ldren could not resist the advances of her little nephew Ercole, who
followed his aunt about the rooms of the Castello and made her laugh
till the tears ran down her cheeks. But the happy peace of these days
was destined to be rudely disturbed. Suddenly, on the last day of the
month, news reached Milan that the King of France had entered Naples and
been crowned King of the Sicilies in the cathedral on the 22nd of
February. The young king Ferrante had fled to Ischia with the rest of
the royal family, and throughout his dominions the people flocked out
along the roads to hail the victor's coming, and welcomed him with
shouts of joy. Great was the consternation at the Milanese court that
evening, and Isabella wrote to her husband--

"So complete and sudden a downfall appears almost impossible both to
this illustrious lord, the duke, and to us all. It would indeed have
been impossible were it not a Divine judgment. This sad case must be an
example to all the kings and powers of the world, and will, I hope,
teach them to value the love of their subjects more than all their
fortresses, treasures, and men-at-arms, for, as we see now, the
discontent of the people is more dangerous to a monarch than all the
might of his enemies on the battle-field."

The bad news threw a gloom over the gay party in the Castello. All the
pleasure and feasting of the Carnival, all the mirth of the dancing and
feasting, died away. Isabella and Beatrice thought sadly of their cousin
Ferrante, the chivalrous young prince who was a favourite with all his
kinsfolk, and his sister, the widowed Duchess Isabella, shed bitter
tears over this fresh sorrow. Even comedies and pageants lost their old
gaiety and became dull and tedious. "To me this Carnival seems a
thousand years long," sighed Isabella d'Este, in a letter to her
husband, deploring her prolonged absence and complaining that the duke
would not allow her to leave before a certain day, fixed by his
astrologer. By the middle of March, however, she returned to Mantua,
followed by the most sincere regrets and liveliest expressions of
affection on the part of both her sister and brother-in-law.

"In all her actions," wrote Lodovico to the Marquis of Mantua, "this
worthy Madonna has shown so much charm and excellence, that, although we
rejoice to think you will soon enjoy her presence, we cannot but feel
great regret at the loss of her sweet company, and when she leaves us
to-morrow, I must confess we