He found her in conversation with Francesco and
Gonzaga, seated in the loggia of the dining-room. They had been there
since supper, discussing the wisdom of going or remaining, of fleeing or
standing firm to receive Gian Maria. Their conference was interrupted
now by Ercole with his complaint.
She despatched Gonzaga to quell the men, a course that Fortemani treated
to a covert sneer. The fop went rejoicing at this proof that her
estimate of his commanding qualities had nowise suffered by contrast with
those of that swashbuckling Francesco. But his pride rode him to a
bitter fall.
They made a mock of his remonstrances, and when he emulated Francesco's
methods, addressing them with sharp ferocity, and dubbing them beasts and
swine, they caught the false ring of his fierceness, which was as unlike
the true as the ring of lead is unlike that of silver. They jeered him
insults, they mimicked his tenor voice, which excitement had rendered
shrill, and they bade him go thrum a lute for his lady's delectation, and
leave men's work to men.
His anger rose, and they lost patience; and from showing their teeth in
laughter, they began to show them in snarls. At this his ferocity
deserted him. Brushing past Fortemani, who stood cold and contemptuous
by the doorway, watching the failure he had expected, he returned with
burning cheeks and bitter words to Madonna Valentina.
She was dismayed at the tale he bore her, magnified to cover his own
shame.
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