he seed which here in the North, in carefully prepared soil and under
the fostering care of men only too skilful and ready for conflict, took
deep root in the domain of religion, which we were obliged to tolerate
because it grew too rapidly and strongly for us to extirpate or crush
it without depopulating a great empire and jeopardizing other very
important matters, would mean ruin to our Spain. Whoever dared to
transplant the heresy to her soil would be the most infamous of the
corrupters of a nation, for the holy Church and the kingdom of Spain
are one. The mere thought of a Juan Diaz, who had absorbed the heretical
Lutheran doctrine here, returning home to infect the hearts of the
Castilians with its venom, makes my blood boil also. Therefore, for the
sake of Spain, a higher justice compels me to offend the secular one.
The people beyond the Pyrenees shall learn that, even for the brother,
it is no sin, but a duty, to shorten the life of the brother who
abandoned the holy Church. Let Alfonso Diaz strive to obtain absolution.
It will not be difficult. He can sleep calmly, so far as the judges are
concerned who dispense justice in the name of Charles V."

As he spoke he waved his hand to repel the hound which, when he raised
his voice, had pressed closer to him, and glanced at the artistically
wrought Nuremberg clocks on the writing table, two of which struck the
hour at the same time. Then he himself seized the little bell, rang it,
and permitted the valet Adrian to brush his hair and make the necessary
changes in his dress.

Then he invited his sister to accompany him to the table.

Walking without a shoe was difficult, and, when he saw the Queen look
down sorrowfully at the cloths which swathed the foot, he said while
toiling on:

"Imagine that we have been hunting and the boot remained stuck in the
mud. I am sure of indulgence from you. As to the others, even with only
one shoe I am still the Emperor."

He opened the door as he spoke, and, while the valet held the hound
back, the Emperor, with chivalrous courtesy, insisted that his sister
should precede him, though she resisted until Baron Malfalconnet, with a
low bow to the royal dame, said:

"The meal is served, your Majesty, and if you lead the way you will
protect our Emperor and sovereign lord from the unworthy suspicion of
wishing to be first at the trencher."

He motioned toward the threshold as he uttered the words, but Charles,
who often had a read