s at that moment
predominating over the Herculean frame of Niccolo Caparra.

That famous worker in iron, whom we saw last with bared muscular arms
and leathern apron in the Mercato Vecchio, was this morning dressed in
holiday suit, and as he sat submissively while Nello skipped round him,
lathered him, seized him by the nose, and scraped him with magical
quickness, he looked much as a lion might if it had donned linen and
tunic and was preparing to go into society.

"A private secretary will never rise in the world if he couples great
and small in that way," continued Nello. "When great men are not
allowed to marry their sons and daughters as they like, small men must
not expect to marry their words as they like. Have you heard the news
Domenico Cennini, here, has been telling us?--that Pagolantonio Soderini
has given Ser Piero da Bibbiena a box on the ear for setting on Piero
de' Medici to interfere with the marriage between young Tommaso Soderini
and Fiammetta Strozzi, and is to be sent ambassador to Venice as a
punishment?"

"I don't know which I envy him most," said Macchiavelli, "the offence or
the punishment. The offence will make him the most popular man in all
Florence, and the punishment will take him among the only people in
Italy who have known how to manage their own affairs."

"Yes, if Soderini stays long enough at Venice," said Cennini, "he may
chance to learn the Venetian fashion, and bring it home with him. The
Soderini have been fast friends of the Medici, but what has happened is
likely to open Pagolantonio's eyes to the good of our old Florentine
trick of choosing a new harness when the old one galls us; if we have
not quite lost the trick in these last fifty years."

"Not we," said Niccolo Caparra, who was rejoicing in the free use of his
lips again. "Eat eggs in Lent and the snow will melt. That's what I
say to our people when they get noisy over their cups at San Gallo, and
talk of raising a _romor_ (insurrection): I say, never do you plan a
_romor_; you may as well try to fill Arno with buckets. When there's
water enough Arno will be full, and that will not be till the torrent is
ready."

"Caparra, that oracular speech of yours is due to my excellent shaving,"
said Nello. "You could never have made it with that dark rust on your
chin. Ecco, Messer Domenico, I am ready for you now. By the way, my
bel erudito," continued Nello, as he saw Tito moving towards the door,
"here has been