at dice, their lances deposited in an angle of the wall.

Watching their game--for which he had lingered after accompanying the
Duke thus far--stood the tall, broad-shouldered figure of Galeotto. He
turned as we entered, and gave us an indifferent glance as if we were of
no interest to him, then returned his attention to the dicers.

One or two of the Swiss looked up at us casually. The dice rattled
merrily, and there came from the players little splutters of laughter
and deep guttural, German oaths.

At the room's far end, by the curtains that masked the door of the
chamber where Farnese sat at dinner, stood an usher in black velvet,
staff in hand, who took no more interest in us than did the Swiss.

We sauntered over to the dicers' table, and in placing ourselves the
better to watch their game, we so contrived that we entirely hemmed them
into the embrasure, whilst Confalonieri himself stood with his back to
the pikes, an effective barrier between the men and their weapons.

We remained thus for some moments whilst the game went on, and we
laughed with the winners and swore with the losers, as if our hearts
were entirely in the dicing and we had not another thought in the world.

Suddenly a pistol-shot crackled below, and startled the Swiss, who
looked at one another. One burly fellow whom they named Hubli held the
dice-box poised for a throw that was never made.

Across the courtyard below men were running with drawn swords, shouting
as they ran, and hurled themselves through the doorway leading to the
quarters where the Swiss were at table. This the guards saw through the
open window, and they stared, muttering German oaths to express their
deep bewilderment.

And then there came a creak of winches and a grinding of chains to
inform us that the bridge was being taken up. At last those four
lanzknechte looked at us.

"Beim blute Gottes!" swore Hubli. "Was giebt es?"

Our set faces, showing no faintest trace of surprise, quickened their
alarm, and this became flavoured by suspicion when they perceived at
last how closely we pressed about them.

"Continue your game," said Confalonieri quietly, "it will be best for
you."

The great blonde fellow Hubli flung down the dice-box and heaved himself
up truculently to face the speaker who stood between him and the lances.
Instantly Confalonieri stabbed him, and he sank back into his chair with
a cry, intensest surprise in his blue eyes, so sudden and unlooked-for