s
hour--all of them, not excepting my mother.

But I reckoned without the hatred Rinolfo bore me. Instead of the prompt
obedience that I had looked for, he had turned again to my mother.

"Is it your wish, Madonna?" he inquired.

"It is my wish that counts, you knave," I thundered and advanced upon
him.

But he fronted me intrepidly. "I hold my office from my Lady the
Countess. I obey none other here."

"Body of God! Do you defy me?" I cried. "Am I Lord of Mondolfo, or am
I a lackey in my own house? You'ld best obey me ere I break you, Ser
Rinolfo. We shall see whether the men will take my orders," I added
confidently.

The faintest smile illumined his dark face. "The men will not stir a
finger at the bidding of any but Madonna the Countess and myself," he
answered hardily.

It was by an effort that I refrained from striking him. And then my
mother spoke again.

"It is as Ser Rinolfo says," she informed me. "So cease this futile
resistance, sir son, and accept the expiation that is offered you."

I looked at her, she avoiding my glance.

"Madonna, I cannot think that it is so," said I. "These men have known
me since I was a little lad. Many of them have followed the fortunes of
my father. They'll never turn their backs upon his son in the hour of
his need. They are not all so inhuman as my mother."

"You mistake, sir," said Rinolfo. "Of the men you knew but one or two
remain. Most of our present force has been enrolled by me in the past
month."

This was defeat, utter and pitiful. His tone was too confident, he was
too sure of his ground to leave me a doubt as to what would befall if
I made appeal to his knavish followers. My arms fell to my sides, and I
looked at Gervasio. His face was haggard, and his eyes were very full of
sorrow as they rested on me.

"It is true, Agostino," he said.

And as he spoke, Rinolfo limped out of the room to fetch the Captain of
Justice, as my mother had bidden him; and his lips smiled cruelly.

"Madam mother," I said bitterly, "you do a monstrous thing. You usurp
the power that is mine, and you deliver me--me, your son--to the
gallows. I hope that, hereafter, when you come to realize to the full
your deed, you will be able to give your conscience peace."

"My first duty is to God," she answered; and to that pitiable answer
there was nothing to be rejoined.

So I turned my shoulder to her and stood waiting, Fra Gervasio beside
me, clenching his hands in his impotence