simo's haughty face and cruel mouth, and conjectured in
that hour whether I should have found him so very civil and pleasant a
cousin had things been other than they were.

O, a very serpent was Messer Fifanti; and I have since wondered whether
of intent he sought to sow in my heart hatred of my guelphic cousin,
that he might make of me a tool for his own service--as you shall come
to understand.

Meanwhile, Cosimo, having recovered, waved aside the imputation, and
smiled easily.

"Nay, there you wrong me. The Anguissola lose more than I shall gain by
Agostino's renunciation of the world. And I am sorry for it. You believe
me, cousin?"

I answered his courteous speech as it deserved, in very courteous terms.
This set a pleasanter humour upon all. Yet some restraint abode. Each
sat, it seemed, as a man upon his guard. My cousin watched Gambara's
every look whenever the latter turned to speak to Giuliana; the
Cardinal-legate did the like by him; and Messer Fifanti watched them
both.

And, meantime, Giuliana sat there, listening now to one, now to the
other, her lazy smile parting those scarlet lips--those lips that I had
kissed that morning--I, whom no one thought of watching!

And soon came Messer Annibale Caro, with lines from the last pages of
his translation oozing from him. And when presently Giuliana smote her
hands together in ecstatic pleasure at one of those same lines and
bade him repeat it to her, he swore roundly by all the gods that are
mentioned in Virgil that he would dedicate the work to her upon its
completion.

At this the surliness became general once more and my Lord Gambara
ventured the opinion--and there was a note of promise, almost of threat,
in his sleek tones--that the Duke would shortly be needing Messer Caro's
presence in Parma; whereupon Messer Caro cursed the Duke roundly and
with all a poet's volubility of invective.

They stayed late, each intent, no doubt, upon outstaying the others.
But since none would give way they were forced in the end to depart
together.

And whilst Messer Fifanti, as became a host, was seeing them to their
horses, I was left alone with Giuliana.

"Why do you suffer those men?" I asked her bluntly. Her delicate
brows were raised in surprise. "Why, what now? They are very pleasant
gentlemen, Agostino."

"Too pleasant," said I, and rising I crossed to the window whence I
could watch them getting to horse, all save Caro, who had come afoot.
"Too pleasant