fore　the　queen。　　For　a　long　time　past　the　young　lady…in…waiting　had　perceived　that　Robert　of　Cabane　had；　through　his　own　fault；　lost　the　love　of　Joan；for　his　tyranny　had　indeed　become　more　unendurable　to　her　than　her　husband's。
  Dona　Cancha　had　been　quick　enough　to　perceive　that　the　eyes　of　her　young　mistress　were　wont　to　rest　with　a　kind　of　melancholy　gentleness　on　Bertrand；　a　young　man　of　handsome　appearance　but　with　a　sad　and　dreamy　expression；　so　when　she　made　up　her　mind　to　speak　in　his　interests；　she　was　persuaded　that　the　queen　already　loved　him。　Still；　a　bright　colour　overspread　Joan's　face；　and　her　anger　would　have　fallen　on　both　culprits　alike；　when　in　the　next　room　a　sound　of　steps　was　heard；　and　the　voice　of　the　grand　seneschal's　widow　in　conversation　with　her　son　fell　on　the　ears　of　the　three　young　people　like　a　clap　of　thunder。　　Dona　Cancha；　pale　as　death；　stood　trembling；　Bertrand　felt　that　he　was　lostall　the　more　because　his　presence　compromised　the　queen；　Joan　only；　with　that　wonderful　presence　of　mind　she　was　destined　to　preserve　in　the　most　difficult　crises　of　her　future　life；　thrust　the　young　man　against　the　carved　back　of　her　bed；　and　concealed　him　completely　beneath　the　ample　curtain：　she　then　signed　to　Cancha　to　go　forward　and　meet　the　governess　and　her　son。
  But　before　we　conduct　into　the　queen's　room　these　two　persons；　whom　our　readers　may　remember　in　Joan's　train　about　the　bed　of　King　Robert；　we　must　relate　the　circumstances　which　had　caused　the　family　of　the　Catanese　to　rise　with　incredible　rapidity　from　the　lowest　class　of　the　people　to　the　highest　rank　at　court。　　When　Dona　Violante　of　Aragon；　first　wife　of　Robert　of　Anjou；　became　the　mother　of　Charles；　who　was　later　on　the　Duke　of　Calabria；　a　nurse　was　sought　for　the　infant　among　the　most　handsome　women　of　the　people。　　After　inspecting　many　women　of　equal　merit　as　regards　beauty；　youth；　and；　health；　the　princess's　choice　lighted　on　Philippa；　a　young　Catanese。　woman；　the　wife　of　a　fisherman　of　Trapani；　and　by　condition　a　laundress。　　This　young　woman；　as　she　washed　her　linen　on　the　bank　of　a　stream；　had　dreamed　strange　dreams：　she　had　fancied　herself　summoned　to　court；　wedded　to　a　great　personage；　and　receiving　the　honours　of　a　great　lady。　　Thus　when　she　was　called　to　Castel　Nuovo　her　joy　was　great；　for　she　felt　that　her　dreams　now　began　to　be　realised。　Philippa　was　installed　at　the　court；　and　a　few　months　after　she　began　to　nurse　the　child　the　fisherman　was　dead　and　she　was　a　widow。　　Meanwhile　Raymond　of　Cabane；　the　major…domo　of　King　Charles　II's　house；　had　bought　a　negro　from　some　corsairs；　and　having　had　him　baptized　by　his　own　name；　had　given　him　his　liberty；　afterwards　observing　that　he　was　able　and　intelligent；　he　had　appointed　him　head　cook　in　the　king's　kitchen；　and　then　he　had　gone　away　to　the　war。　During　the　absence　of　his　patron　the　negro　managed　his　own　affairs　at　the　court　so　cleverly；　that　in　a　short　time　he　was　able　to　buy　land；　houses；　farms；　silver　plate；　and　horses；　and　could　vie　in　riches　with　the　best　in　the　kingdom；　and　as　he　constantly　won　higher　favour　in　the　royal　family；　he　passed　on　from　the　kitchen　to　the　wardrobe。　　The　Catanese　had　also　deserved　very　well　of　her　employers；　and　as　a　reward　for　the　care　she　had　bestowed　on　the　child；　the　princess　married　her　to　the　negro；　and　he；　as　a　wedding　gift；　was　granted　the　title　of　knight。
