very evening afore, finding himself followed by a pair of ruffians
armed with arquebuses, he had killed one of the twain with a
sword-thrust, whiles the other had taken to his heels. The Duke felt no
doubt now but these two rascals had been set at him by the Prince of
Venosa.

"Lucia," he said to the Nurse, "I must needs shudder at this danger,
seeing it doth threaten my Lady Maria d'Avalos no less than myself. Tell
her I will not return again to her chamber, cost me what regrets it
will, before that the Prince's suspicions be lulled asleep."

These words the Nurse did report the same evening to Dona Maria, which
did hearken to them with impatience, biting her lip till the blood came.

Learning that the Prince was at the moment abroad, she bade her Nurse go
straight to fetch the Duke d'Andria, and bring him into her chamber; and
so soon as he was come spake thus to him:

"My gracious Lord, a day spent apart from you is to me the cruellest of
torments. I shall not fear to die; but I have not the fortitude to
endure your absence. You should not have loved me, if you had not the
hardihood to brave all for love of me. You should not have loved me if
there were aught else in all the world you set above my love, even mine
own honour and mine own life. Choose; either you shall see me every day
as aforetime, or you shall never see me more."

He made answer:

"Well and good then, Lady, and so be it; for, indeed, there is no room
for ill or evil henceforth betwixt us twain! Verily I do love you as you
would have me love you, even more than your own life."

And that day, which was a Thursday, they did tarry a long time, close
pressed one against the other. Naught of moment fell out ere the Monday
of the next week, on the which day the Prince did apprise his wife how
that he was setting forth with a numerous train for Rome, whither he was
called by the Pope, which was his kinsman. And in very deed a score of
horses were then standing ready saddled and bridled in the Great Court.
Then did the Prince kiss his wife's hand, as he was used to do on taking
leave of her for any lengthy absence. Last of all, when he was now
a-horseback, he did turn his face to her and say:

"God have you in His keeping, Dona Maria!" and so rode forth with his
company behind him.

Soon as ever she thought her husband's troop to be gotten forth of the
walls, the Princess bade her Nurse summon the Duke d'Andria to her. The
old woman besought her to