e, when within sight of Florence, to spur his horse to a
gallop and to come tearing through the gates, reeling on his saddle, as
one that bore mighty tidings, which must be delivered to Messer Simone
dei Bardi without delay.

What these tidings were Folco was soon enough to learn. Messer Simone
hastened to Messer Folco's house and demanded audience of the lady
Beatrice. He found her and her father together, Messer Folco still
fuming, Madonna Beatrice still pale and resolved. Simone stayed with a
large gesture Messer Folco's protestations of regret at having so
unmannerly a daughter, and, addressing himself to Beatrice, asked her if
it was true that her affection for another stood in the way of her
obedience to her father's wishes. She seemed to be almost past speech
after the long struggle with her father, but she made a sign with her
head to show that this was so. Thereupon Simone, making his voice as
gentle and tender as it was possible for him to make it, went on to ask
her if by any chance the man she so favored was young Messer Dante of
the Alighieri. Madonna Beatrice would not answer him this question,
either by word or sign. Then Simone, allowing his voice to grow sad, as
one that sorrows for another's loss, assured her that if that were so,
there could be no further obstacle to her father's wishes, because he
was at that moment the bearer of the bad news that Messer Dante and all
those that were with him had been killed that morning by treason in a
wood half-way to Arezzo. While Messer Simone was telling this tale to
Beatrice, the same story was running like fire through the streets of
Florence, for Messer Maleotti was very willing to tell what had
happened, or rather what he thought had happened, to whomsoever cared to
ask or to listen, and I take it that there was not a man or woman in all
Florence who did not seek to have news at first hand of the disaster.

It seems that at this news the unnatural resistance of Madonna Beatrice
to her father's orders broke down entirely. I use the term "unnatural"
as one in nowise implying any censure of Madonna Beatrice for her
resistance to her father's wishes, but rather as describing the strength
beyond her nature which she put into that resistance. For I hold that
the dominion of parents on the one side, and the obedience of children
and the deference of children to that dominion on the other side, may be
made too much of and thought too much of, and in no case more so