shall seem to be deprived of a part of
ourselves."

And a week later Beatrice wrote to her sister, "I cannot tell you often
enough how strange and sad the departure of your Highness has seemed to
me this time. Wherever I turn, in the house or out-of-doors, I seem to
see your face before my eyes, and when I find myself deceived, and
realize that you are really gone, you will understand how sore my
distress has been--nay, how great it still is. And you, I think, will
have felt the same grief, because of the love between us. Even little
Ercole misses you, and keeps on asking continually in his childish
fashion for his aunt, and crying '_Cia, cia!_' and he seems quite lost
when he cannot find you anywhere."[59]

Beatrice's strange and sad forebodings were destined to prove all too
true. That was Isabella's last visit to her brother-in-law's court, and
the sisters never met again. When, thirteen years afterwards, the
Marchesa returned once more to Milan and danced in the halls of the
Castello, she came as the guest of Louis XII., the king who had
conquered Lodovico's fair duchy and brought about the ruin of the house
of Sforza. Beatrice had long been dead, her children were in exile, and
the Moro was wearing his heart out in lonely captivity within the gloomy
prison walls of Loches.

FOOTNOTES:

[57] Luzio-Renier, _op. cit._, p. 622.

[58] C. dell'Acqua, _Lorenzo Gusnasco_, pp. 19, 20.

[59] Luzio-Renier, _op. cit._, pp. 622, 623.

CHAPTER XXIII

Proclamation of the new league against France at Venice--Charles VIII.
at Naples--Demoralization of the victors--Charles leaves Naples and
returns to Rome--The Duke of Orleans refuses to give up Asti--Arrival of
the imperial ambassadors at Milan--Lodovico presented with the ducal
insignia--_Fetes_ in the Castello--The Duke of Orleans seizes
Novara--Terror of Lodovico--Battle of Fornovo--Victory claimed by both
parties--The French reach Asti--Isabella's trophies restored by
Beatrice.

1495

On the evening of the 27th of February, while the joy bells were ringing
in the Milanese churches in honour of the French king's triumph, the
duke sent for the Venetian ambassadors.

"I have had bad news," he said. "Naples is lost, and the French king has
been joyfully welcomed by the people. I am ready to do whatever the
Republic desires. But there is no time to waste; we must act at once."

All eyes now turned to Lodovico as the only man who could save Italy
from the Fr