The prior turned his gaze so earnestly on the young man’s face that Gerbert dropped his eyes in confusion. A moment later the prior broke the seal and hastily scanned the letter.
“Who mayest thou be, youth?” he asked abruptly.
“Gerbert von Isenburg, sir.”
“And thy mother?”
“Guba von Isenburg,” was the astonished Gerbert’s reply.
The prior seemed to be struggling with deep emotion.
“Knowest thou the purport of this missive?” he said at last.
“It concerns me not,” answered Gerbert simply.
“Nay, my son,” said the prior, “it doth concern thee, and deeply, too. Know that it is thy death-warrant, boy! The Freiherr has requested me to send thee to the wars in Palestine, and so to place thee that death will be a certainty. This he asks in the name of our ancient friendship and for the sake of our order, to which he has ever shown himself well disposed.”
Seeing the dismay and incredulity which were depicted in his listener’s face, the prior hastened to read aloud a passage describing von Metternich’s discovery of his daughter’s love for the humble squire, and Gerbert could no longer doubt that his fate was sealed.