The Duke of Durazzo walked up and down his room several times like a lion in a cage, counting the minutes in a fever of impatience10, and was on the point of summoning a servant and renewing his commands, when two dull raps on the door informed him that the person he was waiting for had arrived. He opened at once, and a man of about fifty, dressed in black from head to foot, entered, humbly11 bowing, and carefully shut the door behind him. Charles threw himself into an easy-chair, and gazing fixedly12 at the man who stood before him, his eyes on the ground and his arms crossed upon his breast in an attitude of the deepest respect and blind obedience14, he said slowly, as though weighing each word—
"Master Nicholas of Melazzo, have you any remembrance left of the services I once rendered you?"
The man to whom these words were addressed trembled in every limb, as if he heard the voice of Satan come to claim his soul; then lifting a look of terror to his questioner's face, he asked in a voice of gloom—
"What have I done, my lord, to deserve this reproach?"
"It is not a reproach: I ask a simple question."
"Can my lord doubt for a moment of my eternal gratitude9? Can I forget the favours your Excellency showed me? Even if I could so lose my reason and my memory, are not my wife and son ever here to remind me that to you we owe all our life, our honour, and our fortune? I was guilty of an infamous17 act," said the notary18, lowering his voice, "a crime that would not only have brought upon my head the penalty of death, but which meant the confiscation19 of my goods, the ruin of my family, poverty and shame for my only son—that very son, sire, for whom I, miserable20 wretch21, had wished to ensure a brilliant future by means of my frightful22 crime: you had in your hands the proofs of this!
"I have them still."
"And you will not ruin me, my lord," resumed the notary, trembling; "I am at your feet, your Excellency; take my life and I will die in torment23 without a murmur24, but save my son since you have been so merciful as to spare him till now; have pity on his mother; my lord, have pity!"
"Be assured," said Charles, signing to him to rise; "it is nothing to do with your life; that will come later, perhaps. What I wish to ask of you now is a much simpler, easier matter."
"My lord, I await your command."
"First," said the duke, in a voice of playful irony25, "you must draw up a formal contract of my marriage."
"At once, your Excellency."
"You are to write in the first article that my wife brings me as dowry the county of Alba, the jurisdiction26 of Grati and Giordano, with all castles, fiefs, and lands dependent thereto."
"But, my lord—" replied the poor notary, greatly embarrassed.
"Do you find any difficulty, Master Nicholas?"
"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 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 destined28, 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 dared—if my lord would deign29 to give me leave—if I had an opinion I might give, I would humbly entreat30 your Excellency to reflect that this would mean the abduction of a minor31."
"Since when did you learn to be scrupulous32, 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 discretion33 the safety or ruin of your family depends. A plot will soon be on foot against the queen's husband; the conspirators34 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 Cardinal35 de Perigord, one of the most influential36 prelates at the court of Avignon. He begged him before all things to use his authority so as to prevent Pope Clement37 from signing the bull that would sanction Andre's coronation, and he ended his letter by earnestly entreating38 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 remarkable39 change took place in the behaviour of Charles towards Andre: he showed him signs of great friendliness40, cleverly flattering his inclinations41, and even persuading Friar Robert that, far from feeling any hostility42 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 acting43 contrary to them, it had only been done with a view to appeasing44 the populace, who in their first excitement might have been stirred up to insurrection against the Hungarians. He declared with much warmth that he heartily45 detested46 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 sincerity47 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 rupture48 between Charles and his cousin, promising49 himself that he would make capital out of his resentment50. 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 falcons51 at his disposal; if Andre rode through the town, Charles was always ambling52 by his side. He gave way to his whims53, urged him to extravagances, and inflamed54 his angry passions: in a word, he was the good angel—or 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 factions55: 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 pretensions56 of her husband. The partisans57 of the queen made it their first care to have her name inscribed58 upon all public acts without adding Andre's; but Joan, led by an instinct of right and justice amid all the corruption59 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 dreaded60 and detested by the Neapolitan barons61. Then the Counts of San Severino, Mileto, Terlizzi and Balzo, Calanzaro and Sant' Angelo, and most of the grandees62, exasperated63 by the haughty64 insolence65 of Andre's favourite, which grew every day more outrageous66, decided67 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 virtue68 had been destroyed in her own set purpose, and her young inclinations had been early bent69 towards vice15, just as the bodies of wretched children are bent and their bones broken by jugglers when they train them. Bertrand himself felt an adoration70 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 aspire71, 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 brink72 of the precipice73: Bertrand would listen to nothing but his love for Joan and his implacable hatred74 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 casements75 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 galloping76 home from their evening ride side by side in a cloud of dust. Then the brows of the young count were violently contracted, a savage77, sinister78 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 apparition79 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 unwilling80 absence. This woman, dictator of laws and administrator81 of justice among grave magistrates82 and stern ministers, was but fifteen years old; this man; who knew her griefs, and to avenge84 them was meditating85 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 contrived86 to get forgiven for the shameful87 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 lamentation88 throughout the court: Marie, the queen's younger sister, had disappeared.
