In families, when blood becomes exasperated with blood, hate goes as far as poison and the knife.

And pardon becomes impossible." He dared not fully express his thoughts.

Since he had been in Rome, listening, and considering things, the quarrel between Italy and France had resumed itself in his mind in a fine tragic story.

Once upon a time there were two princesses, daughters of a powerful queen, the mistress of the world.

The elder one, who had inherited her mother's kingdom, was secretly grieved to see her sister, who had established herself in a neighbouring land, gradually increase in wealth, strength, and brilliancy, whilst she herself declined as if weakened by age, dismembered, so exhausted, and so sore, that she already felt defeated on the day when she attempted a supreme effort to regain universal power.
And so how bitter were her feelings, how hurt she always felt on seeing her sister recover from the most frightful shocks, resume her dazzling _gala_, and continue to reign over the world by dint of strength and grace and wit.