ce not for the honour of her
life, alas! Sinned against, she sinned like the rest. How could a
lovely, talented, warm-hearted girl, with the hot blood of Spanish
passion coursing through her veins, resist the admiration, the flattery,
and the embraces of the gay young cavaliers of the Court? She merely
followed the vogue, she was no recluse; and when, in 1575, she was
enrolled as a "Soul" in the _Accademia degli Elevati_, she assumed the
name of "_Ardente_"--a true title--a correct epithet!

One of the captains of the palace guard--himself a remarkably handsome
and gallant soldier--Francesco Gaci, had a prepossessing young son,
Alessandro, a cadet of the same regiment, who fell violently in love
with Don Piero's fascinating young wife. Unable to restrain his boyish
ardour, one day he seized Donna Eleanora's hand, covered it with kisses,
and professed himself ready to die for love of her. The Princess, pining
for love, looked with favour upon her infatuated lover, and granted him
something of what he wished.

Alas, for love's young dream! The Grand Duke caught wind of it, and
without making much ado, promptly stopped the intrigue. Alessandro Gaci
was removed summarily from his commission and enclosed in the monastery
of Camaldoli; whilst to the Princess was administered a smart rebuke and
warning.

Eleanora's haughty spirit rose at the interference of her brother-in-law
in matters of her heart, and she determined to act in opposition to his
commands. She had scarcely got off with the old love before she was on
with the new. This time she appears to have made the first advance. At
all events, in the entourage of the Grand Duchess Giovanna, was an
attractive and youthful knight of the Order of St Stephen of Pisa--Duke
Cosimo's new naval-military order. He was a court chamberlain with the
military rank of lieutenant--Bernardino, the son of Messer Sebastiano
degl' Antinori, who had translated Boccaccio's works for Cosimo.

The young cavaliere had the misfortune to kill, quite accidentally, in a
friendly game of "_Calcio_," a great friend of his--Francesco de'
Ginori. The game was played in presence of Princess Eleanora and many
ladies of the Court. Bernardino wore Eleanora's favours, as he usually
did, making no secret of his passion for Don Piero's neglected,
beauteous wife, and of the return of his love by his fair
_innamorata_--it was indeed the talk of the town.

The Ginori, an ancient and lordly family, intimately