a month had been in the habit of visiting him
at the Vatican.

The brothers and these attendants rode together into Rome and as far as
the Vice-Chancellor Ascanio Sforza's palace in the Ponte Quarter. Here
Giovanni drew rein, and informed Cesare that he would not be returning
to the Vatican just yet, as he was first "going elsewhere to amuse
himself." With that he took his leave of Cesare, and, with one single
exception--in addition to the man in the mask--dismissed his servants.
The latter continued their homeward way with the cardinal, whilst the
Duke, taking the man in the mask upon the crupper of his horse and
followed his single attendant, turned and made off in the direction of
the Jewish quarter.

In the morning it was found that Giovanni had not yet returned, and
his uneasy servants informed the Pope of his absence and of the
circumstances of it. The Pope, however, was not at all alarmed.
Explaining his son's absence in the manner so obviously suggested by
Giovanni's parting words to Cesare on the previous night, he assumed
that the gay young Duke was on a visit to some complacent lady and that
presently he would return.

Later in the day, however, news was brought that his horse had been
found loose in the streets, in the neighbourhood of the Cardinal of
Parma's palace, with only one stirrup-leather, the other having clearly
been cut from the saddle, and, at the same time, it was related that the
servant who had accompanied him after he had separated from the rest
had been found at dawn in the Piazza della Giudecca mortally wounded and
beyond speech, expiring soon after his removal to a neighbouring house.

Alarm spread through the Vatican, and the anxious Pope ordered inquiries
to be made in every quarter where it was possible that anything might
be learned. It was in answer to these inquiries that a boatman of the
Schiavoni--one Giorgio by name--came forward with the story of what he
had seen on the night of Wednesday. He had passed the night on board his
boat, on guard over the timber with which she was laden. She was moored
along the bank that runs from the Bridge of Sant' Angelo to the Church
of Santa Maria Nuova.

He related that at about the fifth hour of the night, just before
daybreak, he had seen two men emerge from the narrow street alongside
the Hospital of San Girolamo, and stand on the river's brink at the spot
where it was usual for the scavengers to discharge their refuse carts
into the w