The gardens and outside courts had been searched for any trace of her; every corner of the castle had been examined; the guards had been threatened with torture, so as to drag the truth from them; no one had seen anything of the princess, and nothing could be found that suggested either flight or abduction. Joan, struck down by this new blow in the midst of other troubles, was for a time utterly89 prostrated90; then, when she had recovered from her first surprise, she behaved as all people do if despair takes the place of reason: she gave orders for what was already done to be done again, she asked the same questions that could only bring the same answers, and poured forth91 vain regrets and unjust reproaches. The news spread through the town, causing the greatest astonishment92: there arose a great commotion93 in the castle, and the members of the regency hastily assembled, while couriers were sent out in every direction, charged to promise 12,000 ducats to whomsoever should discover the place where the princess was concealed94. Proceedings95 were at once taken against the soldiers who were on guard at the fortress96 at the time of the disappearance97.
Bertrand of Artois drew the queen apart, telling her his suspicions, which fell directly upon Charles of Durazzo; but Joan lost no time in persuading him of the improbability of his hypothesis: first of all, Charles had never once set his foot in Castel Nuovo since the day of his stormy interview with the queen, but had made a point of always leaving Andre by the bridge when he came to the town with him; besides, it had never been noticed, even in the past, that the young duke had spoken to Marie or exchanged looks with her: the result of all attainable98 evidence was that no stranger had entered the castle the evening before except a notary named Master Nicholas of Melazzo, an old person, half silly, half fanatical, for whom Tommaso Pace, valet de chambre to the Duke of Calabria, was ready to answer with his life. Bertrand yielded to the queen's reasoning, and day by day advanced new suggestions, each less probable than the last, to draw his mistress on to feel a hope that he was far from feeling himself.
But a month later, and precisely99 on the morning of Monday the 30th of April, a strange and unexpected scene took place, an exhibition of boldness transcending100 all calculations. The Neapolitan people were stupefied in astonishment, and the grief of Joan and her friends was changed to indignation. Just as the clock of San Giovanni struck twelve, the gate of the magnificent palace of the Durazzo flung open its folding doors, and there came forth to the sound of trumpets101 a double file of cavaliers on richly caparisoned horses, with the duke's arms on their shields. They took up their station round the house to prevent the people outside from disturbing a ceremony which was to take place before the eyes of an immense crowd, assembled suddenly, as by a miracle, upon the square. At the back of the court stood an altar, and upon the steps lay two crimson102 velvet103 cushions embroidered104 with the fleur-de-lys of France and the ducal crown. Charles came forward, clad in a dazzling dress, and holding by the hand the queen's sister, the Princess Marie, at that time almost thirteen years of age. She knelt down timidly on one of the cushions, and when Charles had done the same, the grand almoner of the Duras house asked the young duke solemnly what was his intention in appearing thus humbly before a minister of the Church. At these words Master Nicholas of Melazzo took his place on the left of the altar, and read in a firm, clear voice, first, the contract of marriage between Charles and Marie, and then the apostolic letters from His Holiness the sovereign pontiff, Clement VI, who in his own name removing all obstacles that might impede106 the union, such as the age of the young bride and the degrees of affinity107 between the two parties, authorised his dearly beloved son Charles, Duke of Durazzo and Albania, to take in marriage the most illustrious Marie of Anjou, sister of Joan, Queen of Naples and Jerusalem, and bestowed108 his benediction109 on the pair.
The almoner then took the young girl's hand, and placing it in that of Charles, pronounced the prayers of the Church. Charles, turning half round to the people, said in a loud voice—
"Before God and man, this woman is my wife."
"And this man is my husband," said Marie, trembling.
"Long live the Duke and Duchess of Durazzo!" cried the crowd, clapping their hands. And the young pair, at once mounting two beautiful horses and followed by their cavaliers and pages, solemnly paraded through the town, and re-entered their palace to the sound of trumpets and cheering.
