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