ecame
truculent for the first time in my new-found manhood, and boldly
challenged her pursuer.

"What is this, Rinolfo?" I demanded. "Why do you plague her?"

"She broke up my snares," he answered sullenly, "and let the birds go
free."

"What snares? What birds?" quoth I.

"He is a cruel beast," she shrilled. "And he will lie to you,
Madonnino."

"If he does I'll break the bones of his body," I promised in a tone
entirely new to me. And then to him--"The truth now, poltroon!" I
admonished him.

At last I got the story out of them: how Rinolfo had scattered grain
in a little clearing in the garden, and all about it had set twigs that
were heavily smeared with viscum; that he set this trap almost daily,
and daily took a great number of birds whose necks he wrung and had them
cooked for him with rice by his silly mother; that it was a sin in any
case to take little birds by such cowardly means, but that since amongst
these birds there were larks and thrushes and plump blackbirds and other
sweet musicians of the air, whose innocent lives were spent in singing
the praises of God, his sin became a hideous sacrilege.

Finally I learnt that coming that morning upon half a score of poor
fluttering terrified birds held fast in Rinolfo's viscous snares, the
little girl had given them their liberty and had set about breaking
up the springes. At this occupation he had caught her, and there is no
doubt that he would have taken a rude vengeance but for the sanctuary
which she had found in me.

And when I had heard, behold me for the first time indulging the
prerogative that was mine by right of birth, and dispensing justice at
Mondolfo like the lord of life and death that I was there.

"You, Rinolfo," I said, "will set no more snares here at Mondolfo, nor
will you ever again enter these gardens under pain of my displeasure and
its consequences. And as for this child, if you dare to molest her for
what has happened now, or if you venture so much as to lay a finger upon
her at any time and I have word of it, I shall deal with you as with a
felon. Now go."

He went straight to his father, the seneschal, with a lying tale of my
having threatened him with violence and forbidden him ever to enter the
garden again because he had caught me there with Luisina--as the child
was called--in my arms. And Messer Giojoso, full of parental indignation
at this gross treatment of his child, and outraged chastity at
the notion of a young m