And the Emperor Charles was of the same opinion.

Besides, her lively prank transported him back to his own youth, when
he himself had glided more than once in page's attire to some beautiful
young lady of the court, and gaily as in better days, tenderly as an
ardent youth, he thanked her for her charming enterprise.

After a few blissful hours, which crowded all that she had lately
suffered into oblivion, she left him.

When she again entered the little Prebrunn castle she would gladly have
embraced the whole world.

From the litter she had noticed a light in the windows of the marquise's
sitting-room, but she could now look the poor old noblewoman freely in
the face, for this time, sure of experiencing no sharp rebuff, she had
found courage to speak of the son to her royal lover.

True, as soon as Charles heard what she desired, he kindly requested her
not to sully her beautiful lips with the name of a scoundrel who had long
since forfeited every claim to his favour, and her mission was thereby
frustrated; but she had now kept her promise.

With the entreaty to spare him in future the pain of refusing any wish of
the woman he loved, the disagreeable affair had been dismissed.

When Barbara took the lute, he had begged the fairest of all troubadours
to sing once more, before any other song, his beloved "Quia amore
langueo," and the most vigorous applause was bestowed on every one which
she afterward executed.