d head.

"Monna Valentina," he called, and when she stepped forth in answer, he
raised his little, cruel eyes in a malicious glance and showed the
round moon of his white face to be whiter even, than its wont--a pallor
atrabilious and almost green.

"I am grieved that his Highness, your uncle, should not have prevailed
with you. Where he has failed, I may have little hope of succeeding--by
the persuasion of words. Yet I would beg you to allow me to have speech
of your captain, whoever he may be."

"My captains are here in attendance," she answered tranquilly.

"So! You have a plurality of them; to command--how many men?"

"Enough," roared Francesco, interposing, his voice sounding hollow
from his helmet, "to blow you and your woman besieging scullions to
perdition."

The Duke stirred on his horse, and peered up at the speaker. But there
was too little of his face visible for recognition, whilst his voice was
altered and his figure dissembled in its steel casing.

"Who are you, rogue?" he asked.

"Rogue in your teeth, be you twenty times a Duke," returned the other,
at which Valentina laughed outright.

Never from the day when he had uttered his first wail had his Highness
of Babbiano heard words of such import from the lips of living man. A
purple flush mottled his cheeks at the indignity of it.

"Attend to me, knave!" he bellowed. "Whatever betide the rest of this
misguided garrison when ultimately it falls into my hands, for you I can
promise a rope and a cross-beam."

"Bah!" sneered the knight. "First catch your bird. Be none so sure that
Roccaleone ever will fall into your hands. While I live you do not enter
here, and my life, Highness, is for me a precious thing, which I'll not
part with lightly."

Valentina's eyes were mirthless now as she turned them upon that
gleaming, martial figure standing so proudly at her side, and seeming
so well-attuned to the proud defiance he hurled at the princely bully
below.

"Hush, sir!" she murmured. "Do not anger him further."

"Aye," groaned Gonzaga, "in God's name say no more, or you'll undo us
hopelessly."

"Madonna," said the Duke, without further heeding Francesco, "I give you
twenty-four hours in which to resolve upon your action. Yonder you see
them bringing the cannon into camp. When you wake to-morrow you shall
find those guns trained upon your walls. Meanwhile, enough said. May I
speak a word with Messer Gonzaga ere I depart."

"So that you depart,