〃God　forbid；　your　Excellency；　but…〃
  〃Well；　what　is　it？〃
  〃Because；　if　my　lord　will　permit　because　there　is　only　one　person　in　Naples　who　possesses　that　dowry　your　Excellency　mentions。〃
  〃And　so？〃
  〃And　she；〃　stammered　the　notary；　embarrassed　more　and　more；〃she　is　the　queen's　sister。〃
  〃And　in　the　contract　you　will　write　the　name　of　Marie　of　Anjou。〃
  〃But　the　young　maiden；〃　replied　Nicholas　timidly；　〃whom　your　Excellency　would　marry　is　destined；　I　thought；　under　the　will　of　our　late　king　of　blessed　memory；　to　become　the　wife　of　the　King　of　Hungary　or　else　of　the　grandson　of　the　King　of　France。〃
  〃Ah；　I　understand　your　surprise：　you　may　learn　from　this　that　an　uncle's　intentions　are　not　always　the　same　as　his　nephew's。〃
  〃In　that　case；　sire；　if　I　daredif　my　lord　would　deign　to　give　me　leaveif　I　had　an　opinion　I　might　give；　I　would　humbly　entreat　your　Excellency　to　reflect　that　this　would　mean　the　abduction　of　a　minor。〃
  〃Since　when　did　you　learn　to　be　scrupulous；　Master　Nicholas？〃
  These　words　were　uttered　with　a　glance　so　terrible　that　the　poor　notary　was　crushed；　and　had　hardly　the　strength　to　reply
  〃In　an　hour　the　contract　will　be　ready。〃
  〃Good：　we　agree　as　to　the　first　point；〃　continued　Charles；　resuming　his　natural　tone　of　voice。　　〃You　now　will　hear　my　second　charge。　　You　have　known　the　Duke　of　Calabria's　valet　for　the　last　two　years　pretty　intimately？〃
  〃Tommaso　Pace；　why；　he　is　my　best　friend。〃
  〃Excellent。　　Listen；　and　remember　that　on　your　discretion　the　safety　or　ruin　of　your　family　depends。　　A　plot　will　soon　be　on　foot　gainst　the　queen's　husband；　the　conspirators　no　doubt　will　gain　over　Andre's　valet；　the　man　you　call　your　best　friend；　never　leave　him　for　an　instant；　try　to　be　his　shadow；　day　by　day　and　hour　by　hour　come　to　me　and　report　the　progress　of　the　plot；　the　names　of　the　plotters。〃
  〃Is　this　all　your　Excellency's　command？〃
  〃All。〃
  The　notary　respectfully　bowed；　and　withdrew　to　put　the　orders　at　once　into　execution。　　Charles　spent　the　rest　of　that　night　writing　to　his　uncle　the　Cardinal　de　Perigord；　one　of　the　most　influential　prelates　at　the　court　of　Avignon。　　He　begged　him　before　all　things　to　use　his　authority　so　as　to　prevent　Pope　Clement　from　signing　the　bull　that　would　sanction　Andre's　coronation；　and　he　ended　his　letter　by　earnestly　entreating　his　uncle　to　win　the　pope's　consent　to　his　marriage　with　the　queen's　sister。
  〃We　shall　see；　fair　cousin；〃　he　said　as　he　sealed　his　letter；　〃which　of　us　is　best　at　understanding　where　our　interest　lies。　　You　would　not　have　me　as　a　friend；　so　you　shall　have　me　as　an　enemy。　　Sleep　on　in　the　arms　of　your　lover：　I　will　wake　you　when　the　time　comes。　　I　shall　be　Duke　of　Calabria　perhaps　some　day；　and　that　title；　as　you　well　know；　belongs　to　the　heir　to　the　throne。〃
