sovereigns; and what was this Ratisbon girl whom he honoured
with his affection?

And yet!

While her lips were still glowing from his kisses, she had carried on
a reckless game with another, and was now robbing him of the repose of
mind which he so urgently, needed.

And the mother of the woman whose birthday had just passed, the proud
Queen Isabella, the conqueror of the Moors--what would she have said had
she been condemned to see her grandson, the heir of so great an empire,
ensnared by such bonds?

He had proved, since he wielded the sceptre, that he did not lack
strength of will, and he must show it again.

He reminded himself indignantly that he was not only the ruler of many
nations, but the head of perhaps the most illustrious family on earth.

He thought of his royal brothers and sisters, his haughty son Philip,
his daughters, nephews, and nieces; and while pouring forth his soul
in fervent prayer for his unfortunate mother, with her disordered
intellect, he also besought the Redeemer to free him from the evil of
this love. Three words from his lips would have sufficed to rid him of
Barbara forever, but--he felt it--that would not end the matter. He must
also learn to forget her, and for that he needed the aid of the higher
powers. He had once more yielded to worldly pleasure. The kiss of her
beautiful soft lips had been sweet, the melody of her voice still more
blissful. It had given him hours of rapture; but were these joys
worth the long repentance which was already beginning? It was wise to
sacrifice the transitory pleasures of earth to loftier purposes. One
thing alone promised permanent duration even here--what he was achieving
for the future greatness of his own name and that of his race. For them
he was now going to war, and, by fighting against the heretics, the foes
of God, he entered the strife, in a sense, as the instrument of Heaven.
Thus, not only his duty as a sovereign, but care for his eternal
salvation, compelled him to cast aside everything which might jeopardize
the triumph of his good, nay, sacred cause; and what could imperil it
more seriously than this late passion, which to-day had rendered it
impossible to do his duty?

Firmly resolved to resign Barbara before his brother Ferdinand reached
Ratisbon with his family, he rose from the priedieu and sought his
couch. But sleep fled from the anxious ruler; besides, the pain of the
gout became more severe.

After rising early, he w