me
that he had been sent by the Marchioness, we went into St. Silvester. As
we were entering Senhores, M. Angelo and M. Lactancio were coming out by
way of the garden or court, in order to take their siesta under the trees
by the running water.

"Oh! welcome," said Senhor Lactancio, "both of you; you could not arrive
at a better moment; you have been very wise to fly from the confusion in
the city and take shelter in this quiet haven."

"That is all very well," we said, "but this flattery does not console us,
nor is it sufficient to compensate us for the loss of the absent one."

"He said that for the Marchioness," said Senhor Michael, "and you are so
far right, that if you had not come this instant I might have gone."

Conversing thus we sat down on a stone bench in the garden at the foot of
some laurels, on which there was room for all of us, and we were very
comfortable, leaning back against the green ivy which covered the wall,
and from there we could see a good part of the city, very graceful and
full of ancient majesty.

"Let us not lose everything," said Senhor Capata, after making excuses for
the Marchioness; "let us get some profit out of such a goodly assembly as
we have here; please continue the same noble discussion which you held a
few days ago, on the most noble art of painting, seeing that the
Marchioness very reluctantly commissioned me to that end, for she herself
would have liked to be present. But you must know that she sent me here to
report to her everything stored in my memory, to relate to her everything
treated of, without losing a single point. And therefore we are bound,
gentlemen, I to hear and to be silent about what I do not understand, and
you to give me something to remember and report."

"Senhor Michael," I answered, "must fulfil the wishes of the Marchioness
when she heard me in the last discussion, and practically promised to show
me whether painting would be entirely useless in time of war, for I
remember that her Excellency named last Sunday, in which we did not meet,
for that purpose."

Here M. Angelo laughed, and added:

"So you, M. Francisco, expect the Marchioness to have as much power when
absent as when present. Well, as you have so much faith in her, I do not
wish you to lose it through me."

All said that it would be well, and then M. Angelo began to say:

"And what is there more profitable in the business and undertaking of war,
or what is of more use in the operat