table, and was advancing--her eyes, clouded by anxious expectation, did
not deceive her--and was walking with stately dignity toward the boy
choir; no, not to it, but directly toward herself.--Now it seemed as
though her heart stood still.

At no price could she have produced even a single note.

But it was not required, for the wave of the imperial hand which she saw
was to Appenzelder, and commanded him to silence his choir.

The unexpected movement concerned her alone, and ere Barbara found time
to ask herself what brought him to her, he already stood before her.

How friendly and yet how chivalrously stately as the slight bow which the
monarch bestowed upon her; and he had scarcely done so when, in peculiar
German, whose strange accent seemed to her extremely charming and
musical, he exclaimed: "we welcome you to the Golden Cross, fairest of
maidens. You now behold what man can accomplish when he strives for
anything with genuine zeal. The wisest among the wise declare that even
gods fail in the conflict against the obstinacy of beautiful women, and
yet our longing desire succeeded in capturing you, lovely fugitive."

Barbara alternately flushed and paled as she listened to these words.

She had not heard Frau Lerch's counsel, and yet, obedient to a secret
impulse, she timidly lowered her blue eyes. But not a word of the
sovereign had escaped her, and, though she still lacked the power of
speech, she found courage to smile and shake her head in denial.

The Emperor did not miss a single change of feature, and, swiftly