t, despairing attempt to
assert himself one of her captains.

Francesco had put on his harness, and came arrayed from head to foot
in resplendent steel, to do worthy honour to the occasion. A bunch of
plumes nodded in his helm, and for all that his beaver was open, yet
the shadows of the head-piece afforded at the distance sufficient
concealment to his features.

The sight of her uncle left Valentina unmoved. Well-beloved though he
was of his people, between himself and his niece he had made no effort
ever to establish relations of affection. Less than ever did he now seek
to prevail by the voice of kinship. He came in the panoply of war, as
a prince to a rebel subject, and in precisely such a tone did he greet
her.

"Monna Valentina," he said--seeming entirely to overlook the
circumstance that she was his kinswoman--"deeply though this rebellion
grieves me, you are not to think that your sex shall gain you any
privileges or any clemency. We will treat you precisely as we would any
other rebel subject who acted as you have done."

"Highness," she replied, "I solicit no privilege beyond that to which my
sex gives me the absolute right, and which has no concern with war and
arms. I allude to the privilege of disposing of myself, my hand and
heart, as it shall please me. Until you come to recognise that I am a
woman endowed with a woman's nature, and until, having realised it, you
are prepared to submit to it, and pass me your princely word to urge the
Duke of Babbiano's suit no further with me, here will I stay in spite
of you, your men-at-arms, and your paltry ally, Gian Maria, who imagines
that love may be made successfully in armour, and that a way to a
woman's heart is to be opened with cannon-shot."

"I think we shall bring you to a more subjective and dutiful frame of
mind, Madonna," was the grim answer.

"Dutiful to whom?"

"To the State, a princess of which you have had the honour to be born."

"And what of my duty to myself, to my heart, and to my womanhood? Is no
account to be taken of that?"

"These are matters, Madonna, that are not to be discussed in shouts from
the walls of a castle--nor, indeed, do I wish to discuss them anywhere.
I am here to summon you to surrender. If you resist us, you do so at
your peril."

"Then at my peril I will resist you--gladly. I defy you. Do your worst
against me, disgrace your manhood and the very name of chivalry by
whatsoever violence may occur to you, yet I pro