BULL HUNTER

even siffredi to his blind vengeance. reason however calmed by little and little the violence of his transports. and yet the obvious

impossibility of effacing from the mind of blanche her natural conviction of his infidelity reduced him to despair. he flattered himself

with weaning her from her prejudices could he but converse with her secure from interruption. to attain this end it seemed the

most feasible plan to get rid of the constable. he therefore determined to have him arrested as a person suspected of treasonable

designs in the then unsettled state of public affairs. this commission was given to the captain of his guard who went immediately to

belmonte secured the person of his prisoner just as the evening was closing in and carried him to the castle of palermo.this

occurrence spread an alarm at belmonte. siffredi took his departure forthwith to offer his own responsibility to the king for the

innocence of his son in law and to represent in their true colours the unpleasant consequences attending such arbitrary exertions

of power. the prince who had anticipated such a proceeding on the part of his minister and was determined at least to secure

himself a free interview with blanche before the release of the constable had expressly forbidden any one to address him till the

next day. but leontio setting this prohibition at defiance contrived so well as to make his way into the king’s chamber. my liege said

he with an air of humility tempered with firmness if it is allowable for a subject full of respect and loyalty to complain of his master

i have to arraign you before the tribunal of your own conscience. what crime has my son in law committed has your majesty

sufficiently reflected what an everlasting reproach is entailed on my family are the consequences of an imprisonment calculated to

disgust all the most important officers of the state with the service a matter of indifference i have undoubted information answered

the king that the constable holds a criminal correspondence with the infant don pedro. a criminal correspondence interrupted

leontio with surprise. ah my liege give no ear to the surmise. your majesty is played upon. treason never gained a footing in the

family of siffredi. it is sufficient security for the constable that he is my son in law to place him above all suspicion. the constable is

innocent but private motives have been the occasion of your arresting himsince you speak to me so openly replied the king i will

adopt the same sincerity with you. you complain of the constable’s imprisonment be it so. and have i no reason to complain of your

cruelty it is you barbarous siffredi who have wrested my tranquility from me and reduced your sovereign by your officious cares to

envy the lowliest of the human race. for do not so far deceive yourself as to believe that i shall ever enter into your views. my

marriage with constance is quite out of the question what my liege interrupted leontio with an expression of horror is there any

doubt about your marrying the princess after having flattered her with the hope in the face of your whole people if their wishes

are disappointed replied the king take the credit to yourself wherefore did you reduce me to the necessity of giving them a promise

my heart would not allow me to make good where was the occasion to fill up with the name of constance an instrument designed

for the elevation of your own daughter you could not be a stranger to my design need you have completed your tyranny by.

devoting blanche to the arms of a man to whom she could not give her heart and what authority have you over mine to dispose of

it in favour of a princess whom i detest have you forgotten that she is the daughter of that cruel matilda who trampling the rights

of consanguinity and human nature under foot caused my father to breathe his last under all the rigours of a hard captivity and

should i marry her no siffredi throw away that hope. before the lurid torch of such an hymeneal shall be kindled in your presence

you shall behold all sicily in flames and the expiring embers quenched in blood.do not my ears deceive me exclaimed leontio. ah

sovereign what a scene do you present me with who can hear such menaces without shuddering but i am too forward to take the

alarm continued he in an altered voice. you are in too close a union with your subjects to be the instrument of a catastrophe so

melancholy. you will not suffer passion to triumph over your reason. virtues like yours shall never lose their lustre by the tarnish of

human and ordinary weakness. if i have given my daughter into the arms of the constable it was with the design my liege of

securing to your majesty a powerful subject able by his own valour and the army under his command to maintain your party against

that of the prince don pedro. it appeared to me that by connecting him with my family in so close a bong yes yes this bond

exclaimed prince enriquez this fatal bond has been my ruin. unfeeling friend to aim a wound at my vital part what commission had

you to take care of my interests at the expense of my affections why did you not leave me to support my pretensions by my own

arm was there any question about my courage that i should be thought incompetent to reduce my rebellious subjects to their

obedience means might have been found to punish the constable had he dared to have fallen off his allegiance i am well aware

of the difference between a lawful king and an arbitrary tyrant the happiness of our people is our first duty. but are we on the

other hand to be the slaves of our subjects from the moment when we are selected by heaven for our high office do we lose the

common privilege of nature the birthright of the human race to dispose of our affections in whatsoever current they may flow well.

then if we are less our own masters than the lowest of the human race take back siffredi that sovereign authority you affect to have

secured to me by the wreck of my personal happiness your cannot but be acquainted my liege replied the minister that it was on

your marriage with the princess the late king your uncle made the succession of the crown to depend. and by what right rejoined

CHAPTER 1032