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 attentive and devoted, any isolation 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 vying 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 intrigues,
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 maternal instinct, chose to abide 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 treacherous. 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 scatter his enemies and to reign
as absolute autocrat, now falling suddenly from the edifice of his dream,
stiffened himself by a mighty 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 monk to lull it to rest: to every argument he advanced
she simply said that while her son was not king and had not entire
unlimited 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 boon