.

He leaned over to me, and gripped my hand where it lay on the saddle-bow
clutching the reins.

"Thus is Giovanni d'Anguissola at last avenged!" he said to me in a deep
voice that thrilled me.

"I would that he were here to know," I answered.

And again Galeotto's eyes grew wistful as they looked at me.

We won out of the town at last, and when we came to the high ground
beyond the river, we saw in the plain below phalanx upon phalanx of a
great army. It was Ferrante Gonzaga's Imperial force.

Galeotto pointed to it. "That is my goal," he said. "You had best ride
on to Pagliano with these lances. You may need them there. I had hoped
that Cosimo would have been found in the castle with Pier Luigi. His
absence makes me uneasy. Away with you, then. You shall have news of me
within three days."

We embraced, on horseback as we were. Then he wheeled his charger and
went down the steep ground, riding hard for Ferrante's army, whilst
we pursued our way, and came some two hours later without mishap to
Pagliano.

I found Bianca awaiting me in the gallery above the courtyard, drawn
thither by the sounds of our approach.

"Dear Agostino, I have been so fearful for you," was her greeting when I
had leapt up the staircase to take her hand.

I led her to the marble seat she had occupied on that night, two years
ago, when first we had spoken of our visions. Briefly I gave her the
news of what had befallen in Piacenza.

When I had done, she sighed and looked at me.

"It brings us no nearer to each other," she said.

"Nay, now--this much nearer, at least, that the Imperial decree will
return me the lordships of Mondolfo and Carmina, dispossessing the
usurper. Thus I shall have something to offer you, my Bianca."

She smiled at me very sadly, almost reproachfully.

"Foolish," said she. "What matter the possessions that it may be yours
to cast into my lap? Is that what we wait for, Agostino? Is there not
Pagliano for you? Would not that, at need, be lordship enough?"

"The meanest cottage of the countryside were lordship enough so that you
shared it," I answered passionately, as many in like case have answered
before and since.

"You see, then, that you are wrong to attach importance to so slight
a thing as this Imperial decree where you and I are concerned. Can an
Imperial decree annul my marriage?"

"For that a papal bull would be necessary."

"And how is a papal bull to be obtained?"

"It is not for us," I a