the　parapet　of　the　balcony；　leaving　it　hanging　between　earth　and　sky　until　death　ensued。　　When　the　Count　of　Terlizzi　averted　his　eyes　from　the　horrid　spectacle；　Robert　of　Cabane　cried　out　imperiously
  〃What　are　you　doing　there？　　The　cord　is　long　enough　for　us　all　to　hold：　we　want　not　witnesses；　we　want　accomplices！〃
  As　soon　as　the　last　convulsive　movements　of　the　dying　man　had　ceased；　they　let　the　corpse　drop　the　whole　height　of　the　three　storeys；　and　opening　the　doors　of　the　hall；　departed　as　though　nothing　had　happened。
  Isolda；　when　at　last　she　contrived　to　get　a　light；　rapidly　ran　to　the　queen's　chamber；　and　finding　the　door　shut　on　the　inside；　began　to　call　loudly　on　her　Andre。　　There　was　no　answer；　though　the　queen　was　in　the　room。　　The　poor　nurse；　distracted；　trembling；　desperate；　ran　down　all　the　corridors；　knocked　at　all　the　cells　and　woke　the　monks　one　by　one；　begging　them　to　help　her　look　for　the　prince。　　The　monks　said　that　they　had　indeed　heard　a　noise；　but　thinking　it　was　a　quarrel　between　soldiers　drunken　perhaps　or　mutinous；　they　had　not　thought　it　their　business　to　interfere。　　Isolda　eagerly；　entreated：　the　alarm　spread　through　the　convent；　the　monks　followed　the　nurse；　who　went　on　before　with　a　torch。　　She　entered　the　garden；　saw　something　white　upon　the　grass；　advanced　trembling；　gave　one　piercing　cry；　and　fell　backward。
  The　wretched　Andre　was　lying　in　his　blood；　a　cord　round　his　neck　as　though　he　were　a　thief；　his　head　crushed　in　by　the　height　from　which　he　fell。　　Then　two　monks　went　upstairs　to　the　queen's　room；　and　respectfully　knocking　at　the　door；　asked　in　sepulchral　tones
  〃Madam；　what　would　you　have　us　do　with　your　husband's　corpse？〃
  And　when　the　queen　made　no　answer；　they　went　down　again　slowly　to　the　garden；　and　kneeling　one　at　the　head；　the　other　at　the　foot　of　the　dead　man；　they　began　to　recite　penitential　psalms　in　a　low　voice。　When　they　had　spent　an　hour　in　prayer；　two　other　monks　went　up　in　the　same　way　to　Joan's　chamber；　repeating　the　same　question　and　getting　no　answer；　whereupon　they　relieved　the　first　two；　and　began　themselves　to　pray。　　Next　a　third　couple　went　to　the　door　of　this　inexorable　room；　and　coming　away　perturbed　by　their　want　of　success；；　perceived　that　there　was　a　disturbance　of　people　outside　the　convent；　while　vengeful　cries　were　heard　amongst　the　indignant　crowd。　　The　groups　became　more　and　more　thronged；　threatening　voices　were　raised；　a　torrent　of　invaders　threatened　the　royal　dwelling；　when　the　queen's　guard　appeared；　lance　in　readiness；　and　a　litter　closely　shut；　surrounded　by　the　principal　barons　of　the　court；　passed　through　the　crowd；　which　stood　stupidly　gazing。　　Joan；　wrapped　in　a　black　veil；　went　back　to　Castel　Nuovo；　amid　her　escort；　and　nobody；　say　the　historians；　had　the　courage　to　say　a　word　about　this　terrible　deed。
  CHAPTER　V
