in Germany
will accompany her."

"Who will it be?"

"Erwin of Rechberg."

"Very good; he will then leave the castle. But are you sure of him?"

"Perfectly. Rechberg is a valiant knight: if it be necessary, I will
tell him her name, and that will be sufficient for him to consider it a
duty not to leave her until she is at her journey's end."

"Antonio, be active, faithful, and discreet, and you will lose nothing.
Now go; invent some pretext to hasten your departure."

Antonio found the Duchess ready, but Erwin was not to be found; he had
gone, early in the morning, to the Imperial camp, and thither the spy
went to look for him.

_CHAPTER XXXVIII_.

_THE QUEEN OF FRANCE_.

The Count of Champagne had secured the cooperation of a more powerful
ally than the Bishop of Orleans. His sister Adele, as we have already
stated, was Queen of France. The indecent haste with which this
marriage had been consummated--within a fortnight after the death of
Queen Constance--joined to the general absence of affection that he had
shown for his deceased wife, had excited the indignation of the people
against the King, while the new alliance had created for him many new
enemies, not the least formidable of whom was the King of England.

Adele exercised an immense influence over her husband. She was a
relative of the Antipope Victor, whose cause she warmly espoused, and,
consequently, did all in her power to further an alliance between Louis
and Barbarossa. Pope Alexander, on the contrary, was odious to her, on
account of his opposition to her marriage, and his threats of
excommunication. After a long interview with her brother, she repaired
to the King's apartments. Louis was seated in a high-backed chair, his
head resting upon his hands, his eyes cast down, and his whole face
bearing an expression of anger and uneasiness.

"Adele," said the monarch, perceiving his young wife, "since Alexander
is in France, I have not had an hour of repose."

This remark (a propos to the very subject which interested the Queen
most) gave Adele the opportunity of exerting her influence for her
relatives, and to gratify her revenge towards Alexander; and she
said,--

"You have the power, Sire, to send the cause of your uneasiness out of
France."

"The wish certainly, but not the power."

"Are you then no longer master in your own kingdom?"

"Circumstances are stronger than my will