The trial was at hand. All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were
assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace. No space was left unoccupied
where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit. Conrad, clad in purple and
ermine, sat in the Premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the
realm. The old Duke had sternly commanded that the trial of his daughter should
proceed without favor, and then had taken to his bed broken-hearted. His days

[figure description] Page 177.[end figure description]

were numbered. Poor Conrad had begged, as for his very life, that he might be
spared the misery of sitting in judgment upon his cousin's crime, but it did not
avail.

The saddest heart in all that great assemblage was in Conrad's breast.

The gladdest was in his father's, for, unknown to his daughter “Conrad,” the old
Baron Klugenstein was come, and was among the crowd of nobles triumphant in
the swelling fortunes of his house.

After the heralds had made due proclamation and the other preliminaries had
followed, the venerable Lord Chief-Justice said—“Prisoner, stand forth!”

The unhappy princess rose, and stood unveiled before the vast multitude. The
Lord Chief-Justice continued—

“Most noble lady, before the great judges of this realm it hath been charged
and proven that out of holy wedlock your Grace hath given birth unto a child, and
by our ancient law the penalty is death excepting in one sole contingency, whereof
his Grace the acting Duke, our good Lord Conrad, will advertise you in his solemn
sentence now; wherefore give heed.”

Conrad stretched forth his reluctant sceptre, and in the self-same moment the
womanly heart beneath his robe yearned pityingly toward the doomed prisoner,
and the tears came into his eyes. He opened his lips to speak, but the Lord Chief-Justice
said quickly—

“Not there, your Grace, not there! It is not lawful to pronounce judgment upon
any of the ducal line SAVE FROM THE DUCAL THRONE!”

A shudder went to the heart of poor Conrad, and a tremor shook the iron frame
of his old father likewise. Conrad had not been crowned—dared he profane
the throne? He hesitated and turned pale with fear. But it must be done.
Wondering eyes were already upon him. They would be suspicious eyes if he
hesitated longer. He ascended the throne. Presently he stretched forth the
sceptre again, and said—

“Prisoner, in the name of our sovereign Lord Ulrich, Duke of Brandenburgh, I
proceed to the solemn duty that hath devolved upon me. Give heed to my words.
By the ancient law of the land, except you produce the partner of your guilt and
deliver him up to the executioner you must surely die. Embrace this opportunity—
save yourself while yet you may. Name the father of your child!”

[figure description] 503EAF. Page 178. Image of the female knight being accused by a lady of the court. In the background are other knights watching the event with shock and disbelief. The knight is standing on a dais, with her hand pressed on her forehead about to pass out. In the foreground of the picture, the knight's father has collapsed onto the floor and is being supported by one of the knights.[end figure description]

A solemn hush fell upon the great court—a silence so profound that men could
hear their own hearts beat. Then the princess slowly turned, with eyes gleaming
with hate, and pointing her finger straight at Conrad, said—

“Thou art the man!”

An appalling conviction of his helpless, hopeless peril struck a chill to Conrad's
heart like the chill of death itself. What power on earth could save him! To
disprove the charge he must reveal that he was a woman, and for an uncrowned
woman to sit in the ducal chair was death! At one and the same moment he and
his grim old father swooned and fell to the ground.

p503-178

[figure description] Page 179.[end figure description]

The remainder of this thrilling and eventful story will NOT be found in this or
any other publication, either now or at any future time.

The truth is, I have got my hero (or heroine) into such a particularly close place
that I do not see how I am ever going to get him (or her) out of it again, and
therefore I will wash my hands of the whole business, and leave that person to get
out the best way that offers—or else stay there. I thought it was going to be easy
enough to straighten out that little difficulty, but it looks different now.