When this incredible news was brought to the queen, her first feeling was joy at the recovery of her sister; and when Bertrand of Artois was eager to head a band of barons and cavaliers and bent on falling upon the cortege to punish the traitor110, Joan put up her hand to stop him with a very mournful look.
"Alas111!" she said sadly, "it is too late. They are legally married, for the head of the Church—who is moreover by my grandfather's will the head of our family—has granted his permission. I only pity my poor sister; I pity her for becoming so young the prey112 of a wretched man who sacrifices her to his own ambition, hoping by this marriage to establish a claim to the throne. O God! what a strange fate oppresses the royal house of Anjou! My father's early death in the midst of his triumphs; my mother's so quickly after; my sister and I, the sole offspring of Charles I, both before we are women grown fallen into the hands of cowardly men, who use us but as the stepping-stones of their ambition!" Joan fell back exhausted113 on her chair, a burning tear trembling on her eyelid114.
"This is the second time," said Bertrand reproachfully, "that I have drawn115 my sword to avenge an insult offered to you, the second time I return it by your orders to the scabbard. But remember, Joan, the third time will not find me so docile116, and then it will not be Robert of Cabane or Charles of Durazzo that I shall strike, but him who is the cause of all your misfortunes."
"Have mercy, Bertrand! do not you also speak these words; whenever this horrible thought takes hold of me, let me come to you: this threat of bloodshed that is drummed into my ears, this sinister vision that haunts my sight; let me come to you, beloved, and weep upon your bosom117, beneath your breath cool my burning fancies, from your eyes draw some little courage to revive my perishing soul. Come, I am quite unhappy enough without needing to poison the future by an endless remorse118. Tell me rather to forgive and to forget, speak not of hatred and revenge; show me one ray of hope amid the darkness that surrounds me; hold up my wavering feet, and push me not into the abyss."
Such altercations119 as this were repeated as often as any fresh wrong arose from the side of Andre or his party; and in proportion as the attacks made by Bertrand and his friends gained in vehemence—and we must add, in justice—so did Joan's objections weaken. The Hungarian rule, as it became more and more arbitrary and unbearable120, irritated men's minds to such a point that the people murmured in secret and the nobles proclaimed aloud their discontent. Andre's soldiers indulged in a libertinage121 which would have been intolerable in a conquered city: they were found everywhere brawling122 in the taverns123 or rolling about disgustingly drunk in the gutters124; and the prince, far from rebuking125 such orgies, was accused of sharing them himself. His former tutor, who ought to have felt bound to drag him away from so ignoble126 a mode of life, rather strove to immerse him in degrading pleasures, so as to keep him out of business matters; without suspecting it, he was hurrying on the denouement127 of the terrible drama that was being acted behind the scenes at Castel Nuovo. Robert's widow, Dona Sancha of Aragon, the good and sainted lady whom our readers may possibly have forgotten, as her family had done, seeing that God's anger was hanging over her house, and that no counsels, no tears or prayers of hers could avail to arrest it, after wearing mourning for her husband one whole year, according to her promise, had taken the veil at the convent of Santa Maria delta128 Croce, and deserted129 the court and its follies130 and passions, just as the prophets of old, turning their back on some accursed city, would shake the dust from off their sandals and depart. Sandra's retreat was a sad omen16, and soon the family dissensions, long with difficulty suppressed, sprang forth to open view; the storm that had been threatening from afar broke suddenly over the town, and the thunderbolt was shortly to follow.
On the last day of August 1344, Joan rendered homage131 to Americ, Cardinal of Saint Martin and legate of Clement VI, who looked upon the kingdom of Naples as being a fief of the Church ever since the time when his predecessors132 had presented it to Charles of Anjou, and overthrown133 and excommunicated the house of Suabia. For this solemn ceremony the church of Saint Clara was chosen, the burial-place of Neapolitan kings, and but lately the tomb of the grandfather and father of the young queen, who reposed134 to right and left of the high altar. Joan, clad in the royal robe, with the crown upon her head, uttered her oath of fidelity135 between the hands of the apostolic legate in the presence of her husband, who stood behind her simply as a witness, just like the other princes of the blood. Among the prelates with their pontifical136 insignia who formed the brilliant following of the envoy137, there stood the Archbishops of Pisa, Bari, Capua, and Brindisi, and the reverend fathers Ugolino, Bishop138 of Castella, and Philip, Bishop of Cavaillon, chancellor139 to the queen. All the nobility of Naples and Hungary were present at this ceremony, which debarred Andre from the throne in a fashion at once formal and striking. Thus, when they left the church the excited feelings of both parties made a crisis imminent140, and such hostile glances, such threatening words were exchanged, that the prince, finding himself too weak to contend against his enemies, wrote the same evening to his mother, telling her that he was about to leave a country where from his infancy141 upwards142 he had experienced nothing but deceit and disaster.
