_CHAPTER XXXVI_.
_KNAVERY_.
At sunrise, Antonio was prowling about the vicinity of the Count ofChampagne's castle. He passed the park-gates, and, cautious as a fox insearch of his prey, concealed himself behind a clump of bushes near thecourt-yard, whence he could perceive what was going on in the building.
"Rechberg likes early walks," he said to himself. "I shall not havelong to wait. If he only knew that Bonello's daughter is at an hour'sdistance from here, nothing could prevent him going to her at once.But as this interview would upset all my calculations, I must beprudent.--Good, there he is at last, with his head down, as if he werecounting the pebbles on the road.--He is coming towards me as though Ihad called him!--Oh! your servant, my lord Count."
"Ah! is that you, Antonio? I imagined you were still in Pavia."
"It is my duty to be wherever the master of the world is."
"I do not understand your meaning."
"You have not heard then that Barbarossa, with all his troops, enteredDole yesterday?"
"Indeed!"
"Your looks and your surprise rather indicate that you do not desire tojoin him there."
"I wish, Antonio, that it were possible to avoid this interview.--Mytroubles will begin--"
"I bring news of your betrothed.--I regret extremely that they are notmore agreeable ones.--But who could imagine her capable of such athing?--I would have suspected myself sooner."
"What do you mean to say?"
"You will need all your courage, but I must tell you the truth."
"Explain yourself!"
"Yesterday I met Pietro, who was once betrothed to Hermengarde."
"I beg your pardon, sir; Pietro never was her betrothed."
"Well, at any rate, he is now."
"Villain!" said Erwin, growing pale, and grasping his sword-hilt.
"Is this your idea of gratitude, my lord? Through interest for you, Icommunicate something of importance, and by way of thanks you seizeyour sword!--Farewell, Count!"
"Stop a moment!--Ah! what is this you tell me? Pardon my violence, butmy heart is broken."
"Pietro himself has assured me that Hermengarde regrets her engagementto one who is related to the tyrant, the scourge of her country, thepersecutor of the Church."
Rechberg was thunderstruck; he was unable to speak.
"Compose yourself, Count, and be a man! Perhaps Pietro hasexaggerated."
"Oh! if I could only know the truth."
"I have some business to attend to, to-morrow, at La Fleche.Hermengarde is there, and I will announce to her your arrival at Laon.From her manner of receiving the news, her looks and actions, I canjudge whether Pietro's assertions are true or false."
"Thanks, dear Antonio; I shall be greatly indebted to you for theservice."
"Make yourself perfectly easy on this point, and trust to me."
"Where shall I hear from you?"
"Here; do not leave the castle until I see you again."
"The time will seem very long. Farewell."
Antonio hurriedly crossed the park in the direction of Laon. Pietro waswaiting for him at the gate.
"Well, Antonio, what have you done?" he asked.
"He believed everything I told him.--He is so guileless. To-morrow youand I must go to La Fleche.--He sends me to see his betrothed."
"We will not speak of his arrival!"
"I shall simply state that Rechberg and the French Countess have comehere together, and that report says they are to be married soon, as theEmperor urges the alliance, and Rechberg himself makes littleopposition."
"She will never believe you."
"Perhaps not, at first; but she will begin to doubt, and I know how tochange doubts into certainty."
"In what way?"
"You shall know in due time. Now you had better leave me, for we arenear the palace-yard; but do not forget to-morrow at daybreak."
Antonio entered the court-yard, where he met the Count of Champagne onhis way to see the Bishop, who was awaiting him in the King'santechamber.
"I have had a hard battle to fight, Count," said the prelate. "HisMajesty is very uneasy about Barbarossa's military organizations. Iwarn you to be prepared for everything."
The Count seemed unconcerned.
"I have not acted without proper authority," he said; "your own lettergave me full powers."
"Certainly! shield yourself behind the instructions received from me;it will induce Louis to reflect on the past. Perhaps he is alreadyashamed of his conduct."
At this moment the King entered. The courtiers were interrupted, forManases had still much to tell the Count; but there was nothing to bedone but to wait for a more favorable opportunity. Henry advancedtowards his sovereign and then knelt and kissed his hand respectfully.The French prince, though naturally kind and generous, often allowedhimself to be led away by evil counsellors. His frivolous andvacillating character made him the tool of parties who profited bytheir influence, to allure him to the commission of bad actions. But assoon as his spirit had regained its wonted calm, he at once rejectedthe advice and the decisions which had been suggested to him. Thisexplains the continued series of weaknesses which marked his reign. Hisconduct towards Alexander III. was an exact reflex of his character,and at one time he was for, at another against him. A powerful factionhad sprung up since His Holiness had declared the necessity ofresisting the encroachments of the clergy, and of defending the Churchagainst the disloyal nobility. At the head of this faction was QueenAdele, the sister of the Count of Champagne, and a relative of theAntipope Victor, and every means was employed to picture to the king,in the most gloomy colors, the dangers which his kindness towardsAlexander might entail upon the French monarchy. A strong argument wasthe inevitable peril of a war with Germany, and the prospect of analliance between Frederic and Henry of England, the sworn enemy ofFrance.
