ight have been satisfied, but now, in spite of
the new discipline which declared Christ to be the special King of the
Florentines and required all pleasures to be of a Christian sort, there
was a secret longing in many of the youngsters who shouted "Viva Gesu!"
for a little vigorous stone throwing in sign of thankfulness.

Tito, as he passed along, could not escape being recognised by some as
the welcome bearer of the olive-branch, and could only rid himself of an
inconvenient ovation, chiefly in the form of eager questions, by telling
those who pressed on him that Meo di Sasso, the true messenger from
Leghorn, must now be entering, and might certainly be met towards the
Porta San Frediano. He could tell much more than Tito knew.

Freeing himself from importunities in this adroit manner, he made his
way to the Piazza del Duomo, casting his long eyes round the space with
an air of the utmost carelessness, but really seeking to detect some
presence which might furnish him with one of his desired opportunities.
The fact of the procession having terminated at the Duomo made it
probable that there would be more than the usual concentration of
loungers and talkers in the Piazza and round Nello's shop. It was as he
expected. There was a group leaning against the rails near the north
gates of the Baptistery, so exactly what he sought, that he looked more
indifferent than ever, and seemed to recognise the tallest member of the
group entirely by chance as he had half passed him, just turning his
head to give him a slight greeting, while he tossed the end of his
_becchetto_ over his left shoulder.

Yet the tall, broad-shouldered personage greeted in that slight way
looked like one who had considerable claims. He wore a
richly-embroidered tunic, with a great show of linen, after the newest
French mode, and at his belt there hung a sword and poniard of fine
workmanship. His hat, with a red plume in it, seemed a scornful protest
against the gravity of Florentine costume, which had been exaggerated to
the utmost under the influence of the Piagnoni. Certain undefinable
indications of youth made the breadth of his face and the large diameter
of his waist appear the more emphatically a stamp of coarseness, and his
eyes had that rude desecrating stare at all men and things which to a
refined mind is as intolerable as a bad odour or a flaring light.

He and his companions, also young men dressed expensively and wearing
arms, were