Then, as the real facts dawned upon him, he knelt at
the feet of the young queen and presented his dispatches.
"Withdraw, sir!" said Christina, taking the papers from his hand
with but the scant courtesy of a nod; "we will read these and
return a suitable answer to your master."
The courier withdrew, still dazed at this strange turn of
affairs; and Christina, leaning carelessly against the
council-table, opened the dispatches.
Suddenly she burst into a merry but scarcely lady-like laugh.
"Ha, ha, ha! this is too rare a joke, Karl," she cried. "Lord
Chancellor, Mathias, Torstenson!" she exclaimed, as these members
of her council entered the apartment, "what think you? Here come
dispatches from the Emperor of Germany begging that you, my
council, shall consider the wisdom of wedding me to his son and
thereby closing the war! His son, indeed! Ferdinand the Craven!"
"And yet, Madam," suggested the wise Oxenstiern, "it is a matter
that should not lightly be cast aside. In time you must needs be
married. The constitution of the kingdom doth oblige you to."
"Oblige!" and the young girl turned upon the gray-headed
chancellor almost savagely.
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197