breaking
with the fallen tyrant in so far as his sister was concerned.

Short of actually making the proposal itself, it would seem that Filippo
did all in his power to urge his sister upon the attention of Cesare.
But Duke Valentino's mind at that time was too full of the concerns of
conquest and administration to find room for a matter to him so trifling
as the enriching of his cousin Ignacio by a wealthy alliance. To this
alone, I thought, was it due that Madonna Paola escaped the persecution
that might then have been hers.

On the morrow Cesare moved on to Rimini, leaving his administrators
behind him to set right the affairs of Pesaro, and ensure its proper
governing, in his name, hereafter.

And now that, for the present, my hopes of ever seeing my own wrongs
redressed and my estates returned to me were too slender to justify my
remaining longer in Pesaro, I craved of the Lord Filippo permission to
withdraw, telling him frankly that my tardily aroused duty called me to
my widowed mother, whom for some six years I had not seen. He threw no
difficulty in the way of my going; and I was free to depart. And now
came the hidden pain of my leave-taking of Madonna Paola. She seemed to
grieve at my departure.

"Lazzaro," she cried, when I had told her of my intention, "do you, too,
desert me? And I have ever held you my best of friends."

I told her of the mother and of the duty that I owed her, whereupon she
remonstrated no more, nor sought to do other than urge me to go to her.
And then I spoke of Madonna's kindness to me, and of the friendship with
which she had honoured one so lowly, and in the end I swore, with my
hand on my heart and my soul on my lips, that if ever she had work for
me, she would not need to call me twice.

"This ring, Madonna," said I, "was given me by the Lord Cesare Borgia,
and was to have proved a talisman to open wide for me the door to
fortune. It did better service than that, Madonna. It was the talisman
that saved you from your pursuers that day at Cagli, three years ago."

"You remind me, Lazzaro," she cried, "of how much you have sacrificed
in my service. Yours must be a very noble nature that will do so much to
serve a helpless lady without any hope of guerdon."

"Nay, nay," I answered lightly, "you must not make so much of it. It
would never have sorted with my inclinations to have turned man-at-arms.
This ring, Madonna, that once has served you, I beg that you will keep,
for it