"To whom armour is better suited than the cowl," observed the Bishop of
Bamberg, a middleaged prelate of aristocratic appearance, approaching the
others. "Your prior, my dear brothers, would have little pleasure, I
think, in the fish he is so eagerly trying to drag from the Minorite's
net into his own. He would leap ashore again all too quickly. He is not
fit for the monastery. He would do better for a priest, and I would bid
him welcome as a military brother in office."

"Bold enough he certainly is," added the Dominican. "I would not advise
every one to enter the Emperor's presence and this distinguished
gathering in such attire."

In fact, Heinz showed plainly that he had come directly from the
battlefield and the saddle, for a suit of stout chain armour, which
covered the greater part of his tolerably long tunic, encased his limbs,
and even the helmet which he bore on his arm, spite of the blue ribbon
that adorned it, was by no means one of the delicate, costly ones worn in
the tournament. Besides, many a bruise showed that hard blows and
thrusts had been dealt him.




CHAPTER XVIII.

At Heinz Schorlin's quarters the day before his young hostess, Frau
Barbel, had had the costly armour entrusted to her care, and the
trappings belonging to it, cleaned and put in order, but her labour was
vain; for Heinz Schorlin had ridden directly to the fortress from
Schweinau, without stopping at his lodgings in the city.