much to the dismay of the
sorrowing Venetians, who had been carefully spreading a number of
flowers upon the prostrate form of the supposedly dead warrior.

But so weak was the youthful hero that he had to be taken to Venice in
order to recover. When strong again he resumed his studies for the
ministry and was sent to Patras, a city that was soon threatened by an
army of twelve thousand Cypriotes and Frenchmen.

"Here, Zeno," cried the Bishop of Patras to the virile young
stripling. "We have seven hundred riders in our city. With this mere
handful, you must defend us against our enemies. The odds are fifteen
to one against you. But you must struggle valiantly to save our
beautiful capital."

"Aye! Sire!" cried the youthful student of church history. "I shall do
my best to free your capital from these invaders. May the God of Hosts
be with us! My men salute you."

So saying the valiant youth led his small and ill drilled company
against the besiegers, and, so greatly did he harass his adversaries,
that they abandoned the enterprise, at the end of six months; made
peace; and retired.

"Hail to Zeno!" cried many of the soldiers. "He is a leader well worth
our respect. Without him the great city would have surely fallen. Yea!
Hail to young Zeno."

These words of praise reached the ears of a certain Greek Knight
named Simon, and so roused his envy, that he audaciously accused Carlo
of treachery, which was soon told to the hot-headed young warrior. He
acted as one would well expect of him.

"I challenge you to single combat," cried he. "The duel shall be
fought in Naples under the eye of Queen Johanna."

In vain Carlo's friends besought him to forgive the loose-tongued
Simon--his patron, the Bishop, exhausted his eloquence in the endeavor
to reconcile the two. The hot blood of youth would out. It was fight
and no compromise. But before the trial, the bold and unyielding
soldier threw up his position with the Church and married a rich and
noble lady of Clarenta, whose fortune well supplanted the large income
which he had forfeited by his resignation.

Now honor called for deeds. Almost immediately he was obliged to leave
for Naples in order to meet the detractor of his valor, and, to his
surprise, the Queen spoke lightly of the quarrel. "It is a question of
law," said she. "An inquiry shall be had. There must be no bloodshed."

An inquiry was therefore in order, and it was a thorough one. "Simon
is in the wrong,"