"His claim?" quoth he, checking, to give me a long, cool stare. He laughed
shortly and resumed his pacing, I keeping step with him. "Why, is he not
the Pope's son, and is not that claim enough?"
"The Pope's son!" I exclaimed. "But how is it possible that the Holy
Father should have a son?"
"How is it possible?" he echoed mockingly. "Why, I will tell you, sir.
When our present Holy Father went as Cardinal-legate to the Mark of Ancona,
he met there a certain lady whose name was Lola, who pleased him, and who
was pleased with him. Alessandro Farnese was a handsome man, Ser Agostino.
She bore him three children, of whom one is dead, another is Madonna
Costanza, who is wed to Sforza of Santafiora, and the third--who really
happens to have been the first-born--is Messer Pier Luigi, present Duke of
Castro and future Duke of Piacenza."
It was some time ere I could speak.
"But his vows, then?" I exclaimed at last.
"Ah! His vows!" said the Cardinal-legate. "True, there were his vows. I
had forgotten that. No doubt he did the same." And he smiled
sardonically, sniffing at his pomander-ball.
From that beginning in a fresh branch of knowledge much followed quickly.
Under my questionings, Messer Gambara very readily made me acquainted
through his unsparing eyes with that cesspool that was known as the Roman
Curia.
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