Those who know a mother's heart will easily guess that Elizabeth of Poland was no sooner aware of the danger that threatened her son than she travelled to Naples, arriving there before her coming was suspected. Rumour143 spread abroad that the Queen of Hungary had come to take her son away with her, and the unexpected event gave rise to strange comments: the fever of excitement now blazed up in another direction. The Empress of Constantinople, the Catanese, her two daughters, and all the courtiers, whose calculations were upset by Andre's departure, hurried to honour the arrival of the Queen of Hungary by offering a very cordial and respectful reception, with a view to showing her that, in the midst of a court so attentive144 and devoted145, any isolation146 or bitterness of feeling on the young prince's part must spring from his pride, from an unwarrantable mistrust, and his naturally savage and untrained character. Joan received her husband's mother with so much proper dignity in her behaviour that, in spite of preconceived notions, Elizabeth could not help admiring the noble seriousness and earnest feeling she saw in her daughter-in-law. To make the visit more pleasant to an honoured guest, fetes and tournaments were given, the barons vying147 with one another in display of wealth and luxury. The Empress of Constantinople, the Catanese, Charles of Duras and his young wife, all paid the utmost attention to the mother of the prince. Marie, who by reason of her extreme youth and gentleness of character had no share in any intrigues148, was guided quite as much by her natural feeling as by her husband's orders when she offered to the Queen of Hungary those marks of regard and affection that she might have felt for her own mother. In spite, however, of these protestations of respect and love, Elizabeth of Poland trembled for her son, and, obeying a maternal149 instinct, chose to abide150 by her original intention, believing that she should never feel safe until Andre was far away from a court in appearance so friendly but in reality so treacherous151. The person who seemed most disturbed by the departure, and tried to hinder it by every means in his power, was Friar Robert. Immersed in his political schemes, bending over his mysterious plans with all the eagerness of a gambler who is on the point of gaining, the Dominican, who thought himself on the eve of a tremendous event, who by cunning, patience, and labour hoped to scatter152 his enemies and to reign105 as absolute autocrat153, now falling suddenly from the edifice154 of his dream, stiffened155 himself by a mighty156 effort to stand and resist the mother of his pupil. But fear cried too loud in the heart of Elizabeth for all the reasonings of the monk157 to lull158 it to rest: to every argument he advanced she simply said that while her son was not king and had not entire unlimited159 power, it was imprudent to leave him exposed to his enemies. The monk, seeing that all was indeed lost and that he could not contend against the fears of this woman, asked only the boon160 of three days' grace, at the end of which time, should a reply he was expecting have not arrived, he said he would not only give up his opposition161 to Andre's departure, but would follow himself, renouncing162 for ever a scheme to which he had sacrificed everything.
Towards the end of the third day, as Elizabeth was definitely making her preparations for departure, the monk entered radiant. Showing her a letter which he had just hastily broken open, he cried triumphantly—
"God be praised, madam! I can at last give you incontestable proofs of my active zeal164 and accurate foresight165."
Andre's mother, after rapidly running through the document, turned her eyes on the monk with yet some traces of mistrust in her manner, not venturing to give way to her sudden joy.
"Yes, madam," said the monk, raising his head, his plain features lighted up by his glance of intelligence—"yes, madam, you will believe your eyes, perhaps, though you would never believe my words: this is not the dream of an active imagination, the hallucination of a credulous166 mind, the prejudice of a limited intellect; it is a plan slowly conceived, painfully worked out, my daily thought and my whole life's work. I have never ignored the fact that at the court of Avignon your son had powerful enemies; but I knew also that on the very day I undertook a certain solemn engagement in the prince's name, an engagement to withdraw those laws that had caused coldness between the pope and Robert; who was in general so devoted to the Church, I knew very well that my offer would never be rejected, and this argument of mine I kept back for the last. See, madam, my calculations are correct; your enemies are put to shame and your son is triumphant163."
Then turning to Andre, who was just corning in and stood dumbfounded at the threshold on hearing the last words, he added—
"Come, my son, our prayers are at last fulfilled: you are king."
