They appeared to
serve none but a decorative office in that Court of his, for they bore no
share in the dispensing of a justice of which he constituted himself the
sole arbiter.
At last the Governor spoke.
"It seems, indeed, that there is no more to say and the Court has a clear
course before it, since the Emperor cannot contravene the mandates of the
Holy See. Nothing remains, then, but to deliver sentence; unless..."
He paused, and his eyes singularly sly, his lips pursed almost humorously,
he turned his glance upon Galeotto.
"Ser Cosimo," he said, "has pronounced this memorial a false and lying
document. Is there anything that you, Messer Galeotto, as its author, can
have to tell the Court?"
Instantly the condottiero rose, his great scarred face very solemn, his
eyes brooding. He advanced almost to the very centre of the table, so that
he all but stood immediately before Gonzaga, yet sideways, so that I had
him in profile, whilst he fully faced Cosimo.
Cosimo at least had ceased to smile. His handsome white face had lost some
of its supercilious confidence. Here was something unexpected, something
upon which he had not reckoned, against which he had not provided.
"What has Ser Galeotto to do with this?" he demanded harshly.
"That, sir, no doubt he will tell us, if you will have patience," Gonzaga
answered, so sweetly and deferentially that of a certainty some of Cosimo's
uneasiness must have been dissipated.
Pages:
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487