absolution for a thousand pleasures."

"This from Roderigo Calderon!" said the prince, with bitter sneer. "Man,
know thy station and thy profession. When I want homilies, I seek my
confessor; when I have resolved on a vice, I come to thee. A truce with
this bombast. For Fonseca, he shall be consoled; and when he shall learn
who is his rival, he is a traitor if he remain discontented with his lot.
Thou shalt aid me, Calderon!"

"Your highness will pardon me--no!"

"Do I hear right? No! Art thou not my minion--my instrument? Can I not
destroy as I have helped to raise thee? Thy fortunes have turned thy
brain. The king already suspects and dislikes thee; thy foe, Uzeda, has
his ear. The people execrate thee. If I abandon thee, thou art lost.
Look to it!"

Calderon remained mute and erect, with his arms folded on his breast, and
his cheek flushed with suppressed passions. Philip gazed at him
earnestly, and then, muttering to himself, approached the favourite with
an altered air.

"Come, Calderon--I have been hasty-you maddened me; I meant not to wound
you. Thou art honest, I think thou lovest me; and I will own, that in
ordinary circumstances thy advice would be good, and thy scruples
laudable. But I tell thee that I adore this girl; that I have set all my
hopes upon her; that, at whatever cost, whatever risks, she must be mine.
Wilt thou desert me? Wilt thou on whose faith I have ever leaned so
trustingly, forsake thy friend and thy prince for this brawling soldier?
No; I wrong thee."