ains of the Council of the People, fully armed, to meet
them, dismounting as they approached and offering all courteous
salutations of the time--yet with reluctant speech--fearing to grant
unwise credence, lest this should be some new perfidy.

"Think not to deceive us with fair words," said Stefano, "who hold this
city for our Queen; but if with most solemn oath ye swear to live and
die in her defense, we make you welcome."

"On most fair honor of a Knight," they answered him, "in the name of San
Giovanni!"

"Call hither the Chaplain with the Holy Book!" said Stefano.

And so without the city, Stefano Caduna, man of the people, received the
most solemn oath of these knights and nobles, envoys of the Queen,
bareheaded and on bended knee before him, ere he would consent to unbar
the gates of Nikosia to receive Her Majesty's own messengers.

XXIV

The immediate liberation of the Queen had seemed a well-nigh hopeless
quest to the body of brave men who were on their way to Famagosta, to
pledge the loyalty of their city of Nikosia, so soon as news of the
conspiracy had been proclaimed, and they had deemed it rather to be won
by strategy than prowess. For the Cyprian forces were few and were
chiefly intrenched in the fortress of Famagosta--the most formidable of
all the strongholds of Cyprus--leaving no trained men at arms in the
city itself, which thus lay unprotected, close under the vigilance of
the now hostile Citadel, whose commander, Saplana, had been a favorite
of the King but was now among the traitors. The Count of Tripoli was
foremost among the leaders of this intrigue and he was Governor of the
city of Famagosta! And scattered among this Cyprian corps to see the
orders enforced, was a band of mercenaries _brought from Naples by
Rizzo_!

The situation in Famagosta had been briefly indicated in the despatch
which the courier of Bernardini had urged his spent and panting steed to
deliver in Nikosia; there were also certain dark hints of rumors current
among the outraged populace, that Rizzo, Chief-of-the-Council appointed
to help the Queen, might soon be master of all the strongholds of the
island, having forced letters from the Queen commanding their surrender
to the envoys of the Chief-of-Council.

Outside the cities news travels slowly, as all men know. For along the
highways there are no marke-places whence it may be proclaimed--there is
no eager populace to tell it from mouth to mouth, and these