"Vassal!" said Philip, "a humble attitude truly beseems you, after all the trouble you have occasioned us. You have deserved death, and are, indeed, condemned to die; nevertheless, out of our royal grace, we wilt now hear you. Stand up, therefore, and speak."
Upon this the old Count rose from the ground and said:
''My prince, and liege lord! with confidence in your royal justice I have presented myself at your feet, that you may deal with me according to your will."
"Your submission," returned the king, "comes late. You have entered into a confederacy against me with Edward of England; you have risen up as an unfaithful vassal against your liege lord; you have had the audacity to declare war against us; and your land has therefore been justly confiscated for your manifold transgressions."
"My prince," said Guy, "let me find grace before you. Bethink yourself, mighty king, what it is that a father feels deprived of his child. Did I not supplicate you in the deepest woe? Did I not humbly pray you to give her back to me? If your own son, my future lord, Louis, who now stands so manfully by your side—if he were taken from you, and cast into a dungeon in a strange land, would not your grief carry you any length to avenge or to release your own blood and offspring? Yes! you have a father's heart, and that will understand me. I know that I shall find grace at your feet."
Philip cast a look of tenderness upon his son; at this moment he felt for all that Guy had had to suffer, and his heart melted with compassion for the unfortunate Count.
"Sir," cried Louis, with emotion, "for my sake be gracious to him; I pray you have pity upon him and upon his child."
The king, however, had recovered from his emotion, and now assumed a sterner aspect.
"Be not so easily moved by the words of a disobedient vassal, my son," he said. "However, I will not refuse to listen, if only he can make it appear that what he has done has been for his daughter's sake, and not from contumacy."
"Sire," resumed the Count, "your majesty knows that whatever man could do I did, to have my child back; but none of my endeavors availed; all my prayers and supplications were in vain; and even the intervention of the Holy Father was of no effect. What, then, could I do? I flattered myself with the hope of procuring my daughter's deliverance by force of arms; the fortune of war, however, was against me, and the victory was with your majesty."
"But," interrupted the king, "what can we do for you? You have given an evil example to our vassals, and if we show grace to you, will they not all rise up against us, and you, perhaps, once more join yourself to their number?"
"Oh, my prince!" answered Guy, "let it please your majesty to restore the unhappy Philippa to her father, and I swear to you that I shall bind myself with inviolable fidelity to your crown."
"And will Flanders raise the contribution we have imposed? And will you duly repay all the costs of the war which your insolence and contumacy compelled us to make against you?"
"No sacrifice shall be too great for me to repay your majesty's gracious favor: and all your commands shall be humbly and punctually obeyed. But my child, sire; my child!"
"Your child?" interposed Philip, hesitatingly; and his thoughts reverted to his wife Joanna, who, he knew, would hardly with good will release from captivity the daughter of the Count of Flanders.
Fearing to provoke the wrath of his imperious queen, he did not venture to follow the better movements of his heart; so, without making any absolute promise to Guy on this point, he replied:
"The intercession of our beloved brother has done much for you; and, moreover, your hard lot moves me to compassion. You have sinned; but your punishment has been bitter. Be of good hope; I will endeavor to sweeten your cup. Nevertheless, we can not, on this very day, finally receive you into favor; so great a matter must first have due deliberation. We require, moreover, that you make a public submission in the presence of our vassals here assembled, that you may be an example to them all. Go now; leave us, that we may once more consider what we can do for an unfaithful and disobedient vassal."
Upon this command the Count of Flanders left the hall; and before he was out of the palace the report was universally current among the French nobles that the king had promised to restore him his land and his daughter. Many wished him joy with all their hearts; others, who had built ambitious hopes on the conquest of Flanders, were inwardly displeased; but as they could not oppose the king's will, they took care that their vexation should not be seen.
Joy and confident hope now filled the hearts of the Flemish supplicants; and many a flattering an ticipation was entertained of the liberation and renewed happiness of their country. It seemed to them as if nothing could now disturb the good success of their undertaking; since, besides the gracious reception the Count had met with from the king, the latter had moreover given a solemn assurance to his brother De Valois that Guy should be dealt with magnanimously.
Ye who have striven against fortune, and in this hard struggle suffered sorely and wept bitterly, how pleasantly comes a ray of joy into your darkling hearts! How easily do you forget your pains, to embrace an uncertain happiness, as if you had already emptied the cup of
