you may say a word to whom you will," she answered
contemptuously. And, turning aside, she motioned Gonzaga to the crenel
she abandoned.

"I'll swear that mincing jester is trembling already with the fear of
what is to come," bawled the Duke, "and perhaps fear will show him the
way to reason. Messer Gonzaga!" he called, raising his voice. "As I
believe the men of Roccaleone are in your service, I call upon you to
bid them throw down that drawbridge, and in the name of Guidobaldo as
well as my own, I promise them free pardon and no hurt--saving only that
rascal at your side. But if your knaves resist me, I promise you that
when I shall have dashed Roccaleone stone from stone, not a man of you
all will I spare."

Shaking like an aspen Gonzaga stood there, his voice palsied and making
no reply, whereupon Francesco leant forward again.

"We have heard your terms," he answered, "and we are not like to heed
them. Waste not the day in vain threats."

"Sir, my terms were not for you. I know you not; I addressed you not,
nor will I suffer myself to be addressed by you."

"Linger there another moment," answered the vibrating voice of
the knight, "and you will find yourself addressed with a volley of
arquebuse-shot. Ola, there!" he commanded, turning and addressing an
imaginary body of men on the lower ramparts of the garden, to his left.
"Arquebusiers to the postern! Blow your matches! Make ready! Now, my
Lord Duke, will you draw off, or must we blow you off?"

The Duke's reply took the form of a bunch of blasphemous threats of how
he would serve his interlocutor when he came to set hands on him.

"Present arms!" roared the knight to his imaginary arquebusiers,
whereupon, without another word, the Duke turned his horse and rode
off in disgraceful haste, his trumpeter following hot upon his heels,
pursued by a derisive burst of laughter from Francesco.

CHAPTER XVIII. TREACHERY

"Sir," gulped Gonzaga, as they were descending from the battlements,
"you will end by having us all hanged. Was that a way to address a
prince?"

Valentina frowned that he should dare rebuke her knight. But Francesco
only laughed.

"By St. Paul! How would you have had me address him?" he inquired.
"Would you have had me use cajolery with him--the lout? Would you
have had me plead mercy from him, and beg him, in honeyed words, to be
patient with a wilful lady? Let be, Messer Gonzaga, we shall weather it
yet, never doubt it."

"Messer