and relations, including the
famous tapestries of the Trojan war, which were the chief ornaments of
the palace of Urbino. The _fetes_ passed off brilliantly, the crowds
which assembled in the streets of Mantua were enormous, and the utmost
enthusiasm was excited by the youth and loveliness of the bride. The
only drawback was the absence of Mantegna, whom Pope Innocent had
detained in Rome, in spite of his master's urgent request that the
painter might return in time to arrange the wedding festivities.

The void which Isabella left in her old home was keenly felt alike by
her mother and sister. The duchess could not console herself for her
daughter's absence, and after spending a delightful week with her
sister-in-law Elizabeth on the lake of Garda, among the lemon-groves and
gardens of those sunny shores, Isabella and her husband returned to
Ferrara in April. Here she found that Beatrice's marriage had been again
put off by Signor Lodovico's wish until the summer, and Isabella agreed
to return to Ferrara early in July, and accompany her mother and sister
to Milan. But when July came and the young marchioness reached Ferrara,
she found to her surprise that all these plans had been suddenly
changed. Lodovico had once more found it impossible to keep his
engagement, and pleaded urgent public affairs and unavoidable pressure
of business to excuse his apparent apathy. This time the duke and
duchess were seriously annoyed, and began to doubt if Lodovico ever
intended to wed their daughter. The question was gravely discussed
during Isabella's visit, and a messenger from Milan suddenly reached
Ferrara late one evening. It was no other than Messer Galeazzo Visconti,
one of Lodovico's most trusted envoys, who had ridden from Milan in
great haste, with letters from his lord. The contents of these letters
remained unknown. One thing only was clear: they gave the duke great
dissatisfaction. And Messer Galeazzo departed the next day, as quickly
as he came. "I have tried in vain," wrote Benedetto Capilupi, the
Marquis of Mantua's agent at Ferrara, "to discover the reason of all
these disturbances. Every one is out of temper, and the duke seems to be
very much displeased. M. Galeazzo has left suddenly."

Isabella returned to join her husband at Mantua, leaving affairs in this
unsatisfactory state. Beatrice's wedding seemed further off than ever,
and doubts as to her union with Signor Lodovico began to be openly
expressed. It was well