Such an exertion, however, was by no means expected of him, for he was to set sail at Flushing and land at Loredo in Spain.  There Postmaster-General de Tassis would furnish him with horses.

The Emperor had listened to this proposal from his counsellor with a smile of satisfaction.  His purpose was sufficiently obvious.

How thoroughly this young diplomat understood men!  With how delicate a scent he had again discovered a secret and removed a stone of offence from his master’s path!  He was competent to fill his clever father’s place in every respect.  It was evident that neither promises nor gifts would have induced the old warrior to favour the tender wishes of his imperial master.  Now he himself hastened to leave the field clear, and Granvelle had foreseen how he would receive the proposal.  Charles intentionally refrained from taking any personal share in the arrangements with the old man which now followed.  A communication from Malfalconnet appeared to claim his whole attention, until the Bishop of Arras announced that the captain had received his instructions and was ready to set out for Flushing and Valladolid.

The monarch listened with a slight shake of the head, and expressed his hesitation about intrusting so important a message to a man of such advanced age; but Malfalconnet, in a tone of good-natured anxiety, called to the captain, “One may be the father of a nightingale, my brave hero, and yet miss the way to the south without a guide.”

“True, true,” the Emperor assented.  “So we will give our gallant friend a travelling companion who understands Castilian, and on whom we can also rely.  Besides, affairs of so much moment are better cared for by two messengers than by one.  What is the name of the cavalier, Malfalconnet, who spoke to you of the friendship which unites him to this brave old champion of the faith?”

“Wolf Hartschwert, your Majesty,” was the reply.

“The musician,” said the monarch, as if some memory was awakened in his mind.  “A modest fellow, whose reliability my sister praised.—­And now, my vigorous friend, a prosperous journey!  Your daughter, whom the favour of Heaven has so richly endowed with beautiful gifts, has found, I have heard, a maternal guardian in the Marquise de Leria.  We, too, will gladly interest ourselves in the charming singer who affords us such rare pleasure.”

As he spoke he showed his old companion in arms the unusual honour of extending his hand to him, and when the latter, deeply moved by such graciousness, ardently kissed it, he hurriedly withdrew it, saying, as he kindly patted his arm, “You are doing us a greater service than you imagine, Captain Blomberg.”

Then, wishing him a successful journey, he went to the writing table, on which the secretary Gastelu had laid the newly received despatches.

Radiant with joy, the captain, making many profound bows, left the apartment of the gracious monarch, for whom now he would really have ridden to the world’s end.