e
scene of pillage or death.

But Louis had need of money both to pay his mercenaries and to hold his
own against the Duke of Durazzo and his own brother Robert, and one day
he discovered that the queen's coffers were empty. Joan was wretched and
desperate, and her lover, though generous and brave and anxious to
reassure her so far as he could, did not very clearly see how to
extricate himself from such a difficult situation. But his mother
Catherine, whose ambition was satisfied in seeing one of her sons, no
matter which, attain to the throne of Naples, came unexpectedly to their
aid, promising solemnly that it would only take her a few days to be able
to lay at her niece's feet a treasure richer than anything she had ever
dreamed of, queen as she was.

The empress then took half her son's troops, made for Saint Agatha, and
besieged the fortress where Charles and Bertrand of Artois had taken
refuge when they fled from justice. The old count, astonished at the
sight of this woman, who had been the very soul of the conspiracy, and
not in the least understanding her arrival as an enemy, sent out to ask
the intention of this display of military force. To which Catherine
replied in words which we translate literally:

"My friends, tell Charles, our faithful friend, that we desire to speak
with him privately and alone concerning a matter equally interesting to
us both, and he is not to be alarmed at our arriving in the guise of an
enemy, for this we have done designedly, as we shall explain in the
course of our interview. We know he is confined to bed by the gout, and
therefore feel no surprise at his not coming out to meet us. Have the
goodness to salute him on our part and reassure him, telling him that we
desire to come in, if such is his good pleasure, with our intimate
counsellor, Nicholas Acciajuoli, and ten soldiers only, to speak with him
concerning an important matter that cannot be entrusted to go-betweens."

Entirely reassured by these frank, friendly explanations, Charles of
Artois sent out his son Bertrand to the empress to receive her with the
respect due to her rank and high position at the court of Naples.
Catherine went promptly to the castle with many signs of joy, and
inquiring after the count's health and expressing her affection, as soon
as they were alone, she mysteriously lowered her voice and explained that
the object of her visit was to consult a man of tried experience on the
affairs of Na