negroid ancestry. His scanty beard, as well as his
frizzled hair, was the color of dead grass. He was sumptuously clothed
in white satin worked with silver, and around his cap was a gold chain
hung with diamonds. Now he handed his fringed riding-gloves to Guido
to hold.

"Yes, madonna, I suspect that Eglamore here cares greatly for the fact
that you are Lord Balthazar's daughter, and cousin to the late Marquis
of Cibo. For Cibo has many kinsmen at court who still resent the
circumstance that the matching of his wits against Eglamore's earned
for Cibo a deplorably public demise. So they conspire against Eglamore
with vexatious industry, as an upstart, as a nobody thrust over people
of proven descent, and Eglamore goes about in hourly apprehension of a
knife-thrust. If he could make a match with you, though, your
father--thrifty man!--would be easily appeased. Your cousins, those
proud, grumbling Castel-Franchi, Strossi and Valori, would not prove
over-obdurate toward a kinsman who, whatever his past indiscretions,
has so many pensions and offices at his disposal. Yes, honor would
permit a truce, and Eglamore could bind them to his interests within
ten days, and be rid of the necessity of sleeping in chain armor. . . .
Have I not unraveled the scheme correctly, Eglamore?"

"Your highness was never lacking in penetration," replied the other in
a dull voice. He stood motionless, holding the gloves, his shoulders a
little bowed as if under some physical load. His eyes were fixed upon
the ground. He divined the change in Graciosa's face and did not care
to see it.

"And so you are Count Eglamore," said Graciosa in a sort of whisper.
"That is very strange. I had thought you were my friend, Guido. But I
forget. I must not call you Guido any longer." She gave a little
shiver here. He stayed motionless and did not look at her. "I have
often wondered what manner of man you were. So it was you--whose hand
I touched just now--you who poisoned Duke Cosmo, you who had the good
cardinal assassinated, you who betrayed the brave lord of Faenza! Oh,
yes, they openly accuse you of every imaginable crime--this patient
Eglamore, this reptile who has crept into his power through filthy
passages. It is very strange you should be capable of so much
wickedness, for to me you seem only a sullen lackey."

He winced and raised his eyes at this. His face remained
expressionless. He knew these accusations at least to be demo