  The　next　day　and　on　the　following　days　a　remarkable　change　took　place　in　the　behaviour　of　Charles　towards　Andre：　he　showed　him　signs　of　great　friendliness；　cleverly　flattering　his　inclinations；　and　even　persuading　Friar　Robert　that；　far　from　feeling　any　hostility　in　the　matter　of　Andre's　coronation；　his　most　earnest　desire　was　that　his　uncle's　wishes　should　be　respected；　and　that；　though　he　might　have　given　the　impression　of　acting　contrary　to　them；　it　had　only　been　done　with　a　view　to　appeasing　the　populace；　who　in　their　first　excitement　might　have　been　stirred　up　to　insurrection　against　the　Hungarians。　　He　declared　with　much　warmth　that　he　heartily　detested　the　people　about　the　queen；　whose　counsels　tended　to　lead　her　astray；　and　he　promised　to　join　Friar　Robert　in　the　endeavour　to　get　rid　of　Joan's　favourites　by　all　such　means　as　fortune　might　put　at　his　disposal。　　Although　the　Dominican　did　not　believe　in　the　least　in　the　sincerity　of　his　ally's　protestations；　he　yet　gladly　welcomed　the　aid　which　might　prove　so　useful　to　the　prince's　cause；　and　attributed　the　sudden　change　of　front　to　some　recent　rupture　between　Charles　and　his　cousin；　promising　himself　that　he　would　make　capital　out　of　his　resentment。　　Be　that　as　it　might；　Charles　wormed　himself　into　Andre's　heart；　and　after　a　few　days　one　of　them　could　hardly　be　seen　without　the　other。　　If　Andre　went　out　hunting；　his　greatest　pleasure　in　life；　Charles　was　eager　to　put　his　pack　or　his　falcons　at　his　disposal；　if　Andre'　rode　through　the　town；　Charles　was　always　ambling　by　his　side。　He　gave　way　to　his　whims；　urged　him　to　extravagances；　and　inflamed　his　angry　passions：　in　a　word；　he　was　the　good　angelor　the　bad　one　who　inspired　his　every　thought　and　guided　his　every　action。
  Joan　soon　understood　this　business；　and　as　a　fact　had　expected　it。　She　could　have　ruined　Charles　with　a　single　word；　but　she　scorned　so　base　a　revenge；　and　treated　him　with　utter　contempt。　　Thus　the　court　was　split　into　two　factions：　the　Hungarians　with　Friar　Robert　at　their　head　and　supported　by　Charles　of　Durazzo；　on　the　other　side　all　the　nobility　of　Naples；　led　by　the　Princes　of　Tarentum。　　Joan；　influenced　by　the　grand　seneschal's　widow　and　her　two　daughters；　the　Countesses　of　Terlizzi　and　Morcone；　and　also　by　Dona　Cancha　and　the　Empress　of　Constantinople；　took　the　side　of　the　Neapolitan　party　against　the　pretensions　of　her　husband。　　The　partisans　of　the　queen　made　it　their　first　care　to　have　her　name　inscribed　upon　all　public　acts　without　adding　Andre's；　but　Joan；　led　by　an　instinct　of　right　and　justice　amid　all　the　corruption　of　her　court；　had　only　consented　to　this　last　after　she　had　taken　counsel　with　Andre　d'Isernia；　a　very　learned　lawyer　of　the　day；　respected　as　much　for　his　lofty　character　as　for　his　great　learning。　　The　prince；　annoyed　at　being　shut　out　in　this　way；　began　to　act　in　a　violent　and　despotic　manner。　　On　his　own　authority　he　released　prisoners；　he　showered　favours　upon　Hungarians；　and　gave　especial　honours　and　rich　gifts　to　Giovanni　Pipino；　Count　of　Altanuera；　the　enemy　of　all　others　most　dreaded　and　detested　by　the　Neapolitan　barons。　　Then　the　Counts　of　San　Severino；　Mileto；　Terlizzi　and　Balzo；　Calanzaro　and　Sant'　Angelo；　and　most　of　the　grandees；　exasperated　by　the　haughty　insolence　of　Andre's　favourite；　which　grew　every　day　more　outrageous；　decided　that　he　must　perish；　and　his　master　with　him；　should　he　persist　in　attacking　their　privileges　and　defying　their　anger。
