or with His Majesty, to whom he wishes
to offer this mark of his confidence. He thinks that it would be well
for the ceremony to take place next week, in the Cathedral of Pavia.
One of the candidates is the young Count Biandrate, whose nomination to
the Archbishopric of Ravenna was delayed, owing to some objections on
the part of your predecessor, Pope Adrian."

"I must confirm His Majesty's choice, and will be at Pavia on the day
mentioned."

The Chancellor bowed and withdrew. Ashamed and cast down, the Pope
stood motionless, gazing at the door through which Dassel had
disappeared. He seemed scarcely to credit his humiliation, as he
murmured,--

"Aye, I am the Emperor's slave, naught but his miserable, degraded
slave!"

_CHAPTER XVII_.

_AN EVIL SPIRIT_.

After communicating to Barbarossa, Victor's promise of obedience,
Dassel took his way towards the tent of Henry the Lion, to announce to
the prince the speedy dissolution of his marriage. The Saxon Duke
lodged in the Augustinian convent in front of the city. In spite of the
decisions of the council of war, this cloister had been neither
pillaged nor burned, for it stood in the midst of his camp, and served
as his headquarters; and the demand for its destruction, urged by some
of the Italians, had met with a stern refusal.

"In the North," he said, "I spare neither time nor money in building
churches and monasteries. Why should I consent to destroy them in the
South? You must understand, once for all, that I will not do violence
to my principles, in order to gratify your hatred for the Milanese."

These words put an end to the discussion; the beautiful church was
spared, but the anxious monks were driven to take shelter within the
city. Ever since Henry had begun to entertain seriously the idea of a
divorce, he had lost the air of frankness and good-nature which had
formerly characterized him. He walked with downcast eyes, his brows
were knit, his head stooped, and a heavy burden seemed to oppress his
intellect. While Rinaldo urged the divorce, the Duke remained
irresolute; his pride prompted him to the step, but his heart opposed
it. A union of fifteen years had proved the sincere affection and
unalterable fidelity of his wife, who lived only in her husband's love.
He could not call to mind a single unkind word; Clemence, on the
contrary, had always striven to make her husband forget his cares an