If that is your
spirit, then I will consider what is to be done--for, believe me, open
warfare will no longer avail us here. What we have to do must be done by
guile. You have waited too long to resolve yourselves. And whilst you
have grown weak, Farnese has been growing strong. He has fawned upon and
flattered the populace; he has set the people against the nobles; he has
pretended that in crushing the nobles he was serving the people, and they--
poor fools!--have so far believed him that they will run to his banner in
any struggle that may ensue."
He dismissed them at last with the promise that they should hear from him,
and on the morrow, attended by Falcone only, he rode forth again from
Pagliano, to seek out the dal Verme and the Sforza of Santafiora and
endeavour to engage their interest against the man who had outraged them.
And that was early in August of the year '46.
I remained at Pagliano by Galeotto's request. He would have no need of me
upon his mission. But he might desire me to seek out some of the others of
the Val di Taro with such messages as he should send me.
And in all this time I had seen but little of Monna Bianca. We met under
her father's eye in that gold-and-purple dining-room; and there I would
devoutly, though surreptitiously, feast my eyes upon the exquisite beauty
of her.
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