Chapter I: Front Matter

+-------------------------------------------------+ |Transcriber's note: | | | |Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | | | +-------------------------------------------------+

TEKLA

A ROMANCE OF LOVE AND WAR

BY

ROBERT BARR

Author of "A CHICAGO PRINCESS," "THE MUTABLE MANY," Etc.

GROSSET & DUNLAP

PUBLISHERS :: :: NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1898 BY ROBERT BARR

TO THE COUNTESS LAURA

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE EMPEROR ENTERS TREVES 1

II. THE ARCHER INTRODUCES HIMSELF 13

III. LISTENERS HEAR LITTLE GOOD OF THEMSELVES 28

IV. THE EMPEROR DISAPPEARS 42

V. LOVE LEADS THE WAY 55

VI. AN UNWISHED-FOR MARRIAGE DAY 62

VII. THE FLIGHT OF THE COUNTESS 69

VIII. THE RAPIER AND THE BROADSWORD 80

IX. A PALATIAL PRISON 92

X. THE INTERCEPTED FUGITIVES 99

XI. IN QUEST OF A WIFE WITH A TROOP OF HORSE 112

XII. CUPID'S BOW GIVES PLACE TO THE ARCHER'S 123

XIII. THE BLACK COUNT IS PERSUADED NOT TO HANG HIS EMPEROR 134

XIV. A RELUCTANT WELCOME 148

XV. CASTLE THURON MAKES A FULL MEAL 158

XVI. THE COUNTESS TRIES TO TAME THE BEAR 174

XVII. THE ENVOY'S DISASTROUS RETURN 184

XVIII. A TWO-HANDED SWORD TEACHES DEPORTMENT 198

XIX. A MAN AND A WOMAN MEET BY TORCHLIGHT 209

XX. A BREAKFAST ON THE TOP OF THE SOUTH TOWER 217

XXI. AN EXPERIMENT IN DIPLOMACY 228

XXII. THE FIRST ATTACK ON CASTLE THURON 234

XXIII. THE TWO ARCHBISHOPS FALL OUT 245

XXIV. COUNT BERTRICH EXPLAINS HIS FAILURE 256

XXV. THE SECOND ASSAULT ON THE CASTLE 260

XXVI. AN ILLUMINATED NIGHT ATTACK ON THURON 269

XXVII. THE TWO YEARS' SIEGE BEGINS 277

XXVIII. THE SECOND ARCHER ANNOUNCES HIMSELF 284

XXIX. CONRAD VENTURES HIS LIFE FOR HIS LOVE 294

XXX. THE STRUGGLE IN THE DARK 304

XXXI. BRAVE NEWS OF THE EMPEROR 313

XXXII. "FOR YOUR LOVE I WOULD DEFY FATE." 327

XXXIII. A GRIM INTERRUPTION TO A LOVERS' MEETING 336

XXXIV. THE BLACK COUNT'S DEFIANCE 351

XXXV. THE NIGHT ESCAPE OF THE EMPEROR 363

XXXVI. THE FIVE BILLETLESS ARROWS 371

XXXVII. THE TRAITOR AND HIS PRICE 378

XXXVIII. THE INCOGNITO FALLS 385

XXXIX. THE EMPEROR AT THE HEAD OF HIS ARMY 396

XL. THE ARCHBISHOPS ENVIRONED WITH A RING OF IRON 403

XLI. "WHY HAVE YOU DARED TO LEVY WAR?" 413

XLII. TEKLA REPLENISHES HER WARDROBE 423

XLIII. THE COUNTESS AND THE EMPEROR 429

TEKLA.