was compelled to accept the invitation sent me by the Lombard
confederation, which I am about to join," said he.

Bonello shook his head with a marked expression of disapproval.

"At least, I trust that you have made no positive engagement without
consulting me?" he said. "Will you risk your life in an enterprise
which has no chance of success? Heribert, Heribert, this is not well
done! you have been very imprudent. I augur nothing good from this
attempt."

An animated discussion followed between them; Hermengarde profited by
it to leave the apartment unnoticed, and retired to her own room, where
she could weep at her ease.

"Without doubt, I admit all that," replied Guido, after his guest had
explained the motives which had induced his acceptance of the
invitation sent to him. "I will even go further. I will suppose that
the league increases, that the cities and the nobles have given in
their adherence to it, that the necessary funds can be procured, that
its generals are skilful, that it can command everything necessary to
sustain the struggle: one thing will still be wanting, and that
is--unity. So long as Pavia, Genoa, Lodi, Pisa, and Florence, that is
to say, the most important cities of Northern Italy, support the
Emperor's cause, every attempt at independence will only aggravate our
condition."

"Must we then always wear our chains?" cried the young man, in whose
eyes shone a fire which Guido had never before observed in him.

"As long as Italy deserves her chains, she will wear them, and she does
deserve them for her intestine divisions," replied Bonello. "Besides,
be convinced that, in a military point of view, we are far inferior to
the Germans. We have been taught this again by the late bloody battle
fought near the walls of Rome. Forty thousand Romans have been routed
by twelve thousand Germans, and of the forty thousand scarcely one half
have escaped from the field."

"That affair is not so important as was at first supposed," answered
Rapallo.

"Naturally the Lombards have tried to depreciate their enemy's success.
But it is certain, my lord Rapallo, that, at the siege of Ancona, the
German advanced guard, even without its usual leader, Frederic, well
nigh annihilated the Roman army. Give the Emperor time to install his
Pope on the throne of Saint Peter, and conquer the Sicilian princes,
and you will soon see then how easily he will overcome the Lombards."

"But the yoke which we bear is intole