With a wave of his hand he motioned the soldiers to
withdraw, obeying almost unconsciously the master-mind of his cousin by
which he was as unconsciously being swayed.
"Now, Highness," said Francesco, as soon as the men were gone, "before I
refute the charge you make, let me clearly understand it. From the
expressions you have used I gather it to be this: A conspiracy was laid a
little time ago at Sant' Angelo which had for object to supplant you on
the throne of Babbiano and set me in your place. You charge me with
having had in that conspiracy a part--the part assigned to me. It is so,
is it not?"
Gian Maria nodded.
"You have put it very clearly," he sneered. "If you can make out your
innocence as clearly, I shall be satisfied that I have wronged you."
"That this conspiracy took place we will accept as proven, although to
the people of Babbiano the proof may have seemed scant. A man, since
dead, had told your Highness that such a plot was being hatched. Hardly,
perhaps, in itself, evidence enough to warrant setting the heads of four
very valiant gentlemen on spears, but no doubt your Highness had other
proofs to which the rest of us had no access."
Gian Maria shivered at the words. He recalled what Francesco had said on
the occasion of their last talk upon this very subject; he remembered the
manner of his own reception that day in Babbiano.
"We must be content that it is so," calmly pursued Francesco. "Indeed,
your Highness's action in the matter leaves no doubt.
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