r-domo of King Charles II's house,
had bought a negro from some corsairs, and having had him baptized by
his own name, had given him his liberty; afterwards observing that he
was able and intelligent, he had appointed him head cook in the king's
kitchen; and then he had gone away to the war. During the absence of his
patron the negro managed his own affairs at the court so cleverly, that
in a short time he was able to buy land, houses, farms, silver plate,
and horses, and could vie in riches with the best in the kingdom; and as
he constantly won higher favour in the royal family, he passed on from
the kitchen to the wardrobe. The Catanese had also deserved very well
of her employers, and as a reward for the care she had bestowed on the
child, the princess married her to the negro, and he, as a wedding gift,
was granted the title of knight.

From this day forward, Raymond of Cabane and Philippa the laundress rose
in the world so rapidly that they had no equal in influence at court.
After the death of Dona Violante, the Catanese became the intimate
friend of Dona Sandra, Robert's second wife, whom we introduced to our
readers at the beginning of this narrative. Charles, her foster son,
loved her as a mother, and she was the confidante of his two wives in
turn, especially of the second wife, Marie of Valois. And as the quondam
laundress had in the end learned all the manners and customs of
the court, she was chosen at the birth of Joan and her sister to be
governess and mistress over the young girls, and at this juncture
Raymond was created major-domo. Finally, Marie of Valois on her deathbed
commended the two young princesses to her care, begging her to look
on them as her own-daughters. Thus Philippa the Catanese, honoured in
future as foster mother of the heiress to the throne of Naples, had
power to nominate her husband grand seneschal, one of the seven most
important offices in the kingdom, and to obtain knighthood for her sons.
Raymond of Cabane was buried like a king in a marble tomb in the church
of the Holy Sacrament, and there was speedily joined by two of his sons.
The third, Robert, a youth of extraordinary strength and beauty, gave
up an ecclesiastical career, and was himself made major-domo, his two
sisters being married to the Count of Merlizzi and the Count of Morcone
respectively. This was now the state of affairs, and the influence
of the grand seneschal's widow seemed for ever established, when an
unexpe