"
Francesco sighed; a look of regret crossed his face.
"Alas!" he said. "When I rode hither, Madonna, I had hoped to serve you
to a better purpose. I had advice to offer and assistance if you should
need it; but the sight of those men-at-arms of yours makes me fear that
it is not advice upon which it would be wise to act. For the plan I had
in mind, it would be of the first importance that your soldiers should be
trustworthy, and this, I fear me, they are not."
"Nevertheless," put in Gonzaga feverishly, clinging to a slender hope,
"let us hear it."
"I beg that you will," said Valentina.
Thus enjoined, Francesco pondered a moment.
"Are you acquainted with the politics of Babbiano?" he inquired.
"I know something of them."
"I will make the position quite clear to you, Madonna," he rejoined. And
with that he told her of the threatened descent of Caesar Borgia upon
Gian Maria's duchy, and hence, of the little time at her suitor's
disposal; so that if he could but be held in check before the walls of
Roccaleone for a little while, all might be well. "But seeing in what
haste he is," he ended, "his methods are likely to be rough and
desperate, and I had thought that meanwhile you need not remain here,
Madonna."
"Not remain?" she cried, scorn of the notion in her voice. "Not remain?"
quoth Gonzaga timorously, hope sounding in his.
"Precisely, Madonna. I would have proposed that you leave Gian Maria an
empty nest, so that even if the castle should fall into his hands he
would gain nothing.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182