FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  
ndy was stammering some sort of gibberish,--Hebrew or Greek, for aught she knew,--had taken his snuff-box from a pocket behind, and smilingly helped himself to a pinch of snuff. Further, the snuff-box had looked like a common tortoise-shell affair with an enamelled cover; and after he had taken his pinch, he had put his hand into the pocket of his gold-embroidered silk gown and drawn out a coarse cotton handkerchief such as the Franciscans use. But these little details had entirely escaped the princess and her lawyer. CHAPTER VIII. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR. One day, when Blanka announced her intention of visiting the Colosseum for the purpose of sketching it, Gabriel Zimandy declared that he could not be one of the party, and the two ladies must get along without his escort. He said he was going to the Lateran, in his client's interest, and added that he had just received unwelcome news from Manasseh. "Then you have told him what brought us to Rome," said the princess. "Are you angry with me for doing so?" asked the advocate. "No, no; you were quite right. What word does he send you?" "I'll read you what he says--if I can; he writes an abominable hand. 'While you are seeing the sights of Rome with the ladies,' he begins, 'important events are taking place elsewhere. General Durando has had a taste of the Austrians at Ferrara, and found them hard nuts to crack. In his wrath he now proclaims a crusade against them, fastens red crosses on his soldiers' breasts, and is pushing forward to cross the Po. But this action of his is very displeasing to the Pope, who does not look kindly on a crusade by a Roman army against a Christian nation. Accordingly he has forbidden Durando to cross the Po. If now the general disobeys, all those whose powerful favour your client at present enjoys will lose their influence; and should he suffer defeat beyond the Po, as he well may, your client's enemies could hardly fail to gain the upper hand. You will do wisely, therefore, to press an issue before it is too late.'" "But is it possible that I should be made to suffer for a defeat on the battle-field?" asked Blanka. "H'm! _Quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi_," returned the advocate, sententiously; and he hurried away without explaining that the quotation meant,--Whenever kings fall to quarrelling, the common people suffer for it. Such was the old Greek usage. Blanka was thus left to find her way to the Col
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

suffer

 

client

 

Blanka

 

ladies

 

defeat

 

princess

 

Durando

 

advocate

 
crusade
 
pocket

common

 
forward
 

pushing

 

soldiers

 

breasts

 
returned
 

kindly

 
Achivi
 

action

 

displeasing


sententiously

 
crosses
 

Ferrara

 
quotation
 

Austrians

 

General

 
Whenever
 

fastens

 

proclaims

 

explaining


hurried
 

Christian

 
enemies
 

influence

 

battle

 

people

 

quarrelling

 

wisely

 

general

 

disobeys


delirant

 

forbidden

 
nation
 
plectuntur
 

Accordingly

 

present

 

enjoys

 

favour

 

Quidquid

 

powerful