.
Accordingly it was decided that he should set out for Treviso, whither,
in the course of a few weeks, the bride with her parents was to follow,
the rescued city being resolved to celebrate the marriage of their
noble son and deliverer with all possible splendour. Meanwhile the good
citizens had not lost the time spent by him on a sick bed, for they had
prepared for their loved young hero, whose name was on every lip, an
entry more triumphal than had ever yet been accorded to any prince.

"Amidst other offerings which the city meant to bestow upon him was a
banner, which his own uncle was to make over to him in the name of the
whole Council; a perfect marvel both as to material and skilful work.
The pole of ten feet was of polished oak, ornamented by bosses of
silver, the handle was set with rubies, and the point was gilt, so that
when the sun shone it was dazzling to look upon. From this pole hung a
heavy pennon of silver brocade, on which was represented a golden
griffin--the crest of the Buonfigli crowned with the mural crown of
Treviso--strangling a red serpent, whose coils were so natural, and
covered with such fine gold scales, that you seemed to see a living
snake writhing before your eyes. Above this was a Latin inscription in
flaming letters, which ran 'Fear not, for I will deliver thee.'

"This wondrous achievement of a skilful needle had, during the six
weeks that Attilio was laid low by his wound, proceeded from the hands
of one maiden only, whose talent for executing such work in gold,
silver, and silken thread, was renowned far and near. This maiden was
named Gianna--that is, Giovanna--the Blonde, for her hair was exactly
like bright spun gold, so that she had actually worked a church banner
for the Blessed Virgin, in the chapel of San Sebastiano, with nothing
but her own tresses. She had cut them off in her excessive grief when
her betrothed, who was, called Sebastian, a brave and handsome youth of
the district, had died of small-pox a few weeks before their marriage.
At that time she was eighteen years old, and the object of so many
secret wishes and so much open wooing, that she had often to hear
people prophecy that before her hair had grown again her bridegroom
would have a successor--agreeably to the proverb, Long hair, short
care. To speeches like these she would answer neither yea or nay, but
calmly look down upon her work like a being whose ear and mind were
closed against the idle sayings of th