The hand of the
Princess Helen was solemnly offered to him in these advertisements,
with the reversion of the Prince of Cleves's splendid though somewhat
dilapidated property.
"But we don't know him, my dear papa," faintly ejaculated that young
lady. "Some impostor may come in a suit of plain armor, and pretend that
he was the champion who overcame the Rowski (a prince who had his faults
certainly, but whose attachment for me I can never forget); and how
are you to say whether he is the real knight or not? There are so many
deceivers in this world," added the Princess, in tears, "that one
can't be too cautious now." The fact is, that she was thinking of the
desertion of Otto in the morning; by which instance of faithlessness her
heart was wellnigh broken.
As for that youth and his comrade Wolfgang, to the astonishment of
everybody at their impudence, they came to the archers' mess that night,
as if nothing had happened; got their supper, partaking both of meat
and drink most plentifully; fell asleep when their comrades began to
describe the events of the day, and the admirable achievements of the
unknown warrior; and turning into their hammocks, did not appear on
parade in the morning until twenty minutes after the names were called.
When the Prince of Cleves heard of the return of these deserters he was
in a towering passion.
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