  The　terrible　part　that　Charles　of　Durazzo　was　to　play　began　as　soon　as　this　crime　was　accomplished。　　The　duke　left　the　corpse　two　whole　days　exposed　to　the　wind　and　the　rain；　unburied　and　dishonoured；　the　corpse　of　a　man　whom　the　pope　had　made　King　of　Sicily　and　Jerusalem；　so　that　the　indignation　of　the　mob　might　be　increased　by　the　dreadful　sight。　　On　the　third　he　ordered　it　to　be　conveyed　with　the　utmost　pomp　to　the　cathedral　of　Naples；　and　assembling　all　the　Hungarians　around　the　catafalque；　he　thus　addressed　them；　in　a　voice　of　thunder：
  〃Nobles　and　commoners；　behold　our　king　hanged　like　a　dog　by　infamous　traitors。　　God　will　soon　make　known　to　us　the　names　of　all　the　guilty：　let　those　who　desire　that　justice　may　be　done　hold　up　their　hands　and　swear　against　murderers　bloody　persecution；　implacable　hatred；　everlasting　vengeance。〃
  It　was　this　one　man's　cry　that　brought　death　and　desolation　to　the　murderers'　hearts；　and　the　people　dispersed　about　the　town；　shrieking；　〃Vengeance；　vengeance！〃
  Divine　justice；　which　knows　naught　of　privilege　and　respects　no　crown；　struck　Joan　first　of　all　in　her　love。　　When　the　two　lovers　first　met；　both　were　seized　alike　with　terror　and　disgust；　they　recoiled　trembling；　the　queen　seeing　in　Bertrand　her　husband's　executioner；　and　he　in　her　the　cause　of　his　crime；　possibly　of　his　speedy　punishment。　　Bertrand's　looks　were　disordered；　his　cheeks　hollow；　his　eyes　encircled　with　black　rings；　his　mouth　horribly　distorted；　his　arm　and　forefinger　extended　towards　his　accomplice；　he　seemed　to　behold　a　frightful　vision　rising　before　him。　　The　same　cord　he　had　used　when　he　strangled　Andre；　he　now　saw　round　the　queen's　neck；　so　tight　that　it　made　its　way　into　her　flesh：　an　invisible　force；　a　Satanic　impulse；　urged　him　to　strangle　with　his　own　hands　the　woman　he　had　loved　so　dearly；　had　at　one　time　adored　on　his　knees。　　The　count　rushed　out　of　the　room　with　gestures　of　desperation；　muttering　incoherent　words；　and　as　he　shewed　plain　signs　of　mental　aberration；　his　father；　Charles　of　Artois；　took　him　away；　and　they　went　that　same　evening　to　their　palace　of　St。　Agatha；　and　there　prepared　a　defence　in　case　they　should　be　attacked。
  But　Joan's　punishment；　which　was　destined　to　be　slow　as　well　as　dreadful；　to　last　thirty…seven　years　andend　in　a　ghastly　death；　was　now　only　beginning。　　All　the　wretched　beings　who　were　stained　with　Andre's　death　came　in　turn　to　her　to　demand　the　price　of　blood。　　The　Catanese　and　her　son；　who　held　in　their　hands　not　only　the　queen's　honour　but　her　life；　now　became　doubly　greedy　and　exacting。　　Dona　Cancha　no　longer　put　any　bridle　on　her　licentiousness；　and　the　Empress　of　Constantinople　ordered　her　niece　to　marry　her　eldest　son；　Robert；　Prince　of　Tarentum。　　Joan；　consumed　by　remorse；　full　of　indignation　and　shame　at　the　arrogant　conduct　of　her　subjects；　dared　scarcely　lift　her　head；　and　stooped　to　entreaties；　only　stipulating　for　a　few　days'　delay　before　giving　her　answer：　the　empress　consented；　on　condition　that　her　son　should　come　to　reside　at　Castel　Nuovo；　with　permission　to　see　the　queen　once　a　day。　　Joan　bowed　her　head　in　silence；　and　Robert　of　Tarentum　was　installed　at　the　castle。
