Blomberg must tell him this thing and that, and the old man gazed into
his face with honest amazement and sincere delight when the monarch
supplied the names of places and persons which had escaped his own feeble
memory.

He accepted the praise of his daughter with a smile and the modest
remark: "She is certainly a dear, kind-hearted child; and as for her
voice, there were probably some to which people found less pleasure in
listening. But, your Majesty, that of the nightingale battering down
solid walls sounds still more beautiful to me."

The Emperor knew that the German cannoneers gave their guns the name of
nightingale, and was pleased with the comparison.

But while he was still talking gaily with the old warrior, who had really
displayed truly leonine courage on many an occasion, Count Buren brought
in a new despatch, remarking, as he did so, that unfortunately the
bearer, a young Spanish noble, had been thrown from his horse just
outside the city, and was lying helpless with a broken leg.

Sincere compassion was expressed, in which the Bishop of Arras joined,
meanwhile glancing through the somewhat lengthy document.

It came from the heir and regent, Don Philip, in Valladolid. The prince
desired to know the state of the negotiations with Rome and with Duke
Maurice of Saxony.

After Granvelle had read the despatch he handed it to the monarch, and
the latter, in a low tone, charged him not yet to inform his son of the