  Moreover；　the　women　who　were　about　Joan　at　the　court　egged　her　on；　each　one　urged　by　a　private　interest；　in　the　pursuit　of　her　fresh　passion。　　Poor　Joan；neglected　by　her　husband　and　betrayed　by　Robert　of　Cabane；　gave　way　beneath　the　burden　of　duties　beyond　her　strength　to　bear；　and　fled　for　refuge　to　the　arms　of　Bertrand　of　Artois；　whose　love　she　did　not　even　attempt　to　resist；　for　every　feeling　for　religion　and　virtue　had　been　destroyed　in　her　own　set　purpose；　and　her　young　inclinations　had　been　early　bent　towards　vice；　just　as　the　bodies　of　wretched　children　are　bent　and　their　bones　broken　by。　jugglers　when　they　train　them。　　Bertrand　himself　felt　an　adoration　for　her　surpassing　ordinary　human　passion。　　When　he　reached　the　summit　of　a　happiness　to　which　in　his　wildest　dreams　he　had　never　dared　to　aspire；　the　young　count　nearly　lost　his　reason。　　In　vain　had　his　father；　Charles　of　Artois　（who　was　Count　of　Aire；　a　direct　descendant　of　Philip　the　Bold；　and　one　of　the　regents　of　the　kingdom）；　attempted　by　severe　admonitions　to　stop　him　while　yet　on　the　brink　of　the　precipice：　Bertrand　would　listen　to　nothing　but　his　love　for　Joan　and　his　implacable　hatred　for　all　the　queen's　enemies。　Many　a　time；　at　the　close　of　day；　as　the　breeze　from　Posilippo　or　Sorrento　coming　from　far　away　was　playing　in　his　hair；　might　Bertrand　be　seen　leaning　from　one　of　the　casements　of　Castel　Nuovo；　pale　and　motionless；　gazing　fixedly　from　his　side　of　the　square　to　where　the　Duke　of　Calabria　and　the　Duke　of　Durazzo　came　galloping　home　from　their　evening　ride　side　by　side　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　　Then　the　brows　of　the　young　count　were　violently　contracted；　a　savage；　sinister　look　shone　in　his　blue　eyes　once　so　innocent；　like　lightning　a　thought　of　death　and　vengeance　flashed　into　his　mind；　he　would　all　at　once　begin　to　tremble；　as　a　light　hand　was　laid　upon　his　shoulder；　he　would　turn　softly；　fearing　lest　the　divine　apparition　should　vanish　to　the　skies；　but　there　beside　him　stood　a　young　girl；　with　cheeks　aflame　and　heaving　breast；　with　brilliant　liquid　eyes：　she　had　come　to　tell　how　her　past　day　had　been　spent；　and　to　offer　her　forehead　for　the　kiss　that　should　reward　her　labours　and　unwilling　absence。　　This　woman；　dictator　of　laws　and　administrator　of　justice　among　grave　magistrates　and　stern　ministers；　was　but　fifteen　years　old；　this　man；　who　knew　her　griefs；　and　to　avenge　them　was　meditating　regicide；　was　not　yet　twenty：　two　children　of　earth；　the　playthings　of　an　awful　destiny！
  Two　months　and　a　few　days　after　the　old　king's　death；　on　the　morning　of　Friday　the　28th　of　March　of　the　same　year；　1343；　the　widow　of　the　grand　seneschal；　Philippa；　who；　had　already　contrived　to　get　forgiven　for　the　shameful　trick　she　had　used　to　secure　all　her　son's　wishes；　entered　the　queen's　apartments；　excited　by　a　genuine　fear；　pale　and　distracted；　the　bearer　of　news　that　spread　terror　and　lamentation　throughout　the　court：　Marie；　the　queen's　younger　sister；　had　disappeared。
  The　gardens　and　outside　courts