elt. Olimpia, too, was interested,
and for the first time. With face fixed between her hands, she leaned
both elbows on the table, watching.

"Is the Countess Lionella your mistress?" she asked. Angioletto made her
a bow; the company applauded a popular name. Olimpia turned a glance
upon her Captain, which said as plainly as she could have spoken,
"Finish him for your master's sake." But it had no meaning for the
champion, who possibly knew more about his master than he had been
minded to declare.

Angioletto tapped the ground with his toe. "Come, Master Captain," he
said, "before your blood cools."

"Have no fear, bantam," said a jolly Dominican in his ear, "that toad's
blood was never hot." It certainly looked like it. The Captain scratched
his head.

"Look ye now, youngster," he said at last, "I serve his worship Count
Guarino Guarini, who is the husband of Madama Lionella; and lucky for
you that service is. Otherwise, by the truly splintered Cross, it had
gone hard with you this night."

"Oh, brava, brava!" cheered the dining-room, and then hooted the Captain
to his bench.

Angioletto put up his little hanger with a curt nod in his enemy's
direction. "For the Countess's sake I spare you to the Count, Captain
Mosca; though what precisely your value may be to his Excellency I do
not at present understand."

Thereupon he turned to his poor Bellaroba, took her in his arms before
them all, kissed her eyes dry of tears, and ended by drawing a rueful
smile from her lips. The dining-room found him admirable throughout; but
Olimpia got up, yawning.

"Come, child, it is time for bed," she declared, "I suppose even this
entertainment must have a term." There was no gainsaying it. The lovers
were torn apart by the moral force of Olimpia's attendance; but not
until it was demonstrated that, though good-night is a word of two
syllables, it needs four lips, and is therefore capable of infinite
extension.

"Well, my child, I hope you are satisfied with this little day's work,"
said Olimpia, half undressed.

For answer, Bellaroba, upon her friend's neck, dissolved in a flood of
happy tears.

III

HOW THEY CAME TO FERRARA

That was a fair sight which greeted the travellers at the close of the
next day--the towers of Ferrara rising stately out of a green thicket.
The lovers trilled their happiness to each other: surely nothing but
pleasure and a smooth life could come out of so treeful a place!

"In our Ve