the populace of Klosterheim, this
feature of his character, confronted with the daily proofs of his entire
vassalage to the Swedish interest, passed for the purest hypocrisy; and he had
credit for no religion at all with the world at large. But the fact was
otherwise. Conscious from the first that he held even the Landgraviate by a
slender title (for he was no more than cousin once removed to his immediate
predecessor), and that his pretensions upon Klosterheim had separate and
peculiar defects, sinking of course with the failure of his claim as Landgrave,
but not therefore prospering with its success, - he was aware that none but the
most powerful arm could keep his princely cap upon his head. The competitors for
any part of his possessions, one and all, had thrown themselves upon the
Emperor's protection. This, if no other reason, would have thrown him into the
arms of Gustavus Adolphus; and with this, as it happened, other reasons of local
importance had then and since co-operated. Time, as it advanced, brought
increase of weight to all these motives. Rumours of a dark and ominous tendency,
arising no one knew whence, nor by whom encouraged, pointed injuriously to the
past history of the Landgrave, and to some dreadful exposures which were hanging
over his head. A lady, at present in obscurity, was alluded to as the agent of
redress to others, through her own heavy wrongs; and these rumours were the more
acceptable to the people of Klosterheim because they connected the impending
punishment of the hated Landgrave with the restoration of the Imperial
connexion; for it was still insinuated, under every version of these mysterious
reports, that the Emperor was the ultimate supporter, in the last resort, of the
lurking claims now on the point of coming forward to challenge public attention.
Under these alarming notices, and fully aware that sooner or later he must be
thrown into collision with the Imperial court, the Landgrave had now for some
time made up his mind to found a merit with the Swedish chancellor and general
officers, by precipitating an uncompromising rupture with his Catholic enemies,
and thus to extract the grace of a voluntary act from what, in fact, he knew to
be sooner or later inevitable.
    Such was the positive and relative aspect of the several interests which
were now struggling in Klosterheim. Desperate measures were contemplated by both
parties; and, as opportunities should arise, and proper means should develop
themselves, more than one party might be said to stand on the brink of great
explosions. Conspiracies were moving in darkness, both in the council of the
burghers