Arms and the Woman

Stahlberg looked around blankly. "I swear to heaven, Herr--"

"Do not prevaricate!" the innkeeper interrupted. "You know that you

wrote this."

"Stahlberg," I cried excitedly; "tell me why you wrote this note to me

and I'll see that you are taken care of the rest of your days."

"I forbid him!" commanded Gretchen in alarm.

"As God hears me, Herr," said Stahlberg stoutly. "I wrote not a line

to you or to any one."

"Oh!" cried the innkeeper, stamping. "And you deny that you have

written here that you saw Her Highness in the garden three nights ago?"

Gretchen was beginning to grow terrified for some reason. I myself was

filled with wonder, knowing well enough that nothing about a garden had

been written in the note I had received.

"Do you dare deny," went on the implacable old man, "that you have

written here that you saw Her Highness in the garden, and that she was

weeping and murmuring this man's name?"

"Oh!" cried Gretchen, gazing wildly at the door.

The innkeeper suddenly took the bewildered giant by the shoulders and

pushed him from the room, following him swiftly; and the door closed

noisily behind them.

My heart was in flames. I understood all now, though I dare say

Gretchen didn't. All at once, her head fell on the back of the chair

from which she had but lately risen. She was weeping silently and

deeply. I did not move, but stood watching her, drinking in with

exultation the loveliness of a woman in tears. She was mine, mine,

mine! The innkeeper had not really known her heart till the night in

the garden to which he so adroitly referred; then he had made up his

mind that things were not as they should be, and had sent me that

anonymous note. Mine at last, I thought. Somehow, for the first time

in my life I felt what is called masterful; that is to say, not all

heaven and earth should take her away from me now. Softly I passed

over to her side and knelt at her feet. I lifted the hem of her gown

and pressed it to my lips.

"My Princess!" I murmured, "all mine." I kissed her unresisting hand.

Then I rose and put my arms around her. She trembled but made no

effort to withdraw. "I swear to you, Gretchen, that I will never leave

you again, not if the King should send an army against me, which he

will never do, since he has commanded that I marry you. Beware! It is

a dangerous thing to trifle with a King's will. And then, even if the

King should change his mind, I should not. You are mine. I should

like to know if I haven't won you! Oh, they do well to call you

Princess Caprice. Oh, Gretchen," falling back to humble tones, "what a

weary year has been wasted. You know that I love you; you have never

really doubted it; you know that you have not. Had you gone to your

sister when she wrote to you, she would have told you that it was for

you alone that I made her a Princess; that all my efforts were to make

you free to wed. Gretchen, you will not send me away this time, will

you? You will be kind and bid me to stay?"