elli: "purple velvet, as I live, decorated in gold, with the arms of
Rome: we soon spoiled his finery."

"What!" exclaimed Adrian, "you did not break the laws of all nobility
and knighthood?--you offered no insult to a herald!"

"Herald, sayst thou?" cried Stefanello, frowning till his eyes were
scarce visible. "It is for Princes and Barons alone to employ heralds.
An' I had had my will, I would have sent back the minion's head to the
usurper."

"What did ye then?" asked Adrian, coldly.

"Bade our swineherds dip the fellow in the ditch, and gave him a night's
lodging in a dungeon to dry himself withal."

"And this morning--he, he, he!" added the Savelli, "we had him before
us, and drew his teeth, one by one;--I would you could have heard the
fellow mumble out for mercy!"

Adrian rose hastily, and struck the table fiercely with his gauntlet.

"Stefanello Colonna," said he, colouring with noble rage, "answer me:
did you dare to inflict this indelible disgrace upon the name we jointly
bear? Tell me, at least, that you protested against this foul treason to
all the laws of civilization and of honour. You answer not. House of the
Colonna, can such be thy representative!"

"To me these words!" said Stefanello, trembling with passion. "Beware!
Methinks thou art the traitor, leagued perhaps with yon rascal mob. Well
do I remember that thou, the betrothed of the Demagogue's sister, didst
not join with my uncle and my father of old, but didst basely leave the
city to her plebeian tyrant."

"That did he!" said the fierce Orsini, approaching Adrian menacingly,
while the gentle cowardice of Savelli sought in vain to pluck him back
by the mantle--"that did he! and but for thy presence, Stefanello--"

"Coward and blusterer!" interrupted Adrian, fairly beside himself with
indignation and shame, and dashing his gauntlet in the very face of
the advancing Orsini--"wouldst thou threaten one who has maintained, in
every list of Europe, and against the stoutest Chivalry of the North,
the honour of Rome, which thy deeds the while disgraced? By this gage,
I spit upon and defy thee. With lance and with brand, on horse and on
foot, I maintain against thee and all thy line, that thou art no knight
to have thus maltreated, in thy strongholds, a peaceful and unarmed
herald. Yes, even here, on the spot of thy disgrace, I challenge thee to
arms!"

"To the court below! Follow me," said Orsini, sullenly, and striding
towards the threshold.