-poor fools!--have so far believed him that they
will run to his banner in any struggle that may ensue."

He dismissed them at last with the promise that they should hear from
him, and on the morrow, attended by Falcone only, he rode forth again
from Pagliano, to seek out the dal Verme and the Sforza of Santafiora
and endeavour to engage their interest against the man who had outraged
them.

And that was early in August of the year '46.

I remained at Pagliano by Galeotto's request. He would have no need
of me upon his mission. But he might desire me to seek out some of the
others of the Val di Taro with such messages as he should send me.

And in all this time I had seen but little of Monna Bianca. We met under
her father's eye in that gold-and-purple dining-room; and there I would
devoutly, though surreptitiously, feast my eyes upon the exquisite
beauty of her. But I seldom spoke to her, and then it was upon the most
trivial matters; whilst although the summer was now full fragrantly
unfolded, yet I never dared to intrude into that garden of hers to which
I had been bidden, ever restrained by the overwhelming memory of the
past.

So poignant was this memory that at times I caught myself wondering
whether, after all, I had not been mistaken in lending an ear so readily
to the arguments of Fra Gervasio, whether Fra Gervasio himself had not
been mistaken in assuming that my place was in the world, and whether I
had not done best to have carried out my original intention of seeking
refuge in some monastery in the lowly position of a lay brother.

Meanwhile the Lord of Pagliano used me in the most affectionate and
fatherly manner. But not even this sufficed to encourage me where
his daughter was concerned, and I seemed to observe also that Bianca
herself, if she did not actually avoid my society, was certainly at no
pains to seek it.

What the end would have been but for the terrible intervention there was
in our affairs, I have often surmised without result.

It happened that one day, about a week after Galeotto had left us there
rode up to the gates of Pagliano a very magnificent company, and there
was great braying of horns, stamping of horses and rattle of arms.

My Lord Pier Luigi Farnese had been on a visit to his city of Parma, and
on his return journey had thought well to turn aside into the lands of
ultra-Po, and pay a visit to the Lord of Pagliano, whom he did not love,
yet whom, perhaps, it may have be