The Strolling Saint

in thought with the slime of his suspicions. Through me she had been put to the shameful need of listening at a

d not suffer, and take joy in the suffering so that it be for her. But to have submi

neglect. To my relief she sent word that she was not well and would keep her chamber; and Fifanti smiled oddly as he stroked his blue chin and gave me a si

our of sunrise, through the wet grass that was all scintillant with dew. On the marble bench by the pond, where th

ody as I was, I had no knowledge of her presence until

d here so early, si

g eyes. "You... you can forg

not forgive one who has acted

e stopped, all confused, feeling myse

I bear you a resentment, then? My poor Agostino, have I no heart to feel? Am I but a cold, reasoning intelligence like that thing my h

ured soothingly, y

retold me that you

red her. "What

l was avid for more such words from her-from

id she. "Is truth ever

her face still nearer, I flung down the reins of my unreason and let it ride amain upon its desperate, reckless

re. And as I cried out, so too did she, stepping back, her hands suddenly to her face. But the next moment she was peering up at the windows of

ly that such should have been the first thought my kiss inspired in

not Messer Gambara. No man shall put an

er a whole world to do pleasure to his mistress or to spare her pain-I-I-I, Agostino

read-for very

e was snoring when I left." And she dismissed her fears, and

ou done to m

hrilled me. "O Giuliana, what have you done to me? You have bewitched me; You have made me mad!" And I set my elbows on my knees and took my head in my hand

re mine. But to kiss a wife, to become a cicisbeo! The thing assumed i

iron withstand the lodestone? Can the rain help falling upon the earth? Can the stream flow other than downhill?" She sighed. "Woe me! It

turned to her again, and

me!" was my

fully into my eyes, and my senses reeled again. And then old Busio, the servant, came suddenly forth from

h with me than was habitual, dubbed me dunce and wooden-head, and commended the wisdom of those who had determined upon a claustral life for me, admitting that I knew enough Latin to enable me to celebrate as well as another without too clear a knowledge of the meaning of what

upon any subject that you m

you should understand." And upon that he got up and flung

tice. But I got no further than two lines of it. Then for a spell I

neers. How it ran I have forgotten these many years. But I recall that in it I likened myself to a sailor navigating shoals and besought the pharos o

smay as I realized to the full its amorous mean

was all in black velvet, I remember, even to his thigh-boots which were laced up the sides with gold, and on his breast gleamed

he less did his excellency pay Madonna Giuliana a thousand compliments as he took his seat, supremely calm

d the fine new road from the middle of the city to the Church of Santa Chiara, which he intended should

the velvety Cardinal. He frowned to see Messer Gambara, then effaced the f

his saintline

ntly," said I, speaki

orders, the sooner shall we be on the road

ubt," said Fifanti, with his habitual discour

reminding me that in this Cosimo I saw one who followed after me in the heirship to

tured in that hour whether I should have found him so very ci

intent he sought to sow in my heart hatred of my guelphic cousin, that he m

ecovered, waved aside the i

han I shall gain by Agostino's renunciation of the w

some restraint abode. Each sat, it seemed, as a man upon his guard. My cousin watched Gambara's every look whenever

the other, her lazy smile parting those scarlet lips-those lips

tly Giuliana smote her hands together in ecstatic pleasure at one of those same lines and bade him repeat it to her, h

e of promise, almost of threat, in his sleek tones-that the Duke would shortly be needing Messer Caro's pre

tstaying the others. But since none would give w

a host, was seeing them to their ho

Her delicate brows were raised in surprise. "Why, wh

e I could watch them getting to horse, all save Caro, who had co

ight send you to the cage for sacrilege. O Agostino!" she cried, and the sm

realized my meanne

d ponderously, and fell silent as I watched them ride away. Yet I hated them al

Caro. The poet was on his way to Parma, to Duke Pier Luigi, dispatched thither on a mission of importance by the Cardinal. He spoke, too,

Fifanti permitted himself o

cold smile upon Giuliana. "It but remains for him

n speak of things too remote to be seriously considered. He was to

eakfast when

eptember morning, and soon there was old Busio ushering in an officer of the Pont

lready some foreboding of the nature of its contents was in his mind. Meanwhile

ent under his very nose, his short-sighted eyes screwed up as he acquainted himself with the letter's contents. Then I saw him turn a sickly leaden hue. He stare

attitude so reminiscent of a bird of prey, he stepped slowly back to hi

r. "Inform his excellency that I shall obey the

na, took his leave, and wen

ke?" cried Giuliana, a

"a summons from the Duke." And he

in the air, and then, thrown out of poise b

that he could impose upon it. His great bony fist crashed down upon the board and swept a precious Venetian be

ould send your husband packing as he has sent his other rivals. O, there is a stipend waiting-a stipend of three hundred ducats y

st Giuliana sat white of face with lips compre

to Hell ere I obey the summons that the one has sent me at t

at length, "and a knave, too,

cause, eh? By the Host! Yet

is what will happen if you disobey

to die of hunger and thirst and exposure, like that poor wretch Domenico who perished yesterday, at la

have cause to cage me. If I am to be horned like a bull, I'll use those same horns. I'll gore their vitals. O

uch. I leapt

. "I'll not remain to hear such w

ryo! You will not remain to hear the truth, sir, eh?" And he strode, mouthing, to the door, and flung it wide so that it crashed against the

na, and my eyes most clearly invited h

answered sadly. "I shall bear his insults

nt slowly past the livid Fifanti, and so out. I heard the door slammed after me, and in the

ostino," moaned the old man. "

is a task that I should relish. I'd beat the devils out of him, Busio, and she w

h the door came the sound of his storming, and presently the crash of more broken glassware, as once more he thumped the table. For well-high half an hour his fury laste

oment on the threshold, but I do not think that he noticed us at first. He looked back at her over his shoulder, still si

e. "Do you heed the warn

Busio that he spoke. "Have my mule saddled for me in an hour," he said, and passed on and up t

e was weeping and all shaken by that c

w," she implored me. "Leav

iend had I not obeyed