louder tone, though doubtfully: "Then, so far, all would be well; but,
fair maiden, my young friend, unfortunately, was by no means satisfied,
if I heard aright, with knocking at the door of a single heart. Things
have reached my ears--But this, too, must be----"

Here he suddenly paused, for already during this conversation with the
ladies there had been a noise at the door of the hall, and now the person
whom the Emperor had just accused entered, closely followed by the
chamberlain, Count Ebenhofen, whose face was deeply flushed from his vain
attempts to keep Sir Heinz Schorlin back.

Heinz's cheeks were also glowing from his struggle with the courtier, who
considered it a grave offence that a knight should dare to appear before
the Emperor at a peaceful social assembly clad in full armour.

His appearance created a joyful stir among the other members of the
court--nay, in spite of the sovereign's presence, cordial expressions of
welcome fell from the lips of ladies and nobles. The Bohemian princess
alone cast an angry glance at the blue ribbon which adorned the helmet of
the returning knight; for "blue" was Countess von Montfort's colour, and
"rose red" her own.

The ecclesiastics whom Heinz passed whispered eagerly together. The
Duchess Agnes's confessor, an elderly Dominican of tall stature, was
listening to the provost of St. Sebald's, a grey-haired man a head
shorter than he, of dignified yet kindly aspect, who, looking keenly at
Heinz, remarked: "I fear that your prior hopes too confidently to win
yonder young knight. No one walks with that bearing who is on the eve
of renouncing the world. A splendid fellow!"