ll restrained as he made
answer:

"Madonna, this knave was insolent."

"An insolence that you no doubt provoked," put in Gonzaga, a dimple
showing on his woman's cheek. But the sterner rebuke fell from the lips
of Valentina.

"Knave?" she questioned, with flushed countenance. "If you would not
have me regret your admittance, Messer Francesco, I pray you curb your
words. Here are no knaves. That, sir, is the captain of my soldiers."

Francesco bowed submissively, as patient under her reproof as he had
been hasty under Fortemani's.

"It was on the matter of this captaincy that we fell to words," he
answered, with more humility. "By his own announcement I understood this
nobleman"--and his eyes turned to Gonzaga--"to be your captain."

"He is the captain of my castle," she informed him.

"As you see, Ser Francesco," put in Peppe, who had perched himself upon
the balustrade, "we suffer from no lack of captains here. We have also
Fra Domenico, who is captain of our souls and of the kitchen; myself am
captain of----"

"Devil take you, fool," snapped Gonzaga, thrusting him roughly from his
perch. Then turning abruptly to the Count: "You bear a message for us,
sir?" he questioned loftily.

Swallowing the cavalier tone, and overlooking the pronoun Gonzaga
employed, Francesco inclined his head again to the lady.

"I should prefer to deliver it in more privacy than this." And his
eye travelled round the court and up the steps behind, where was now
collected the entire company of Fortemani. Gonzaga sneered and tossed
his golden curls, but Valentina saw naught unreasonable in the request,
and bidding Romeo attend her and Francesco follow, she led the way.

They crossed the quadrangle, and, mounting the steps down which
Fortemani had dashed to meet the Count, they passed into the
banqueting-hall, which opened directly upon the south side of the
courtyard. The Count, following in her wake, ran the gauntlet of scowls
of the assembled mercenaries. He stalked past them unmoved, taking their
measure as he went, and estimating their true value with the unerring
eye of the practised condottiero who has had to do with the enrolling of
men and the handling of them. So little did he like their looks that on
the threshold of the hall he paused and stayed Gonzaga.

"I am loath to leave my servant at the mercy of those ruffians, sir. May
I beg that you will warn them against offering him violence?"

"Ruffians?" cried the lady angr