e castle sentries but also from the watchers in the besieger's camp,
he climbed back to the postern, exulting in that he had gone unobserved,
and contemptuous for the vigilance of those that should have observed
him.

Softly he closed the wicket, locked it and shot home the bolts at top
and base, and went to replace the key on its nail in the guard-room,
which he found untenanted. Next, with that mysterious letter in his
hand, he scampered off across the courtyard and through the porch
leading to the domestic quarters, nor paused until he had gained the
kitchen, where Fra Domenico was roasting the quarter of a lamb that
he had that morning butchered. For now that the siege was established,
there was no more fish from the brook, nor hares and ortolans from the
country-side.

The friar cursed the fool roundly, as was his wont upon every
occasion, for he was none so holy that he disdained the milder forms
of objurgatory oaths. But Peppe for once had no vicious answer ready, a
matter that led the Dominican to ask him was he ill.

Never heeding him, the fool unfolded and smoothed the crumpled paper in
a corner by the fire. He read it and whistled, then stuffed it into the
bosom of his absurd tunic.

"What ails you?" quoth the friar. "What have you there?"

"A recipe for a dish of friar's brains. A most rare delicacy, and
rendered costly by virtue of the scarcity of the ingredients." And with
that answer Peppe was gone, leaving the monk with an ugly look in his
eyes, and an unuttered imprecation on his tongue.

Straight to the Count of Aquila went the fool with his letter. Francesco
read it, and questioned him closely as to what he knew of the manner in
which it had come into Gonzaga's possession. For the rest, those lines,
far from causing him the uneasiness Peppe expected, seemed a source of
satisfaction and assurance to him.

"He offers a thousand gold florins," he muttered, "in addition to
Gonzaga's liberty and advancement. Why, then, I have said no more than
was true when I assured the men that Gian Maria was but idly threatening
us with bombardment. Keep this matter secret, Peppe."

"But you will watch Messer Gonzaga?" quoth the fool.

"Watch him? Why, where is the need? You do not imagine him so vile that
this offer could tempt him?"

Peppe looked up, his great, whimsical face screwed into an expression of
cunning doubt.

"You do not think, lord, that he invited it?"

"Now, shame on you for that thought.