Page:Zawis and Kunigunde (1895).djvu/128

 At the close of the service a timid figure was seen to approach to a respectful distance, and unwrapping a bunch of flowers from the grass carefully folded round the stems so that the fingers could not touch, to deposit them on a small knoll. “Oh! Ulda! Poor Ulda!” exclaimed Eudocia in astonishment. “How came you here? How did you know?” “Ah! dear soul,” replied Ulda, the poor leper woman, retiring farther and holding her hand before her lips, “dear soul, Ulda’s eyes cease not to watch, nor her ears to listen. Teresa, the black strangers’ friend knows not always what I hear.” With these admonitory words Ulda retired from view; and Eudocia confidently took the flowers, though observing the still further caution of dipping and moving them in the stream.

During the evening Rudolph and Albert exhibited decided bad humor. “Take him,” said the emperor to Otto the Tall of Brandenburg, “take him at once. I will not interfere in regard to this boy. Bohemia creates more distraction than all the rest of the empire.” “True, your majesty,” rejoined Otto, “but we must remember that Bohemia is really an adjunct of the empire, and not an integral part. Bohemia is a Kingdom in her own right, the king rules by law. The constitution of Bohemia is the only formal government in Europe independent of the autocracy of a king. Otakar advanced his dominions under direct imperial sanction.”

“Otakar was a tyrant and a usurper!” exclaimed Albert. “Sixteen years ago,” rejoined Otto, “the