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Updated: May 19, 2025
Quijada again summoned up his courage, and observed: "Yet, as the son of my august ruler, this child may make claims which are of this world." "What claims?" cried the Emperor suspiciously. "His birth? the law gives him none. What earthly possessions may perhaps come to him he will owe solely to my favour, and it would choose for him the only right way.
This letter bore the signature of Don Luis Quijada, and had been written by a poor German copyist, a wretched, cross-eyed fellow, whom Wolf had pointed out to her, and whose hand Barbara knew. From his pen also came the sentence under the major-domo's name, "The Golden Cross must be vacated during the month of April."
Just as Barbara entered the castle the vesper bell rang, and Quijada paused with bared head, his companions with clasped hands. The girl prisoner felt little inclination to pray; she was probably thinking of a dance given here by torchlight, in which, as her uncle's guest, she had taken part until morning began to dawn.
If she had as many teeth as she possesses vices, she might be happy; yet one admirable quality mingles with the evil traits in her character." "And that?" asked Quijada, as if he deemed a satisfactory answer impossible. "Secrecy," replied the Queen firmly. "She keeps what she has overheard to herself as closely as a miser guards his gold."
She ordered the knight and the two lackeys whom Quijada had commissioned to attend her to remain behind, and also refused the service of the little Maltese, who oh, how gladly! would have acted as a page and carried her train. As the shipwrecked man on a plank amid the endless surges longs for land, Barbara longed to get away, far away from the noise of the festival.
As she spoke she again threw herself upon his breast, but only for a few brief moments. Don Luis Quijada reappeared with the marquise, and conducted both ladies out of the imperial apartment. Outside the door the major-domo detained Barbara, and had a tolerably long conversation with her, of which the marquise vainly endeavoured to catch even a few words.
"Quijada!" whispered the Netherlander, and both he and the man from Barcelona presented halberds with true military bearing; but the staves of their descending weapons soon struck the flags of the pavement again, for a woman's voice had detained the man whom the soldiers intended to salute, and in his place two slender lads rushed down the steps.
Quijada pointed to the gray locks on his temples, but the Queen eagerly continued: "I noticed that at Brussels. And do you know what gave you those few white hairs? Simply the responsibility that so cruelly shortened the Emperor's youth, and which at least grazes you. As I saw him to-day, Luis, many a man of sixty has a more vigorous appearance."
As she spoke she again threw herself upon his breast, but only for a few brief moments. Don Luis Quijada reappeared with the marquise, and conducted both ladies out of the imperial apartment. Outside the door the major-domo detained Barbara, and had a tolerably long conversation with her, of which the marquise vainly endeavoured to catch even a few words.
The Emperor had dismissed Quijada from attendance on his person. He knew the Castilian's value as a soldier, and would have deemed himself forgetful of duty had he withheld so able an assistant from the great cause which he was leading. At the end of the first week in November Barbara again entered the Golden Cross in Ratisbon.
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