-built houses standing or leaning wry-faced in row, here a quaint-beamed cottage, there almost a mansion with gilt arms, brackets, and devices.  Oil-lamps unlit hung at intervals by the corners, near a pale Christ on crucifix.  Across the passages they hung alight.  The passages and alleys were too dusky and close for the moon in her brightest ardour to penetrate; down the streets a slender lane of white beams could steal:  ‘In all conscience,’ as the good citizens of Cologne declared, ’enough for those heathen hounds and sons of the sinful who are abroad when God’s own blessed lamp is out.’  So, when there was a moon, the expense of oil was saved to the Cologne treasury, thereby satisfying the virtuous.

After incessant doubling here and there, listening to footfalls, and themselves eluding a chase which their suspicious movements aroused, they came upon the Rhine.  A full flood of moonlight burnished the knightly river in glittering scales, and plates, and rings, as headlong it rolled seaward on from under crag and banner of old chivalry and rapine.  Both greeted the scene with a burst of pleasure.  The grey mist of flats on the south side glimmered delightful to their sight, coming from that drowsy crowd and press of habitations; but the solemn glory of the river, delaying not, heedless, impassioned-pouring on in some sublime conference between it and heaven to the great marriage of waters, deeply shook Farina’s enamoured heart.  The youth could not restrain his tears, as if a magic wand had touched him.  He trembled with love; and that delicate bliss which maiden hope first showers upon us like a silver rain when she has taken the shape of some young beauty and plighted us her fair fleeting hand, tenderly embraced him.

As they were emerging into the spaces of the moon, a cheer from the stranger arrested Farina.

’Seest thou? on the wharf there! that is the very one, the tallest of the three.  Lakin! but we shall have him.’

Wrapt in a long cloak, with low pointed cap and feather, stood the person indicated.  He appeared to be meditating on the flow of the water, unaware of hostile presences, or quite regardless of them.  There was a majesty in his height and air, which made the advance of the two upon him more wary and respectful than their first impulse had counselled.  They could not read his features, which were mantled behind voluminous folds:  all save a pair of very strange eyes, that, even as they gazed directly downward, seemed charged with restless fiery liquid.