But pay, himself? By the
Blood of God! he was never known to pay for anything.
"Or, yet again, do you suppose her finery was afforded her by Caro?--Messer
Annibale Caro--who is so much in debt that he is never like to return to
Piacenza, unless some dolt of a patron rewards him for his poetaster's
labours.
"No, no, my shaveling. It was I who paid--I who was the fool. God! I more
than suspected the others. But you. You saint...You!"
He flung up his head, and laughed bitterly and unpleasantly. "Ah, well!"
he ended, "You are to pay, though in different kind. It is in the family,
you see." And abruptly raising his voice he shouted to the men to wait.
Thereafter he rode ahead, alone and gloomy, whilst no less alone and gloomy
rode I amid my guards. The thing he had revealed to me had torn away a
veil from my silly eyes. It had made me understand a hundred little
matters that hitherto had been puzzling me. And I saw how utterly and
fatuously blind I had been to things which even Fra Gervasio had
apprehended from just the relation he had drawn from me.
It was as we were entering Piacenza by the Gate of San Lazzaro that I again
drew my cousin to my side.
"Sir Captain!" I called to him, for I could not bring myself to address him
as cousin now. He came, inquiry in his eyes.
Pages:
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229