surcoat of yellow
velvet, and his eyes were very kindly and affectionate when they rested
on Galeotto and from Galeotto passed on to take survey of me.

"So this is our hermit!" quoth he, a note of some surprise in his crisp
tones. "Somewhat changed!"

"By a change that goes deeper than his pretty doublet," said Galeotto.

We dismounted, and grooms, in the Cavalcanti livery of scarlet with
the horse-head in white upon their breasts, led away our horses. The
seneschal acted as quarter-master to our lances, whilst Cavalcanti
himself led us up the great stone staircase with its carved balustrade
of marble, from which rose a file of pillars to support the groined
ceiling. This last was frescoed in dull red with the white horse-head
at intervals. On our right, on every third step, stood orange-trees in
tubs, all flowering and shedding the most fragrant perfume.

Thus we ascended to a spacious gallery, and through a succession of
magnificent rooms we came to the noble apartments that had been made
ready for us.

A couple of pages came to tend me, bringing perfumed water and macerated
herbs for my ablutions. These performed, they helped me into fresh
garments that awaited me--black hose of finest silk and velvet trunks
of the same sable hue, and for my body a fine close-fitting doublet of
cloth of gold, caught at the waist by a jewelled girdle from which hung
a dagger that was the merest toy.

When I was ready they went before me, to lead the way to what they
called the private dining-room, where supper awaited us. At the very
mention of a private dining-room I had a vision of whitewashed walls and
high-set windows and a floor strewn with rushes. Instead we came into
the most beautiful chamber that I had ever seen. From floor to ceiling
it was hung with arras of purple brocade alternating with cloth of gold;
thus on three sides. On the fourth there was an opening for the embayed
window which glowed like a gigantic sapphire in the deepening twilight.

The floor was spread with a carpet of the ruddy purple of porphyry, very
soft and silent to the feet. From the frescoed ceiling, where a joyous
Phoebus drove a team of spirited white stallions, hung a chain that
was carved in the semblance of interlocked Titans to support a great
candelabrum, each branch of which was in the image of a Titan holding
a stout candle of scented wax. It was all in gilded bronze and the
workmanship--as I was presently to learn--of that great arti