less thee! bless thee!" exclaimed Calderon. "Bless thee in thy sweet
mother's name!"

While he spoke, the eyes of Beatriz caught the form of Philip, who stood
by, leaning on his sword; his face working with various passions, and
his lip curling with stern and intense disdain. Accustomed to know human
life but in its worst shapes, and Calderon only by his vices and his
arts, the voice of nature uttered no language intelligible to the
prince. He regarded the whole as some well got-up device--some trick of
the stage; and waited, with impatience and scorn, the denouement of the
imposture.

At the sight of that mocking face, Beatriz shuddered, and fell back; but
her very alarm revived her, and, starting to her feet, she exclaimed,
"Save me from that bad man--save me! My father, I am safe with thee!"

"Safe!" echoed Calderon;--"ay, safe against the world. But not," he
added, looking round, and in a low and muttered tone, "not in this
foul abode; its very air pollutes thee. Let us hence: come--come--my
daughter!" and winding his arm round her waist, he hurried her towards
the door.

"Back, traitor!" cried Philip, placing himself full in the path of the
distracted and half delirious father, "Back! thinkest thou that I, thy
master and thy prince, am to be thus duped and thus insulted? Not for
thine own pleasures hast thou snatched her whom I have honoured with
my love from the sanctuary of the Church. Go, if thou wilt; but Beatriz
remains. This roof is sacred to my will. Back! or thy next step is on
the point of my sword."

"Menace not, speak not, Philip--I am desperate. I am beside myself--I
cannot parley with thee. Away! by thy hopes of Heaven away! I am no
longer thy minion--thy tool. I am a father, and the protector of my
child."

"Brave device--notable tale!" cried Philip, scornfully, and placing his
back against the door. "The little actress plays her part well, it must
be owned,--it is her trade; but thou art a bungler, my gentle Calderon."

For a moment the courtier stood, not irresolute, but overcome with
the passions that shook to their centre a nature, the stormy and stern
elements of which the habit of years had rather mastered than quelled.
At last, with a fierce cry, he suddenly grasped the prince by the collar
of his vest; and, ere Philip could avail himself of his weapon, swung
him aside with such violence that he lost his balance and (his foot
slipping on the polished floor) fell to the ground. Calderon