of bandying words?" cried the apprentice angrily. "I
will offer you a bargain, Sor Marzio. I will give you your choice.
Either I will leave the house, and in that case I will carry off Lucia
and marry her in spite of you. Or else I will stay here--but if Lucia
marries any one else, I will cut your throat. Is that a fair bargain?"

"Perfectly fair, though I cannot see wherein the bargain consists,"
answered Marzio, with a rough laugh. "I prefer that you should stay
here. I will run the risk of being murdered by you, any day, and you may
ran the risk of being sent to the galleys for life, if you choose. You
will be well cared for there, and you can try your chisel on
paving-stones for a change from silver chalices."

"Never mind what becomes of me afterwards, in that case," said the young
man. "If Lucia is married to some one else, I do not care what happens.
So you have got your warning!"

"Thank you. If you had remained what you used to be, you might have
married her without further difficulty. But to have you and Lucia and
Maria Luisa and Paolo all conspiring against me from morning till night
is more than I can bear. Good-night, and the devil be with you, you
fool!"

"_Et cum spiritu tuo_," answered Gianbattista as he left the room.

When Marzio was alone he returned to the head he was drawing--a head of
wonderful beauty, inclined downwards and towards one side, bearing a
crown of thorns, the eyelids drooped and shaded in death. He glanced at
it with a bitter smile and threw aside the pencil without making another
stroke upon the paper.

He leaned back, lighted another pipe, and began to reflect upon the
events of the evening. He was glad it was over, for a strange weakness
in his violent nature made it hard for him to face such scenes unless he
were thoroughly roused. Now, however, he was satisfied. For a long time
he had seen with growing distrust the change in Gianbattista's manner,
and in the last words he had spoken to the apprentice he had uttered
what was really in his heart. He was afraid of being altogether
overwhelmed by the majority against him in his own house. He hated Paolo
with his whole soul, and he had hated him all his life. This calm,
obliging brother of his stood between him and all peace of mind. It was
not the least of his grievances that he received most of his commissions
through the priest who was constantly in relation with the cardinal and
rich prelates who were the patrons of his art