  Charles　of　Durazzo；　who　by　the　death　of　Andre　had　practically　become　the　head　of　the　family；　and；　would；　by　the　terms　of　his　grandfather's　will；　inherit　the　kingdom　by　right　of　his　wife　Marie　in　the　case　of　Joan's　dying　without　lawful　issue；　sent　to　the　queen　two　commands：　first；　that　she　should　not　dream　of　contracting　a　new　marriage　without　first　consulting　him　in　the　choice　of　a　husband；　secondly；　that　she　should　invest　him　at　once　with　the　title　of　Duke　of　Calabria。　　To　compel　his　cousin　to　make　these　two　concessions；　he　added　that　if　she　should　be　so　ill　advised　as　to　refuse　either　of　them；　he　should　hand　over　to　justice　the　proofs　of　the　crime　and　the　names　of　the　murderers。　　Joan；　bending　beneath　the　weight　of　this　new　difficulty；　could　think　of　no　way　to　avoid　it；　but　Catherine；　who　alone　was　stout　enough　to　fight　this　nephew　of　hers；　insisted　that　they　must　strike　at　the　Duke　of　Durazzo　in　his　ambition　and　hopes；　and　tell　him；　to　begin　withwhat　was　the　factthat　the　queen　was　pregnant。　　If；　in　spite　of　this　news；　he　persisted　in　his　plans；　she　would　find　some　means　or　other；　she　said；　of　causing　trouble　and　discord　in　her　nephew's　family；　and　wounding　him　in　his　most　intimate　affections　or　closest　interests；　by　publicly　dishonouring　him　through　his　wife　or　his　mother。
  Charles　smiled　coldly　when　his　aunt　came　to　tell　him　from　the　queen　that　she　was　about　to　bring　into　the　world　an　infant；　Andre's　posthumous　child。　　What　importance　could　a　babe　yet　unborn　possibly　haveas　a　fact；　it　lived　only　a　few　monthsin　the　eyes　of　a　man　who　with　such　admirable　coolness　got　rid　of　people　who　stood　in　his　wary；　and　that　moreover　by　the　hand　of　his　own　enemies？　　He　told　the　empress　that　the　happy　news　she　had　condescended　to　bring　him　in　person；　far　from　diminishing　his　kindness　towards　his　cousin；　inspired　him　rather　with　more　interest　and　goodwill；　that　consequently　he　reiterated　his　suggestion；　and　renewed　his　promise　not　to　seek　vengeance　for　his　dear　Andre；　since　in　a　certain　sense　the　crime　was　not　complete　should　a　child　be　destined　to　survive；　but　in　case　of　a　refusal　he　declared　himself　inexorable。　　He　cleverly　gave　Catherine　to　understand　that；　as　she　had　some　interest　herself　in　the　prince's　death；　she　ought　for　her　own　sake　to　persuade　the　queen　to　stop　legal　proceedings。
  The　empress　seemed　to　be　deeply　impressed　by　her　nephew's　threatening　attitude；　and　promised　to　do　her　best　to　persuade　the　queen　to　grant　all　he　asked；　on　condition；　however；　that　Charles　should　allow　the　necessary　time　for　carrying　through　so　delicate　a　business。　　But　Catherine　profited　by　this　delay　to　think　out　her　own　plan　of　revenge；　and　ensure　the　means　of　certain　success。　　After　starting　several　projects　eagerly　and　then　regretfully　abandoning　them；　she　fixed　upon　an　infernal　and　unheard…of　scheme；　which　the　mind　would　refuse　to　believe　but　for　the　unanimous　testimony　of　historians。　Poor　Agnes　of　Duras；　Charles's　mother；　had　for　some　few　days　been　suffering　with　an　inexplicable　weariness；　a　slow　painful　malady　with　which　her　son's　restlessness　and　violence　may　have　had　not　a　little　to　do。　　The　empress　resolved　that　the　first　effect　of　her　hatred　was　to　fall　upon　this　unhappy　mother。　　She　summoned　the　Count