sician with complete firmness, "which
must not alarm your Majesty, but render you happy. This new branch of
the illustrious trunk of your royal race I, who am only 30 a plain man,
hail with proud joy, and half the world, I know, will do so with me."

Charles, with brows contracted in a gloomy frown, gazed for a long time
into vacancy.

The leech perceived how mighty a conflict between contradictory emotions
would be waged in his breast, and silently gave him time to collect his
thoughts.

At last, rising from his arm-chair, the Emperor struck the table with
his open hand, and said: "Whether the Lord our God awoke this new life
for our punishment or our pleasure the future will teach. What more must
be done in this matter? You know my custom in regard to such important
affairs. They are slept upon and maturely considered. Only there is one
point," and as he uttered the words his voice assumed an imperious tone,
"which is already irrevocably decided. The world must not suspect what
hope offers itself to me and another. Tell her, Mathys, we wish her
happiness; but if her maternal heart expects that I will do her child
the honour of calling it mine, I must require her to keep silence, and
intrust the newborn infant's destiny, from the first hour of its birth,
to my charge."

Here he hesitated, and, after looking the physician in the face,
went on: "You again think that harsh, Mathys--I see it in your
expression--but, as my friend, you yourself can scarcely desire the
world to see the Emperor Charles performing the same task with a Barbara
Blomberg. She is free to choose. Either I will rear the child, whether
it is a boy or a girl, as my own, as I did my daughter, Duchess Margaret
of Parma, or she will refuse to give me the child from its birth and I
must deny it recognition. I have already shared far too much with
that tempting creature; I can not permit even this new dispensation to
restore my severed relationship with the singer. If Barbara's maternal
love is unselfish, the choice can not be difficult for her. That the
charge of providing for this new life will fall upon me is a matter of
course. Tell her this, Mathys, and if in future--But no. We will confide
this matter to Quijada."

As the door closed behind the physician, Charles stood motionless. Deep
earnestness furrowed his brow, but suddenly an expression of triumphant
joy flashed over his face, and then yielded to a look of grateful
satisfaction. Soon, howe