"The Lady Adelaide mentioned them all," the damsel responded, "and witnessed them all by Saint Fridolin's body; but quoth the knight that if he could not keep his bones from the wolves he deserved to have them picked. Only on one charge will he stay." "And what is that?" demanded Erna; but she saw the look askance which Elsa gave toward Albrecht, and the blood rushed into her cheek. "It is that the gracious countess insist upon his staying," Elsa answered, courtesying so profoundly that the rushlight she carried wavered and flared. Erna waved her hand in dismissal, and the damsel with her rushlight took herself out of the chamber. Left together in the darkness, their eyes blinded by having looked on the flame, Albrecht and Erna drew close together, and she clung to him as if he had saved her from some mighty danger. "Wilt thou that he go or stay?" Albrecht asked, the tenderness in his voice showing her that he did not ask the question from any doubt of her. "Do not dismiss him for fear I shall be troubled if he stay." She led him to the window where the torches below shone strongly enough for them to see each other's face, and there she looked into his eyes a moment. "What I desire," she said, "is that he go and leave us alone together as we were before he came. Wilt thou not go down and receive his farewells? I wish not to see him again." He kissed her with fervor, and yet with something of solemnity in his manner. "We have forgiven each other," he said, "and now we will help each other." Then he went down to meet Count Stephen; and Erna, left alone, looked out upon the lights of the courtyard with a sigh and yet with a great peace and joy filling her breast. THE END. * * * * * By the Author of "Albrecht." POEMS. =BERRIES OF THE BRIER.= =SONNETS IN SHADOW.= PROSE. =A LAD'S LOVE.= A Story. =PRINCE VANCE.= A Story of a Prince with a Court in his Box. By ELEANOR PUTNAM and ARLO BATES. Illustrated by Frank Myrick. ROBERTS BROTHERS, Publishers. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Albrecht, by Arlo Bates