Sinisterra!" cried Gualtieri, whose pride, now turned to indignation, was beyond his control. "No, sir, you are mistaken, my dear count. It is not _Fernand_, it is himself who is here." "Zounds! are you mad?" cried the nobleman, turning pale. "As you know best, my lord," answered Gualtieri. "Tell me, by heaven!" cried the other, turning from him in fury, and speaking to the duke. "Are you not aware of it?" "It is true. I saw it myself; and the fact that Fernand has been absent some time from the citadel does not surprise me." "Oh! oh! oh!" cried the old nobleman, foaming at the mouth, and stamping with rage; "all this was premeditated--it is a treachery! But the impudence of the fellow! I expected to meet him at the church; he has dared to dare! It is not credible. Why, he thought me dead! Yes, yes--there is a secret understanding between these two, that they are to marry. What a disgrace!" "Who, Count Gualtieri?" asked the duke, anxiously. "I think so. They were closeted together for an hour last night, and they met again to-day--this morning." "My lord," said the duke, "I can give you good proofs of their intercourse. But if you will be satisfied, I will go and ask him to return, as I was sure he was coming." "No, you shall not! I do not want any proof! You can see for yourself that your daughter has gone off with that scoundrel!" "She did not go off with him," replied the duke; "she was taken off." "Well, what then? She has gone off, and she will have to be brought back. I will have her married to my son." "It is to be feared that you will find the father also missing," answered the duke, with a bitter laugh. "Well, then, we will get some other priest to marry them," said the nobleman, "even if we have to go a hundred leagues." The duke understood his meaning, and gave a shudder. "We can do nothing until after the coronation, which, as you know, is fixed for next week." "Coronation, indeed! What do you mean?" "The coronation of Louis VIII., King of France." "Ah!" exclaimed the nobleman. "Of whom, in heaven's name?" "Of Louis VIII., King of France." "Are you quite mad, my lord?" "I have just left the king, and you were there." "I know I was there, my lord," he said, in a tone of reproach. "And I have come back to tell you that there is some mistake--some mistake." The duke looked at him in amazement. "Come to your senses!" he cried. "It is no use putting on the airs of an emperor, my lord; you ought to be aware that we are in a dilemma--we must have a crown, or there is no coronation. There could be no better time than this, when the throne of Naples is in danger." "But it is not my throne that is threatened." "I know," replied the duke; "but Louis wishes to be crowned, and I tell you that he will have to be, to get the crown of Naples." "Then," said the old nobleman, bitterly, "I suppose he will have to give me the duchy, for he certainly will not give it to a mere adventurer like my son." "Nor can I blame him, my lord," said the duke, with a grave look. "I do not doubt it," he replied. "He knows well that I am his friend. And so, then, is it necessary that my son should marry the king's sister? I would not consent to that myself." "Well, my lord, the time will come when you will see that this was for the best." "I say so! Well, I will not be beaten, and do not think I will allow this marriage to take place. I will go straight to Monaco and make a scene with the king about it." "He would throw you into a dungeon, and have you brought here afterwards to be murdered," replied the duke. "So be it," said the count, impatiently. "I shall at least find out what is going on." And he left the room. "The fellow," said Gualtieri, "will get me the most dangerous revenge, for if I am not mistaken, he will tell the king that I know, and that my opposition will prevent his marriage. He will force me to put him into confinement, and perhaps even kill him. In one sense this is very just, but it is a very dangerous course to pursue. I shall be ruined, for by such a scandal in the royal family my credit at court will be destroyed, and my enemies will crush me. But I must do it." He went up to the duke, and spoke to him very seriously. "Your highness," he said, "you have done me a great injury, for which I shall be always under your debt, but I will revenge myself. When the king visits us in my castle, as he intended to do, I will give you time to escape, and you must go--and go alone; if you meet the king, you will kill him. I do not know whether or not the marriage will take place, for I have taken no steps to prevent it; but if the king does not come, and if I should happen to hear that the old nobleman has escaped from the castle and gone to Monaco, I will know how to set the matter right. But let us not think of this; you must be ready when the time comes." "But your highness," said the duke, with some hesitation, "will not your nephew go?" "If he does he shall follow in the train of the king. Be sure that all are well guarded, and tell them that I must see the king alone." "But if he is not so well guarded?" "Then I will myself go and see him." "But this young girl, who is a prisoner, and--" "You do not suppose," cried the duke, angrily, "that a mere girl would be able to escape from a fortress guarded by my soldiers? Besides, she is perfectly happy here, and has nothing to wish for. Besides, what has become of all her friends?" "I do not know, my lord," replied the duke, "whether the king would return with you to your castle?" "The king will return in such a way that no one shall know where he has been." "How?" "I do not know; but rest assured that he will return. It is the only thing that can be done for us." And Gualtieri left the room to make his preparations. CHAPTER XVII THE QUEEN'S GRIEVANCE The moment which the duke had been awaiting so impatiently had come. The king arrived with all his suite, and was received by the two dukes in the principal apartment, the most elegant in the castle, with high carved work of rare marbles, arabesques, and a richly gilded cornice. In the centre of this room stood an elegant bed of solid oak, with hangings of rich crimson silk; and in a niche above it the bust of a hero, by Dosso Dossi, which the nobleman who had been so rudely interrupted in his amorous dalliance had the ingenuity to set up there. Two large candelabra, that shed a blaze of light, and cast a dazzling glare on the richly gilded cornices, ornaments, and ornaments of the most elegant designs, as well as on the hangings that were richly embroidered, gave an almost Oriental splendor to the room, which was adorned with many gold-flowered stools, tabourets, and arm-chairs; among these the king seemed impatient to take his place, for he could not refrain from casting a hasty glance around him. He threw himself on a seat, and desired his captains to take their places around him, two by two, in the way he had determined to travel. The two dukes saluted him respectfully, and went out to meet the queen, who entered in full state. The whole train of knights and ladies followed, and the procession passed into the antechamber.