ble hair as the sunlight
caught it.

"Tell me now, Fanfulla, lives there a man of so depraved a mind that he
would prefer a ducal crown to this?"

And the courtier, seeing Francesco's radiant mien, understood perhaps,
at last, how sordid was the ambition that could lure a man from such a
god-like freedom, and from the holy all-consuming joys it brought him.
His thoughts being started upon that course, it was of this they talked
what time the Count resumed his garments--his hose of red, his knee-high
boots of untanned leather, and his quilted brigandine of plain brown
cloth, reputed dagger-proof. He rose at last to buckle on his belt
of hammered steel, from which there hung, behind his loins, a stout,
lengthy dagger, the only weapon that he carried.

At his command the horses were saddled and the sumpters laden once more.
Lanciotto held his stirrup, and Zaccaria did like service for Fanfulla,
and presently they were cantering out of that fragrant grove on to the
elastic sward of broad, green pasture-lands. They crossed the stream at
a spot where the widened sheet of water scarce went higher than their
horses' hocks; then veering to the east they rode away from the hills
for a half-league or so until they gained a road. Here they turned
northward again, and pushed on towards Cagli.

As the bells were ringing the Ave Maria the cavalcade drew up before
the Palazzo Valdicampo, where two nights ago Gian Maria had been
entertained. Its gates were now as readily thrown wide to welcome the
illustrious and glorious Count of Aquila, who was esteemed by Messer
Valdicampo no less than his more puissant cousin. Chambers were set at
his disposal, and at Fanfulla's; servants were bidden to wait upon them;
fresh raiment was laid out for them, and a noble supper was prepared to
do honour to Francesco. Nor did the generous Valdicampo's manner cool
when he learned that Francesco was in disgrace at the Court of Babbiano
and banished from the dominions of Duke Gian Maria. He expressed
sympathetic regret at so untoward a circumstance and discreetly
refrained from passing any opinion thereupon.

Yet later, as they supped, and when perhaps the choice wines had
somewhat relaxed his discretion, he permitted himself to speak of Gian
Maria's ways in terms that were very far from laudatory.

"Here, in my house," he informed them, "he committed an outrage upon a
poor unfortunate, for which an account may yet be asked of me--since it
was under