ofia to her uncle's
court. But of late they had withered, since he had learnt what were her
uncle's plans for this lady's future. And now, by her own action, and by
the plot into which she had entered with him, they rose once more.

To thwart Guidobaldo might prove a dangerous thing, and his life might
pay the forfeit if his schemes miscarried--clement and merciful though
Guidobaldo was. But if they succeeded, and if by love or by force
he could bring Valentina to wed him, he was tolerably confident that
Guidobaldo, seeing matters had gone too far--since Gian Maria would
certainly refuse to wed Gonzaga's widow--would let them be. To this end
no plan could be more propitious than that into which he had lured her.
Guidobaldo might besiege them in Roccaleone and might eventually reduce
them by force of arms--a circumstance, however, which, despite his
words, he deemed extremely remote. But if only he could wed Valentina
before they capitulated, he thought that he would have little cause to
fear any consequences of Guidobaldo's wrath. After all, in so far as
birth and family were concerned, Romeo Gonzaga was nowise the inferior
of his Highness of Urbino. Guidobaldo had yet another niece, and he
might cement with her the desired alliance with Babbiano.

Alone in the gardens of the Palace, Gonzaga paced after night had
fallen, and with his eyes to the stars that began to fleck the violet
sky, he smiled a smile of cunning gratification. He bethought him how
well advised had been his suggestion that they should take a priest to
Roccaleone. Unless his prophetic sense led him deeply into error, they
would find work for that priest before the castle was surrendered.

CHAPTER VIII. AMONG THE DREGS OF WINE

And so it befell that whilst by Guidobaldo's orders the preparations for
Valentina's nuptials went forward with feverish haste--whilst painters,
carvers, and artificers in gold and silver applied themselves to their
hurried tasks; whilst messengers raced to Venice for gold leaf and
ultramarine for the wedding-chests whilst the nuptial bed was being
brought from Rome and the chariot from Ferrara; whilst costly
stuffs were being collected, and the wedding-garments fashioned--the
magnificent Romeo Gonzaga was, on his side, as diligently contriving to
render vain all that toil of preparation.

On the evening of the third day of his conspiring he sat in the room
allotted to him in the Palace of Urbino, and matured his plan