The Project Gutenberg EBook of Love-at-Arms, by Raphael Sabatini

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Title: Love-at-Arms

Author: Raphael Sabatini

Posting Date: February 9, 2009 [EBook #3530]
Release Date: 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOVE-AT-ARMS ***

Produced by John Stuart Middleton

LOVE-AT-ARMS

Being a narrative excerpted from the chronicles of Urbino during the
dominion of the High and Mighty Messer Guidobaldo da Montefeltro

By Raphael Sabatini

"Le donne, i cavalier', l'arme, gli amori,
Le cortesie, l'audace imprese io canto."

ARIOSTO

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. VOX POPULI

II. ON A MOUNTAIN PATH

III. SACKCLOTH AND MOTLEY

IV. MONNA VALENTINA

V. GIAN MARIA

VI. THE AMOROUS DUKE

VII. GONZAGA THE INSIDIOUS

VIII. AMONG THE DREGS OF WINE

IX. THE "TRATTA DI CORDE"

X. THE BRAYING OF AN ASS

XI. WANDERING KNIGHTS

XII. THE FOOL'S INQUISITIVENESS

XIII. GIAN MARIA MAKES A VOW

XIV. FORTEMANI DRINKS WATER

XV. THE MERCY OF FRANCESCO

XVI. GONZAGA UNMASKS

XVII. THE ENEMY

XVIII. TREACHERY

XIX. PLOT AND COUNTERPLOT

XX. THE LOVERS

XXI. THE PENITENT

XXII. A REVELATION

XXIII. IN THE ARMOURY TOWER

XXIV. THE INTERRUPTED MASS

XXV. THE CAPITULATION OF ROCCALEONE

CHAPTER I. VOX POPULI

From the valley, borne aloft on the wings of the evening breeze, rose
faintly the tolling of an Angelus bell, and in a goat-herd's hut on the
heights above stood six men with heads uncovered and bowed, obeying
its summons to evening prayer. A brass lamp, equipped with three beaks,
swung from the grimy ceiling, and, with more smoke than flame, shed
an indifferent light, and yet a more indifferent smell, throughout the
darkening hovel. But it sufficed at least to reveal in the accoutrements
and trappings of that company a richness that was the more striking by
contrast with the surrounding squalor.

As the last stroke of the Ave Maria faded on the wind that murmured
plaintively through the larches of the hillside, they piously cr