The priest pursued his way without comment.
"The dangers that environ the empire make it necessary beyond the ordinary to knit our friends to it by every means in our power."
"The dangers would melt like the morning mist if the Emperor recalled Albrecht von Walstein," she said with great decision.
"It is for the Emperor to choose his captains," the priest rejoined gently. "He is a possible servant, not a friend of the Emperor. When I say 'knit our friends together,' I mean the princes, who are our peers in blood and of our faith."
The Archduchess was for a moment puzzled.
"Is it of France or Spain you speak, Father?" She said it wonderingly, because she knew of no princes of or nearly her own age in either kingdom.
"Of neither, your Highness, but of those houses that are equal with your own in the right to be elected to the empire."
"There are six electors! There are three archbishops--Mainz, Köln, Trier--two are Protestants, the Palatine, the Saxon,... you cannot mean the Wittelsbacher!" The disgust that she felt showed itself unmistakably.
"Who is a greater friend to the Habsburgs than Maximilian of Bavaria?" Father Lamormain dwelt almost affectionately on the syllables.
"Or a greater friend to your order?" the Archduchess asked.
This was a sharp thrust, and showed that the lady was well aware of the terms on which Maximilian and the Jesuits stood.
Father Lamormain made a little gentle deprecating shrug.
"Let me remind your Highness that, at the last election of the Roman Emperor, Maximilian held the election in his hand, but he exercised his own vote in favour of your father. Was this not proving himself a friend to whom any gratitude is due? And this was not the last or greatest of his services."
"Indeed?" said the Archduchess. "What were the other services?"
"Did he not defeat, nay crush, the Palatine on the white hills of Prague?"
"It was the work of General Pappenheim, was it not?"
"The merit was his! Again I say, Pappenheim was merely his captain. The Elector Maximilian found men and money for the campaign,--money which the Emperor owes him to this day."
"It has been sufficiently bruited about," the Archduchess commented. "There is something of the Jew about your Maximilian."