“That is true,” declared the valet, “and your lordship has surely hit the right clew.  For”—­he glanced cautiously around him and lowered his voice—­“whenever I put on my master’s armour I always feel how he is trembling—­yes, trembling, your lordship.  His face is livid, and the drops of perspiration on his brow are not due solely to the heat.”

“And then,” cried Quijada, his black eyes sparkling with a fiery light—­“then in his agitation he scarcely knows what he is doing as I hold the stirrup for him.  But when, once in his saddle, his divine companion descends to him, he dashes upon the foe like a whirlwind and, wherever he strikes, how the chips fly!  The strongest succumb to his blows.  ‘Victory! victory!’ men shout exultingly wherever he goes.  Even in the last accursed Algerian defeat his helper was at his side; for, Adrian”—­here he, too, lowered his voice—­“without him and his wonderful power every living soul of us, down to the last boat and camp follower, would have been destroyed.”

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     Catholic, but his stomach desired to be Protestant (Erasmus)

BARBARA BLOMBERG

By Georg Ebers

Volume 6.

CHAPTER XXV.

After this conversation the two men who, in different positions, stood nearest to the Emperor Charles, placed no obstacle in Barbara’s way.

The third—­the Bishop of Arras—­also showed a friendly spirit toward the Emperor’s love affair.  True, he had not been taken into his confidence, but he rarely failed to be present when Barbara sang with the boy choir, or alone, in the Golden Cross, before the monarch or distinguished guests.

Charles summoned her there almost daily, and always at different hours.

This was done to strengthen the courtiers and the citizens of Ratisbon in the belief that Barbara owed his favour solely to her singing.

Granvelle, who appreciated and was interested in music as well as in painting and sculpture, found real pleasure in listening to Barbara, yet while doing so he did not forget that she might be of service to him.  If she only remained on good terms with him she would, he was sure of that, whether willing or not, be used as his tool.

Spite of his nine-and-twenty years, he forbade himself to cherish any other wishes, because he would have regarded it treachery to the royal master whom he served with faithful devotion.  But, as he accepted great gifts without ever allowing himself to be tempted to treason or forgetfulness of duty, so he did not reject little tokens of friendliness from Barbara, and of these she showed no lack.  The young Bishop of Arras was also an extremely fine-looking man, whose clever brain and bright, penetrating glance harmonized with his great intellect and his position.  Wolf had already told her how much the monarch regarded the opinion of this counsellor.