, abhor all who
had a hand in it, abhor the very life itself purchased for me at such a
cost?"

He cowered before my furious wrath; for I must have seemed terrific as
I stood thundering there, my face wild, my eyes bloodshot, half mad from
pain and rage and sleeplessness.

"And do you know what you have done?" I went on. "Do you know to what
you have sold her? Must I tell you?"

And I told him, in a dozen brutal words that brought him to his feet,
the lion in him roused at last, his eyes ablaze.

"We must after them," I urged. "We must wrest her from these beasts,
and make a widow of her for the purpose. Galeotto's lances are below and
they will follow me. You may bring what more you please. Come, sir--to
horse!"

He sprang forward with no answer beyond a muttered prayer that we might
come in time.

"We must," I answered fiercely, and ran madly from the room, along
the gallery and down the stairs, shouting and raging like a maniac,
Cavalcanti following me.

Within ten minutes, Galeotto's three score men and another score of
those who garrisoned Pagliano for Cavalcanti were in the saddle and
galloping hell-for-leather to Piacenza. Ahead on fresh horses went
Falcone and I, the Lord of Pagliano spurring beside me and pestering me
with questions as to the source of my knowledge.

Our great fear was lest we should find the gates of Piacenza closed on
our arrival. But we covered the ten miles in something under an hour,
and the head of our little column was already through the Fodesta Gate
when the first hour of night rang out from the Duomo, giving the signal
for the closing of the gates.

The officer in charge turned out to view so numerous a company, and
challenged us to stand. But I flung him the answer that we were the
Black Bands of Ser Galeotto and that we rode by order of the Duke, with
which perforce he had to be content; for we did not stay for more and
were too numerous to be detained by such meagre force as he commanded.

Up the dark street we swept--the same street down which I had last
ridden on that night when Gambara had opened the gates of the prison for
me--and so we came to the square and to Cosimo's palace.

All was in darkness, and the great doors were closed. A strange
appearance this for a house to which a bride had so newly come.

I dismounted as lightly as if I had not ridden lately more than just
the ten miles from Pagliano. Indeed, I had become unconscious of all
fatigue, entirely ob