  》From　this　day　forward；　Raymond　of　Cabane　and　Philippa　the　laundress　rose　in　the　world　so　rapidly　that　they　had　no　equal　in　influence　at　court。　　After　the　death　of　Dona　Violante；　the　Catanese　became　the　intimate　friend　of　Dona　Sandra；　Robert's　second　wife；　whom　we　introduced　to　our　readers　at　the　beginning　of　this　narrative。　Charles；　her　foster　son；　loved　her　as　a　mother；　and　she　was　the　confidante　of　his　two　wives　in　turn；　especially　of　the　second　wife；　Marie　of　Valois。　　And　as　the　quondam　laundress　had　in　the　end　learned　all　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　court；　she　was　chosen　at　the　birth　of　Joan　and　her　sister　to　be　governess　and　mistress　over　the　young　girls；　and　at　this　juncture　Raymond　was　created　major…domo。　　Finally；　Marie　of　Valois　on　her　deathbed　commended　the　two　young　princesses　to　her　care；　begging　her　to　look　on　them　as　her　own…daughters。　　Thus　Philippa　the　Catanese；　honoured　in　future　as　foster　mother　of　the　heiress　to　the　throne　of　Naples；　had　power　to　nominate　her　husband　grand　seneschal；　one　of　the　seven　most　important　offices　in　the　kingdom；；　and　to　obtain　knighthood　for　her　sons。　　Raymond　of　Cabane　was　buried　like　a　king　in　a　marble　tomb　in　the　church　of　the　Holy　Sacrament；　and　there　was　speedily　joined　by　two　of　his　sons。　　The　third；　Robert；　a　youth　of　extraordinary　strength　and　beauty；　gave　up　an　ecclesiastical　career；　and　was　himself　made　major…domo；　his　two　sisters　being　married　to　the　Count　of　Merlizzi　and　the　Count　of　Morcone　respectively。　　This　was　now　the　state　of　affairs；　and　the　influence　of　the　grand　seneschal's　widow　seemed　for　ever　established；　when　an　unexpected　event　suddenly　occurred；　causing　such　injury　as　might　well　suffice　to　upset　the　edifice　of　her　fortunes　that　had　been　raised　stone　by　stone　patiently　and　slowly：　this　edifice　was　now　undermined　and　threatened　to　fall　in　a　single　day。　　It　was　the　sudden　apparition　of　Friar　Robert；　who　followed　to　the　court　of　Rome　his　young　pupil；　who　from　infancy　had　been　Joan's　destined　husband；　which　thus　shattered　all　the　designs　of　the　Catanese　and　seriously　menaced　her　future。　　The　monk　had　not　been　slow　to　understand　that　so　long　as　she　remained　at　the　court；　Andre　would　be　no　more　than　the　slave；　possibly　even　the　victim；　of　his　wife。　　Thus　all　Friar　Robert's　thoughts　were　obstinately　concentrated　on　a　single　end；　that　of　getting　rid　of　the　Catanese　or　neutralising　her　influence。　　The　prince's　tutor　and　the　governess　of　the　heiress　had　but　to　exchange　one　glance；　icy；　penetrating；　plain　to　read：　their　looks　met　like　lightning　flashes　of　hatred　and　of　vengeance。　　The　Catanese；　who　felt　she　was　detected；　lacked　courage　to　fight　this　man　in　the　open；　and　so　conceived　the　hope　of　strengthening　her　tottering　empire　by　the　arts　of　corruption　and　debauchery。　　