My Lord Gambara! He mistook me for the Legate! In an instant I saw the
reason of this. It was as Giuliana had conceived. The boy had run to warn
him wherever he was--at Roncaglia, perhaps, a league away upon the road to
Parma. And the boy's news was that my Lord the Governor had gone to
Fifanti's house. The boy had never waited to see the Legate come forth
again; but had obeyed his instructions to the letter, and it was Gambara
whom Fifanti came to take red-handed and to kill as he had the right to do.
When he had espied my flying shape, the length of the corridor had lain
between us, Fifanti was short-sighted, and since it was Gambara whom he
expected to find, Gambara at once he concluded it to be who fled before
him.
There was no villainy for which I was not ripe that night, it seemed. For
no sooner did I perceive this error than I set myself to scheme how I might
profit by it. Let Gambara by all means suffer in my place if the thing
could be contrived. If not in fact, at least in intent, the Cardinal-
legate had certainly sinned. If he was not in my place now, it was through
the too great good fortune that attended him. Besides, Gambara would be in
better case to protect himself from the consequences and from Fifanti's
anger.
Thus cravenly I reasoned; and reasoning thus, I reached the window.
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