“But stay,” said Rudolf; “haply he has grown too feeble for bearing arms?”
Wulf flushed with indignation for stalwart Karl.
“Nay,” he said stoutly; “he will carry what weapon thou wilt, and enter the castle close behind thee.”
“Sh!” cried Mother Ursula, shocked at the boy’s speech. “Thou’rt speaking to the emperor, lad!”
Rudolf laughed. “Let the boy alone,” he said. “One may speak freely to whom he will of a man like Karl.” Whereupon Mother Ursula hurried to cross herself piously.
“Now hasten,” the emperor said kindly, “and God be with thee!” And Wulf went forth.
As he passed through the refectory the porter handed him some food, which he put into his wallet, and filling his leathern water-bottle at the fountain in the convent yard, he fastened it to his belt, and swung out on his journey.
By now had come dawn, and the birds were beginning their earliest twitter among the trees. Later, squirrels and other small deer began to move about, and to chatter among the boughs and in the fallen leaves. The forest was full of pleasant sights and sounds, and the early morning breeze brought sweet, woodsy smells to his eager nostrils.
By and by a red fox stole across an open with a plump hare flung back over his shoulder, and Wulf gave challenge for sheer joy of life and of the morning. Reynard paused long enough to give him a slant glance out of one wise eye, then trotted on. Long pencils of early sunlight began to write cheery greetings on the mossy earth and on the tree-trunks. The witchery of the hour was upon everything, and Wulf felt boundlessly happy as he stepped along. All his thoughts were vague and sweet—of Elise safe at the convent, doubtless still sleeping; of the emperor’s gracious kindness; of Karl’s joy at the message he was bringing. Even the sorry medley of half-knowledge about his own name and state had no power to make him unhappy this morning.
Not but that he longed to know the truth. He had never been ashamed to think of himself as Karl’s grandson; but the bare idea of something other than that set his blood tingling, and caused such wild hopes to leap within him that, but for the need to walk warily on this errand so fraught with danger, he could have shouted and sung for joy.