to make my child what I please. Let him grow up as Heaven wills, and if
he perishes in want and shame, if he is put in the pillory or dies on
the scaffold, one mission at least will be left for me. I will shriek
out to the world how the royal betrayer provided for the welfare of his
own blood!"

"Enough!" interrupted Don Luis in mingled wrath and horror. "I will
not and can not listen longer while gall and venom are poured upon the
sacred head of the greatest of men."

"Then leave me!" cried Barbara, scarcely able to use her voice. "This
room, at least, will be mine until I can no longer accept even shelter
from the traitor who--you used the words yourself--instilled venom and
bitter gall into my soul."

Quijada, with a slight bend of the head, turned and left the room.

When the door closed behind him, Barbara, with panting breath and
flashing eyes, threw herself into an arm-chair, content as if she had
been relieved of a heavy burden, but the Emperor's envoy mounted the
horse on which he had come, and rode away.

He fared as the leech had done the day before. Barbara's infamous abuse
still fired his blood, but he could not conceal from himself that this
unfortunate woman had been wronged by his beloved and honoured master.
In truth, he had more than once heard the ardent professions of love
with which Charles had greeted and dismissed her, and his chivalrous
nature rebelled against the severity with which he made her suffer for
the cruelty of Fate that had prematurely robbed her of what had been to
him her dearest charm.

Before he went to Prebrunn, Dr. Mathys had counselled him not to forget
during the disagreeable reception awaiting him that he was dealing with
an irritable invalid, and the thoroughly noble man resolved to remember
it as an excuse. The Emperor Charles should learn only that Barbara
refused to submit to his arrangements, that his harshness deeply wounded
her and excited her quick temper. He was unwilling to expose himself
again to an outburst of her rage, and he would therefore intrust to
another the task of rendering her more docile, and this other was Wolf
Hartschwert.

A few days before he had visited the recovering knight, and obtained
from him a decision whose favourable nature filled him with secret joy
whenever he thought of it.

Wolf had already learned from the valet Adrian the identity of the
person to whom he had been obliged to yield precedence in Barbara's
heart, and how genero