"King of Sicily and Jerusalem: yes, my lord; there is no need for you to read this document that brings the joyful168, unexpected news. You can see it in your mother's tears; she holds out her arms to press you to her bosom; you can see it in the happiness of your old teacher; he falls on his knees at your feet to salute169 you by this title, which he would have paid for with his own blood had it been denied to you much longer."
"And yet," said Elizabeth, after a moment's mournful reflection, "if I obey my presentiments170, your news will make no difference to our plans for departure."
"Nay171, mother," said Andre firmly, "you would not force me to quit the country to the detriment172 of my honour. If I have made you feel some of the bitterness and sorrow that have spoiled my own young days because of my cowardly enemies, it is not from a poor spirit, but because I was powerless, and knew it, to take any sort of striking vengeance for their secret insults, their crafty173 injuries, their underhand intrigues. It was not because my arm wanted strength, but because my head wanted a crown. I might have put an end to some of these wretched beings, the least dangerous maybe; but it would have been striking in the dark; the ringleaders would have escaped, and I should never have really got to the bottom of their infernal plots. So I have silently eaten out my own heart in shame and indignation. Now that my sacred rights are recognised by the Church, you will see, my mother, how these terrible barons, the queen's counsellors, the governors of the kingdom, will lower their heads in the dust: for they are threatened with no sword and no struggle; no peer of their own is he who speaks, but the king; it is by him they are accused, by the law they shall be condemned174, and shall suffer on the scaffold."
"O my beloved son," cried the queen in tears, "I never doubted your noble feelings or the justice of your claims; but when your life is in danger, to what voice can I listen but the voice of fear? what can move my counsels but the promptings of love?"
"Mother, believe me, if the hands and hearts alike of these cowards had not trembled, you would have lost your son long ago."
"It is not violence that I fear, my son, it is treachery."
"My life, like every man's, belongs to God, and the lowest of sbirri may take it as I turn the corner of the street; but a king owes something to his people."
The poor mother long tried to bend the resolution of Andre by reason and entreaties175; but when she had spoken her last word and shed her last tear, she summoned Bertram de Baux, chief-justice of the kingdom, and Marie, Duchess of Durazzo. Trusting in the old man's wisdom and the girl's innocence176, she commended her son to them in the tenderest and most affecting words; then drawing from her own hand a ring richly wrought177, and taking the prince aside, she slipped it upon his finger, saying in a voice that trembled with emotion as she pressed him to her heart—
"My son, as you refuse to come with me, here is a wonderful talisman178, which I would not use before the last extremity179. So long as you wear this ring on your finger, neither sword nor poison will have power against you."
"You see then, mother," said the prince, smiling, "with this protection there is no reason at all to fear for my life."
"There are other dangers than sword or poison," sighed the queen.
"Be calm, mother: the best of all talismans180 is your prayer to God for me: it is the tender thought of you that will keep me for ever in the path of duty and justice; your maternal love will watch over me from afar, and cover me like the wings of a guardian181 angel."
Elizabeth sobbed182 as she embraced her son, and when she left him she felt her heart was breaking. At last she made up her mind to go, and was escorted by the whole court, who had never changed towards her for a moment in their chivalrous183 and respectful devotion. The poor mother, pale, trembling, and faint, leaned heavily upon Andre's arm, lest she should fall. On the ship that was to take her for ever from her son, she cast her arms for the last time about his neck, and there hung a long time, speechless, tearless, and motionless; when the signal for departure was given, her women took her in their arms half swooning. Andre stood on the shore with the feeling of death at his heart: his eyes were fixed13 upon the sail that carried ever farther from him the only being he loved in the world. Suddenly he fancied he beheld184 something white moving a long way off: his mother had recovered her senses by a great effort, and had dragged herself up to the bridge to give a last signal of farewell: the unhappy lady knew too well that she would never see her son again.
At almost the same moment that Andre's mother left the kingdom, the former queen of Naples, Robert's widow, Dona Sancha, breathed her last sigh. She was buried in the convent of Santa Maria delta Croce, under the name of Clara, which she had assumed on taking her vows185 as a nun186, as her epitaph tells us, as follows:
"Here lies, an example of great humility187, the body of the sainted sister Clara, of illustrious memory, otherwise Sancha, Queen of Sicily and Jerusalem, widow of the most serene188 Robert, King of Jerusalem and Sicily, who, after the death of the king her husband, when she had completed a year of widowhood, exchanged goods temporary for goods eternal. Adopting for the love of God a voluntary poverty, and distributing her goods to the poor, she took upon her the rule of obedience in this celebrated189 convent of Santa Croce, the work of her own hands, in the year 1344, on the gist83 of January of the twelfth indiction, where, living a life of holiness under the rule of the blessed Francis, father of the poor, she ended her days religiously in the year of our Lord 1345, on the 28th of July of the thirteenth indiction. On the day following she was buried in this tomb."
