ay that he would have fought
for his cause like the untameable male thing he was. But he had set his
eyes evilly upon Messer Dante while he had been speaking, and he kept
them fixed on Messer Dante's face now that he had made an end of
speaking. I saw that Dante's face flushed a little, even to the hair
above the high forehead, and his eyes for a moment seemed to widen and
brighten like those of some fierce, brave bird. Then he pushed his way
to the front of the company and looked up at Simone steadfastly, and his
arms were still folded across his body and his sharp-featured face was
tense with suppressed rage, and he spoke very quickly but clearly, too,
for all the quickness of his words.

What he said was to this effect: "Messer Simone, I thank Heaven that it
may be possible for a man to write verses in the praise of his sweet
lady and to draw sword in the service of his sweet city. Because I think
that no man can honor his lady better than in honoring the city that is
blessed in giving her birth and blessed in sheltering her beauty, I
hereby very cheerfully and joyously give my name to be written on the
list of the Company of Death."

Thereat there was a great cheering and shouting on the part of the
younger men, and they gathered about Dante, hotly applauding him. My
heart was heavy within me, for I looked at the face of Simone dei Bardi
and saw that it shone with pleasure, and I looked at the face of Guido
Cavalcanti and saw that it was gray with pain, and I knew that Messer
Simone had gained his purpose. As I looked from face to face of the two
men that made such ill-matched enemies, Messer Guido Cavalcanti came
forward, and, taking a quill from him that held them, wrote his name on
the book of the Company of Death, just below the name of Dante.

XV

A SPY IN THE NIGHT

Messer Simone had in his service, as you know already who have read this
record of mine, a fellow named Maleotti that was of great use to his
master--a brisk, insidious villain that was ever on good terms with all
the world, and never on such good terms with a man as when he was minded
to do him an ill turn, assuming, of course, that such ill turn was to
his own advantage or in the service of his master, Messer Simone dei
Bardi. To Messer Simone this fellow Maleotti was altogether devoted, as,
indeed, he had a right to be, for Simone was a good paymaster to all
those that served him, and he knew the value of Maleotti's tongue when
it