But he made
no sound, uttered no word. It was Cosimo who spoke, half rising as he did
so.
"This insolence, my lord Duke, must be punished; this insult wiped out.
Suffer me..."
But Pier Luigi reached forward across Bianca, set a hand upon my cousin's
sleeve, and pressed him back into his seat silencing him.
"Let be," he said. And looked up the board at Cavalcanti. "It is for my
Lord of Pagliano to say if a guest shall be thus affronted at his board."
Cavalcanti's face was set and rigid. "You place a heavy burden on my
shoulders," said he, "when your excellency, my guest, appeals to me against
another guest of mine--against one who is all but friendless and the son of
my own best friend."
"And my worst enemy," cried Pier Luigi hotly.
"That is your excellency's own concern, not mine," said Cavalcanti coldly.
"But since you appeal to me I will say that Messer d'Anguissola's words
were ill-judged in such a season. Yet in justice I must add that it is not
the way of youth to weigh its words too carefully; and you gave him
provocation. When a man--be he never so high--permits himself to taunt
another, he would do well to see that he is not himself vulnerable to
taunts."
Farnese rose with a horrible oath, and every one of his gentlemen with him.
"My lord," he said, "this is to take sides against me; to endorse the
affront.
Pages:
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370