CHAPTER XIV
A STRONG MEASURE
DUKE THEODOR wore a troubled face next morning, and its cause stood before him, insistent, uncompromising, in the person of his terrible Chancellor. The pains which his Highness was at to remain wrapped in the cloak of his pompous dignity, in spite of the determined wind of a strong will which kept now fluttering the thin material, now blowing it aside and, occasionally, with a fierce gust threatening to tear it into ribbons, were quite as pitiable as amusing. The measure which Rollmar was, with his usual dogged persistence, forcing upon his sovereign was more than strong. It was startling, and indeed, from the Duke’s point of view, heroic. For it amounted, put plainly—and, after but little courtly preamble, the stern old minister so put it—to the imprisonment of his daughter, with a view to keeping her safe till Prince Ludwig should think proper to come and claim her.
“It is preposterous,” exclaimed the Duke. “I cannot do it.”
“It is essential,” retorted Rollmar. “Your Highness must do it.”
“The girl will come to her senses without that,” said his highness.
“I doubt whether she will come to her senses with it,” returned the Chancellor. “Only, once under lock and key, her state of mind will not so much matter.”
“I could not consent to such a severe measure,” the Duke maintained weakly, “except under the stress of absolute necessity.”
“Which necessity has arisen,” Rollmar insisted calmly.
“You will convince me of that, Excellency.”
“Readily, your Highness. If the facts of these clandestine meetings with this young officer are not sufficient proof of the necessity.”