She　instilled　by　degrees　into　her　pupil's　mind　the　poison　of　vice；　inflamed　her　youthful　imagination　with　precocious　desires；　sowed　in　her　heart　the　seeds　of　an　unconquerable　aversion　for　her　husband；　surrounded　the　poor　child　with　abandoned　women；　and　especially　attached　to　her　the　beautiful　and　attractive　Dona　Cancha；　who　is　branded　by　contemporary　authors　with　the　name　of　a　courtesan；　then　summed　up　all　these　lessons　in　infamy　by　prostituting　Joan　to　her　own　son。　　The　poor　girl；　polluted　by　sin　before　she　knew　what　life　was；　threw　her　whole　self　into　this　first　passion　with　all　the　ardour　of　youth；　and　loved　Robert　of　Cabane　so　violently；　so　madly；　that　the　Catanese　congratulated　herself　on　the　success　of　her　infamy；　believing　that　she　held　her　prey　so　fast　in　her　toils　that　her　victim　would　never　attempt　to　escape　them。
  A　year　passed　by　before　Joan；　conquered　by　her　infatuation；　conceived　the　smallest　suspicion　of　her　lover's　sincerity。　　He；　more　ambitious　than　affectionate；　found　it　easy　to　conceal　his　coldness　under　the　cloak　of　a　brotherly　intimacy；　of　blind　submission；　and　of　unswerving　devotion；　perhaps　he　would　have　deceived　his　mistress　for　a　longer　time　had　not　Bertrand　of　Artois　fallen　madly　in　love　with　Joan。　Suddenly　the　bandage　fell　from　the　young　girl's　eyes；　comparing　the　two　with　the　natural　instinct　of　a　woman　beloved　which　never　goes　astray；　she　perceived　that　Robert　of　Cabane　loved　her　for　his　own　sake；　while　Bertrand　of　Artois　would　give　his　life　to　make　her　happy。　A　light　fell　upon　her　past：　she　mentally　recalled　the　circumstances　that　preceded　and　accompanied　her　earliest　love；　and　a　shudder　went　through　her　at　the　thought　that　she　had　been　sacrificed　to　a　cowardly　seducer　by　the　very　woman　she　had　loved　most　in　the　world；　whom　she　had　called　by　the　name　of　mother。
  Joan　drew　back　into　herself；　and　wept…bitterly。　　Wounded　by　a　single　blow　in　all　her　affections；　at　first　her　grief　absorbed　her；　then；　roused　to　sudden　anger；　she　proudly　raised　her　head；　for　now　her　love　was　changed　to　scorn。　　Robert；　amazed　at　her　cold　and　haughty　reception　of　him；　following　on　so　great　a　love；　was　stung　by　jealousy　and　wounded　pride。　　He　broke　out　into　bitter　reproach　and　violent　recrimination；　and；　letting　fall　the　mask；　once　for　all　lost　his　place　in　Joan's　heart。
  His　mother　at　last　saw　that　it　was　time　to　interfere：　she　rebuked　her　son；　accusing　him　of　upsetting　all　her　plans　by　his　clumsiness。
  〃As　you　have　failed　to　conquer　her　by　love；〃　she　said；　〃you　must　now　subdue　her　by　fear。　　The　secret　of　her　honour　is　in　our　hands；　and　she　will　never　dare　to　rebel。　　She　plainly　loves　Bertrand　of　Artois；　whose　languishing　eyes　and　humble　sighs　contrast　in　a　striking　manner　with　your　haughty　indifference　and　your　masterful　ways。　　The　mother　of　the　Princes　of　Tarentum；　the　Empress　of　Constantinople；　will　easily　seize　an　occasion　of　helping　on　the　princess's　love　so　as　to　alienate　her　more　and　more　from　her　husband：　Cancha　will　be　the　go　between；　and　sooner　or　later　we　shall　find　Bertrand　at　Joan's　feet。　Then　she　will　be　able　to　refuse　us　nothing。〃
  While　all　t