"Can you tell his excellency where you were upon your marriage night?" I
cried hoarsely, my temples throbbing.
Superbly Cosimo looked round at the Court; he shrugged, and shook his head
as if in utter pity.
"I leave it to your excellency to say where a man should be upon his
marriage night," he said, with an astounding impudence, and there were some
who tittered in the crowd behind me. "Let me again beg your excellency and
your worthinesses to pass to judgment, and so conclude this foolish
comedy."
Gonzaga nodded gravely, as if entirely approving, whilst with a fat
jewelled hand he stroked his ample chin.
"I, too, think that it is time," he said, whereupon Cosimo, with a sigh of
relief, would have resumed his seat but that I stayed him with the last
thing I had to say.
"My lord," I cried, appealing to Gonzaga, "the true events of that night
are set forth in a memorial of which two copies were drawn up, one for the
Pope and the other for your excellency, as the Emperor's vicegerent. Shall
I recite its contents--that Messer Cosimo may be examined upon them.
"It is not necessary," came Gonzaga's icy voice. "The memorial is here
before me." And he tapped a document upon the table. Then he fixed his
prominent eyes upon Cosimo. "You are aware of its contents?" he asked.
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