"What I told you at Rivoli should be proof enough that I am informed on all Court secrets. This infamous Rinaldo has arranged everything.--He has shown you the Countess of Champagne; you admired her; you will speak to her to-day;--the rest will come of itself, naturally."
Rechberg was astonished. Hellig was nothing but a tool of the Chancellor. He understood now the reasons for Dassel's extravagant praise of the French envoy.
"I must acknowledge," he said, "that you are extremely well informed; and I need no other proof to give credence to what you advance. But if this Rinaldo fancies that he can make me unfaithful to my oath, he is grievously mistaken."
"Still, he wishes to bring about a marriage between you and the Countess of Champagne."
Rechberg blushed indignantly.
"How!" he said; "does Dassel believe me faithless, base, and without honor?"
"Dassel believes everything possible, because he himself is capable of everything. Don't be surprised at anything in that man, whom they rightly call ruina mundi; I only wonder that Barbarossa has not a better opinion of his relative."
"Eh! what? the Emperor too thinks so meanly of me?"
"No, Count; the Emperor does not think meanly of you; he wishes to use you for his own purposes, that is all. Rinaldo has shown to him the advantages of a union between you and Richenza. Frederic's own marriage gave Burgundy to the Empire; a similar proceeding would unite Champagne. Believe me, the plan is by no means a bad one. For a cousin of Frederic to become Count of Troyes and Champagne would be a great step forward in the march to universal dominion. But, as I have already said, the question is, Are you strong enough to resist?"
"Well! if the heiress to the throne of France were to offer me her hand, I would refuse it!"