The death of Dona Sancha served to hasten on the catastrophe190 which was to stain the throne of Naples with blood: one might almost fancy that God wished to spare this angel of love and resignation the sight of so terrible a spectacle, that she offered herself as a propitiatory191 sacrifice to redeem192 the crimes of her family.
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myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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7
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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8
ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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9
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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10
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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11
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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12
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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13
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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14
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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15
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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16
omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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17
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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18
notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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19
confiscation
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| n. 没收, 充公, 征收 | |
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20
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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21
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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22
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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23
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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24
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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25
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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26
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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27
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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29
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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30
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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31
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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32
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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33
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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34
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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35
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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36
influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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37
clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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38
entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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39
remarkable
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|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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40
friendliness
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|
| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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41
inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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42
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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43
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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44
appeasing
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的现在分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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45
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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46
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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48
rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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49
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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50
resentment
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|
| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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51
falcons
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| n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 ) | |
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52
ambling
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| v.（马）缓行( amble的现在分词 )；从容地走，漫步 | |
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53
WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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54
inflamed
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|
| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
factions
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| 组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 ) | |
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56
pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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57
partisans
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| 游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙 | |
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58
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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59
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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60
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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61
barons
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| 男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨 | |
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62
grandees
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| n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 ) | |
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63
exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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64
haughty
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|
| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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65
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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66
outrageous
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|
| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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67
decided
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|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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68
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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69
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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70
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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71
aspire
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| vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于 | |
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72
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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73
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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74
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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75
casements
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| n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) | |
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76
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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77
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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78
sinister
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|
| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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79
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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80
unwilling
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|
| adj.不情愿的 | |
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81
administrator
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| n.经营管理者，行政官员 | |
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82
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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83
gist
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|
| n.要旨；梗概 | |
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84
avenge
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|
| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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85
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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86
contrived
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|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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87
shameful
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|
| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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88
lamentation
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|
| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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89
utterly
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|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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90
prostrated
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|
| v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力 | |
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91
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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92
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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93
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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94
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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95
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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96
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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97
disappearance
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|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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98
attainable
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| a.可达到的，可获得的 | |
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99
precisely
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|
| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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100
transcending
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的现在分词 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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101
trumpets
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|
| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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102
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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103
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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104
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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105
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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106
impede
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止 | |
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107
affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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108
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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110
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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111
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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112
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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113
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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114
eyelid
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| n.眼睑，眼皮 | |
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115
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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116
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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117
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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118
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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119
altercations
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| n.争辩，争吵( altercation的名词复数 ) | |
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120
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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121
libertinage
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| n.放荡，自由观点 | |
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122
brawling
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| n.争吵，喧嚷 | |
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123
taverns
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| n.小旅馆，客栈，酒馆( tavern的名词复数 ) | |
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124
gutters
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| （路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地 | |
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125
rebuking
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|
| 责难或指责( rebuke的现在分词 ) | |
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126
ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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127
denouement
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| n.结尾，结局 | |
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128
delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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129
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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130
follies
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|
| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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131
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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132
predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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133
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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134
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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135
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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136
pontifical
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| adj.自以为是的，武断的 | |
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137
envoy
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| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
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138
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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139
chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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140
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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141
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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142
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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143
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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144
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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145
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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146
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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147
vying
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| adj.竞争的；比赛的 | |
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148
intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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149
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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150
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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151
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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152
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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153
autocrat
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| n.独裁者；专横的人 | |
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154
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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155
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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156
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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157
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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158
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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159
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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160
boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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161
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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162
renouncing
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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163
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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165
foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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166
credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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167
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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168
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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169
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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170
presentiments
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| n.（对不祥事物的）预感( presentiment的名词复数 ) | |
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171
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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172
detriment
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| n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源 | |
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173
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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174
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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175
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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176
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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177
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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178
talisman
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| n.避邪物，护身符 | |
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179
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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180
talismans
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| n.护身符( talisman的名词复数 )；驱邪物；有不可思议的力量之物；法宝 | |
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181
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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182
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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183
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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184
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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185
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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186
nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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187
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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188
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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189
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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190
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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191
propitiatory
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| adj.劝解的；抚慰的；谋求好感的；哄人息怒的 | |
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192
redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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