Sketches New and Old
Page 36
CHAPTER V.
THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.
The trial was at hand. All the great lords and barons of Brandenburghwere assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace. No space wasleft unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the Premier's chair, and oneither side sat the great judges of the realm. The old duke had sternlycommanded that the trial of his daughter should proceed without favor,and then had taken to his bed broken-hearted. His days were numbered.Poor Conrad had begged, as for his very life, that he might be spared themisery of sitting in judgment upon his cousin's crime, but it did notavail.
The saddest heart in all that great assemblage was in Conrad's breast.
The gladdest was in his father's, for, unknown to his daughter "Conrad,"the old Baron Klugenstein was come, and was among the crowd of nobles,triumphant in the swelling fortunes of his house.
After the heralds had made due proclamation and the other preliminarieshad followed, the venerable Lord Chief justice said:
"Prisoner, stand forth!"
The unhappy princess rose, and stood unveiled before the vast multitude.The Lord Chief Justice continued:
"Most noble lady, before the great judges of this realm it hath beencharged and proven that out of holy wedlock your Grace hath given birthunto a child, and by our ancient law the penalty is death excepting inone sole contingency, whereof his Grace the acting Duke, our good LordConrad, will advertise you in his solemn sentence now; wherefore, giveheed."
Conrad stretched forth the reluctant sceptre, and in the selfsame momentthe womanly heart beneath his robe yearned pityingly toward the doomedprisoner, and the tears came into his eyes. He opened his lips to speak,but the Lord Chief Justice said quickly:
"Not there, your Grace, not there! It is not lawful to pronouncejudgment upon any of the ducal line SAVE FROM THE DUCAL THRONE!"
A shudder went to the heart of poor Conrad, and a tremor shook the ironframe of his old father likewise. CONRAD HAD NOT BEEN CROWNED--dared heprofane the throne? He hesitated and turned pale with fear. But it mustbe done. Wondering eyes were already upon him. They would be suspiciouseyes if he hesitated longer. He ascended the throne. Presently hestretched forth the sceptre again, and said:
"Prisoner, in the name of our sovereign lord, Ulrich, Duke ofBrandenburgh, I proceed to the solemn duty that hath devolved upon me.Give heed to my words. By the ancient law of the land, except youproduce the partner of your guilt and deliver him up to the executioneryou must surely die. Embrace this opportunity--save yourself while yetyou may. Name the father of your child!"
A solemn hush fell upon the great court--a silence so profound that mencould hear their own hearts beat. Then the princess slowly turned, witheyes gleaming with hate, and pointing her finger straight at Conrad,said:
"Thou art the man!"
An appalling conviction of his helpless, hopeless peril struck a chill toConrad's heart like the chill of death itself. What power on earth couldsave him! To disprove the charge he must reveal that he was a woman,and for an uncrowned woman to sit in the ducal chair was death! At oneand the same moment he and his grim old father swooned and fell to theground.
The remainder of this thrilling and eventful story will NOT be found inthis or any other publication, either now or at any future time.]
The truth is, I have got my hero (or heroine) into such a particularlyclose place that I do not see how I am ever going to get him (or her)out of it again, and therefore I will wash my hands of the wholebusiness, and leave that person to get out the best way that offers---orelse stay there. I thought it was going to be easy enough to straightenout that little difficulty, but it looks different now.