followed by a silence of some moments, terminated at last by the sound
of a bugle.

Answering that summons to a parley, and with a last word of injunction
to Fortemani, who was left in charge of the men at the guns, Francesco
rode forward on one of Gian Maria's horses, escorted by Lanciotto and
Zaccaria similarly mounted, and each armed with a loaded arquebuse.

Under the walls of Roccaleone he drew rein, laughing to himself at this
monstrous change of sides. As he halted--helmet on head, but beaver
open--a body came hurtling over the battlements and splashed into the
foaming waters below. It was the corpse of Aventano, which Gian Maria
had peremptorily bidden them to remove from his sight.

"I desire to speak with Monna Valentina della Rovere," cried the furious
Duke.

"You may speak with me, Gian Maria," answered Francesco's voice,
clear and metallic. "I am her representative, her sometime Provost of
Roccaleone."

"Who are you?" quoth the Duke, struck by a familiar note in that mocking
voice.

"Francesco del Falco, Count of Aquila."

"By God! You!"

"An age of marvels, is it not?" laughed Francesco.

"Which will you lose, my cousin--a wife or a duchy?"

Rage struck Gian Maria speechless for a moment. Then he turned to
Guidobaldo and whispered something; but Guidobaldo, who seemed vastly
interested now in this knight below, merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I will lose neither, Messer Francesco," roared the Duke. "Neither, by
God!" he screamed. "Neither, do you hear me?"

"I should be deaf else," was the easy answer, "But you are gravely at
fault. One or the other you must relinquish, and it is yours to make a
choice between them. The game has gone against you, Gian Maria, and you
must pay."

"But have I no voice in the bartering of my niece?" asked Guidobaldo,
with cold dignity. "Is it for you, Lord Count, to say whether your
cousin shall wed her or not?"

"Why, no. He may wed her if he will, but he will be a duke no longer. In
fact, he will be an outcast with no title to lay claim to, if indeed the
Babbianians will leave him a head at all; whilst I, at least, though
not a duke with a tottering throne, am a count with lands, small
but securely held, and shall become a duke if Gian Maria refuses to
relinquish me your niece. So that if he be disposed to marry her,
will you be disposed to let her marry a homeless vagrant or a headless
corpse?"

Guidobaldo's face seemed to change, and his eyes looked