The Shame of Motley

Fano ere we slept. And so by the first hour of night Fossombrone was a league or so behind us, and we were advancing briskly towards the sea.

be no advantage in reaching Pesaro before morning, and as we rode we

e had been emboldened to this step by the fact that her only protector was her brother, Filippo di Santafior, whom they had sought to coerce. It was her brother, who, seeing himself in a dangerous and unenviable position, had secretly sugg

would have driven her into the alliance by means of which they sought to bring her fortune into their own house. This drew her into fresh p

that Heaven must have directed you to my aid, for it is scarce likely that

I cried. "It is no less than my manhood bade me do; no

ve returned as you have returned to advise me of the defection of my grooms? Who, when other escort failed, would have gone the length of journeying all t

by that as to interrupt her at

ed the better to fool my pursuers and t

d me some knight-errant who caracoled through Italy in quest of imperilled maidens needing aid. Of a certainty she had gathered her knowledge of the world from the works of Messer Bojardo, or per

se such a demeanour as she considered fitting towards a Fool. I had no

ed her, speaking slowly. "This garb i

f her reins. No doubt, had we been afoot she

ll, was sounding already in her voice. "You would n

r what other circumstances, think you, I shou

after a brief pause, "when first

hat hid my motley from such undiscerning eyes as were yours and

a Fool? Had I on that account done less to serve and save her? Or was it that the action which, in a spurred and armoured knight, had been accounted noble was deemed u

zia, upon entrusting me with her letter to her brother, had upbraided me with the supineness that so long had held me in that vile bondage. But deepest of all went now the burning iron of that disgrace. For my companion's silence seemed to argue that had she known my quality she would have

front," she remo

gain the Pesaro road beyond it," a

that at Fano I mi

dismissal from her service. There had been no more talk of an escort other t

ation of her sex, her station or her years. She had been very justly served had I wheeled about and left her there to make her way to Fano, and thence to Pesaro, as best

e true nature of her situation, and the need to use me with a little courtesy for the sake of what I might

he escort, since we have dispensed with it so far. There are many re

one," she in

be. Neverthel

fashion is little to my taste," sh

she had uttered them that I could go with her or not, as I should choose. In silence

so be it," was all my a

entered the main street, when she c

d I, as curtly, and to "

e common-room she proclaimed her needs to those that occupied it by loudly calling upon the landlord to find her an escort of

s open, and in her girdle there were gems for all to see. There were but a half-dozen men in the room. Two of these had a venerable air-they may have been traders journeying to Milan-whilst a third, who sat apart, was a slender, effeminat

t, and stepping forward

mine and I find favour with you, here is an escort r

t-throat trade, I ma

y their appearance. It was in vain I tugged her cloak, in vain I murmured the word "wait" under cover of my hand. She there a

ying by night with three unknown men, and of such villai

sipping a cup of spiced wine that the host had mul

id she. "Would you have

garments," I answered patiently. She laughed light

afraid to trust yourself in their company, why then, sir, I need bring

ever was I resolved to journey with her. Leave her at the mercy of those ruffians, whom in her ignorance she was mad enough to trust, I could not-not

answered smoothly, "I will mak

f of the ingratitude that lay in her altered bearing towards me. Her eyes met mine across

shall be glad to have you avail

as I so near to turning on her as at that moment; never so near to consigning her to the fa

r eyes fell, as if in token that she realised the meanness of her bearing. To some natures there can be nothing more odious than such a realisat

tested, bowing as he spoke. "And your e

y towards the threshold. Over

us, Boccadoro, you

with a grim relish, "so soon

d I thought I saw a slight dro

ount of what I owe

greatly swelled ere Pesaro was reached. Haply, indeed, my own life might go to swell it. I almost took a relish in that thought. Perhaps then, when

y behind her, so that their horses' heads were on a level with her saddle-bow, one on each side, went two of those ruffians. The third, whom I had heard them call Stefano, and who wa

rewarnings there is none we are more likely to heed than our own mistrust; for whereas we may

Pistoja dagger, ready to draw and use it at the first sign of mischief. For that sign I was all eyes, and had I been Argus himself I could have kept no better watch. Meanwhile I plied my tongue and maintained as merry a conversation with Ser Stef

the choicest of Messer Sacchetti's paradoxes, gurgling, myself, at the humour of the thing I told. I paid no heed to the sign. I continued to expound my quip, as though we had the night before us in which to make its elusive humour clear. But out of the tail of my eye I watched my good friend Stefano, and I saw his right hand steal round to the region of his back where I knew his dagger to be slun

and as penetrating as should be to you the point of this." And with a swift movement I swung half-ro

rprise. He rocked a second in his saddle, then crashed over, and lay with arms flung wide, like a huge

too lightly. They heard the thud of the gallant Stefano's fall, and they never doubted that mine was the body that had gone down. They heard the rapid hoof-beats of m

to turn in his saddle that he might deal with this unlooked-for assailant, then, overcome, he lurched forward on to the withers of his

d to have taken to his heels, I might have issued from that contest with the unscathed glory of a very Mars. But from his throat there came, i

I shouted. "I will r

had showed herself capable. She urged her mule forward, and, so, left him a clear road to attack me. I made a mistake then that went mighty near to costing me my life. I paused to twist my cloak about my left arm intending to use it as a buckler. Had I but risked the arm

he stroke intended for my heart. But the slack of the cloak clung to the neck of my mule, so that I could not carry my arm far enough to send his point clear of my body. It took me in the shoulder, stinging me, first icy cold then burning hot, as it went tearing its wa

my shoulder, and my dagger where I had planted it, we hurtled over together and lay a second amidst wh

a sorrier, or more useles