Louis understood the position, but the Pope was there, and he could notmake up his mind to leave the Head of the Church without protection, orto give him up to his enemy Barbarossa.
On the other hand, Alexander's friends, comprising, with fewexceptions, all the Episcopacy of France, were opposed to Frederic'splans, and proved to Louis that the Emperor only sought to humble thePope, and to subjugate all the other sovereigns. The king wassufficiently clear-sighted to understand the truth of the statement,but he made a grave mistake in supposing that he could deceive hisrival by diplomatic negotiations. The German troops, encamped on thevery borders of France, revealed unmistakably the intentions of theirleader, which greatly disturbed and annoyed the King; and as soon asthe formalities of the reception were finished, his discontent becamemanifest.
"What is the meaning of this?" said he to the Count of Champagne; "whatcontract is this you have made with the Emperor? Who gave youunrestricted powers in this matter?"
"Your Majesty himself, by directing me, through your Chancellor, toconclude a treaty of alliance. Deign to assure yourself of the truth ofmy assertion, by examining this document."
"We regret our Chancellor's precipitation," replied the King, after acursory glance at the letter. "He should not have countenanced, sohastily, an alliance hostile to the Holy Father."
"Allow me to remind your Majesty of what happened," said Manases. "WhenAlexander, by his gross discourtesy, so gravely insulted the royalenvoys, and when, in consequence, it was determined to break off allintercourse with him, I could not foresee that your generosity would sosoon forget the outrage. My instructions to the Count contain nothingmore nor less than the expression of your own will."
"You know perfectly well how to excuse yourself, my lord Bishop; thefault is entirely our own.--Let it be so! but this fault, the result ofan unfortunate misunderstanding, must have no further consequences!"
Manases bowed deprecatingly before his sovereign's displeasure, but anattentive spectator might have noticed the courtier's suppressed anger.
"But, Sire!" remarked the astonishe
d Count of Champagne, "this treatyin no way affects your own royal prerogatives."
"Indeed!" said the King; "we are then free? We are not tied down toanything?"
"You are merely pledged to a personal interview with the Emperor, andto make Alexander be present."
"What is that you say?" cried the King, furiously. "Force Alexander tobe present at an assembly which is to condemn him?--And I am to aid inthis!--Is that in the treaty?"
"Yes, Sire," answered Henry.
"No! by all the saints, it shall not be!" exclaimed the monarch, withincreased passion. "Shame on you, Count, for signing an agreement whichdishonors us! The Head of the Church has sought refuge within ourterritory, and we are to act against him so disloyally?--We are to useviolence to force him before a tribunal composed of the Emperor'screatures! No! by Saint Denis! we would sooner lose our crown and ourlife!"
The courtier waited until the storm had passed, and when the King hadbecome more calm, he said,--
"Allow me, Sire; you make a grave mistake in this interpretation of thetreaty. There is nothing said about violence. You are merely to useyour influence to persuade Alexander to be present at the plenarycouncil. If he be innocent, if he be the lawful Pope, he will becharmed with this opportunity of asserting his rights."
"Very good!--You have exceeded your powers, and the treaty is invalid.Alexander can do what he pleases; and we, whatever appears to us to bejust and proper. Are we then nothing but the Emperor's vassals? Have weno longer liberty to act in accordance with our own ideas?"
"I repeat that the treaty in no way interferes with your supremacy,"replied the Count of Champagne; "but what was I to do? The Emperor wason the point of concluding an alliance with England against you; oughtI to have permitted such a contract to be signed?"
The King made no answer to this crafty observation of his courtier; butit was not without its effect, for it was the fear of this veryalliance between Frederic and the English monarch, which had made him,in the first instance, open the negotiations.
"And how is Barbarossa preparing for our alliance?" asked Louis, whowas seeking a new pretext for his ill-humor. "Is he not on our veryfrontiers, at the head of a powerful army? Is not that, of itself, athreat?"
As if in answer to the question, a loud flourish of trumpets rang outin the palace-yard.
"What is that?" said the King.
He approached the window. A troop of knights had halted before thepalace, and a chamberlain came up to announce the arrival of Frederic'senvoys.
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