o such hasty nuptials; they were
unfitting the dignity and the station of his niece, and if Gian Maria
would wed her he must come to Urbino and let the ceremony be performed
by a cardinal. Well was it then for Gian Maria that he mastered his
wonted hastiness and curbed the hot, defiant retort that rose to his
lips. Had he done so, an enduring rupture between them would probably
have ensued; for Guidobaldo was not one to permit himself to be
hectored, and, after all, he amply realised that Gian Maria had more
need of him than he of Gian Maria. And this in that moment the Duke of
Babbiano realised too, and realising it he set himself to plead
where otherwise he might have demanded, to beg as a favour that
which otherwise he might have commanded with a threat. And so he won
Guidobaldo--although reluctant--to his wishes in the matter, and in
his good-nature the Duke of Urbino consented to pocket the dignity that
prompted him to see the ceremony performed with princely pomp.

This being settled, Gian Maria blessed Gonzaga who rendered it all
possible, and came most opportunely to his aid where without him he
should have been forced to resort to cannon and bloodshed.

With Gonzaga the only shadow of doubt that remained to mar the perfect
certainty of his success lay in his appreciation of Francesco's daring
character and resourceful mind, and now as if the gods were eager to
favour him to the very last degree--a strange weapon to combat this was
unexpectedly thrust into his hand.

It happened that Alvari was not the only messenger who travelled that
day to Roccaleone. There followed him by some hours, the Count of
Aquila's servant, Zaccaria, who rode hard and reached the approaches of
the castle by sunset. His destination being the fortress itself, he was
forced to wait in the woods until night had fallen, and even then his
mission was fraught with peril.

It befell that somewhere near the second hour of night, the moon being
overcast at the time--for there were threats of a storm in the sky--the
sentinel on the eastern wall heard a sound of splashing in the moat
below, accompanied by the stertorous breathing of a swimmer whose mouth
is not well above water. He challenged the sound, but receiving no reply
he turned to go and give the alarm, and ran into the arms of Gonzaga,
who had come up to take the air.

"Illustrious," he exclaimed, "there is someone swimming the moat."

"Eh?" cried Gonzaga, a hundred suspicions of G