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Rh wife in order to be free to marry again, as he had been formerly upon the other intention.

The ruse by which Gerard had succeeded in getting a hundred of his own soldiers enrolled among the Castle troops, by pretending that they came as a gift from the Cardinal Archbishop, was thus having singular results. The Governor read it as a proof that he stood so well with the Cardinal that he could hope to receive his Eminence's support in the matter of the divorce; and as he concluded Dubois had been chosen as the Cardinal's delegate because of the latter's confidence in him, here was the very man at hand to sound on the matter.

Dubois was a clever soldier and a brave fighter, and had been selected by Gerard for his present task because his influence with the men was most likely to keep them in bounds while in the Castle. He made a very brusque unmonklike monk, however; and he now found himself in a very awkward position. Moreover, he knew nothing of Gerard's experiences within the last few hours.

He listened quietly to the Duke, and, seeing no connection between the matter and any of Gerard's affairs, felt no interest in it at all, and gave his own opinion bluntly. He was a soldier, not a cleric; knew little and cared less about the theological views as to the dissolution of a tie cemented by a sacrament of the Church; and the only thought he had about it was that as the Tiger Governor was such a tyrant, it was a blessing and not a curse that he was childless—the point on which with him the Duke laid the chief stress.

"His Eminence would never sanction it, my lord," he declared brusquely. "It is against the Canon of Holy Church."

"But it has been sanctioned before now," replied the Governor, and went on to cite instances and to argue the matter. Dubois had, however, only one reply to everything.