CHAPTER XIII. THE OVERTHROW
The sight turned me almost physically sick.
I faced about, and sprang from the room out into the ante-chamber, wherea battle was in progress. Some three or four of the Duke's gentlemenand a couple of Swiss had come to attempt a rescue. They had compelledGaleotto's six men to draw and defend themselves, the odds beingsuddenly all against them. Into that medley I went with drawn sword,hacking and cutting madly, giving knocks and taking them, glad of theexcitement of it; glad of anything that would shut out from my mind thehorror of the scene I had witnessed.
Presently Confalonieri came out to take a hand, leaving Galeottoon guard within, and in a few minutes we had made an end of thatresistance--the last splutter of resistance within those walls.
Beyond some cuts and scratches that some of us had taken, not a manof ours was missing, whilst of the Duke's followers not a single oneremained alive in that ante-chamber. The place was a shambles. Hangingsthat had been clutched had been torn from the walls; a great mirror wascracked from top to bottom; tables were overset and wrecked; chairs weresplintered; and hardly a pane of glass remained in any of the windows.And everywhere there was blood, everywhere dead men.
Up the stairs came trooping now our assembled forces led by Landiand the Pallavicini. Below all was quiet. The Swiss garrison taken bysurprise at table, as was planned, had been disarmed and all were safeand impotent under lock and bolt. The guards at the gate had been cutdown, and we were entirely masters of the place.
Sforza-Fogliani, Copallati, and the two servants were fetched from theDuke's chamber and taken away to be locked up in another room until thebusiness should be ended. For after all, it was but begun.
In the town the alarm-bell was ringing from the tower of the CommunalPalace, and at the sound I saw Galeotto's eyes kindling. He tookcommand, none disputing it him, and under his orders men went briskly toturn the cannon of the fortress upon the square, that an attack might berepulsed if it were attempted. And three salvoes were fired, to notifyFerrante Gonzaga where he waited that the castle was in the hands of theconspirators and Pier Luigi slain.
Meanwhile we had returned with Galeotto to the room where the Dukehad died, and where his body still lay, huddled as it had fallen. Thewindows of this chamber were set in the outer wall of the fortress,immediately above the gates and commanding a view of the square. We weresix--Confalonieri, Landi, the two Pallavicini, Galeotto, and myself,besides a slight fellow named Malvicini, who had been an officer oflight-horse in the Duke's service, but who had taken a hand in betrayinghim.
In the square there was by now a seething, excited mob through whicha little army of perhaps a thousand men of the town militia with theircaptain, da Terni, riding at their head, was forcing its way. And theywere shouting "Duca!" and crying out that the castle had been seized bySpaniards--by which they meant the Emperor's troops.
Galeotto dragged a chair to the window, and standing upon it, showedhimself to the people.
"Disperse!" he shouted to them. "To your homes! The Duke is dead!"
But his voice could not surmount that raging din, above which continuedto ring the cry of "Duca! Duca!"
"Let me show them their Duca," said a voice. It was Malvicini's.
He had torn down a curtain-rope, and had attached an end of it to oneof the dead man's legs. Thus he dragged the body forward towards thewindow. The other end of the rope he now knotted very firmly to amullion. Then he took the body up in his arms, whilst Galeotto stoodaside to make way for him, and staggering under his ghastly burden,Malvicini reached the window, and heaved it over the sill.
It fell the length of the rope and there was arrested with a jerkto hang head downwards, spread-eagle against the brown wall; and thediamond buttons in his green velvet doublet sparkled merrily in thesunshine.
At that sight a great silence swept across the multitude, and availinghimself of this, Galeotto again addressed those Piacentini.
"To your homes," he cried to them, "and arm yourselves to defend theState from your enemies if the need should arise. There hangs theDuke--dead. He has been slain to liberate our country from unjustoppression."
Still, it seemed, they did not hear him; for though to us they appearedto be almost silent, yet there was a rustle and stir amongst them, whichmust have deafened each to what was being announced.
They renewed their cries of "Duca!" of "Spaniards!" and "To arms!"
"A curse on your 'Spaniards!'" cried Malvicini. "Here! Take your Duke.Look at him, and understand." And he slashed the rope across, so thatthe body plunged down into the castle ditch.
A few of the foremost of the crowd ran forward and scrambled down intothe ditch to view the body, and from them the rumour of the truth ranlike a ripple over water through that mob, so that in the twinkling ofan eye there was no man in that vast concourse--and all Piacenza seemedby now to be packed into the square--but knew that Pier Luigi Farnesewas dead.
A sudden hush fell. There were no more cries of "Duca!" They stoodsilent, and not a doubt but that in the breasts of the majority surgeda great relief. Even the militia ceased to advance. If the Duke was deadthere was nothing left to do.
Again Galeotto spoke to them, and this time his words were caught bythose in the ditch immediately below us, and from them they were passedon, and suddenly a great cry went up--a shout of relief, a paean of joy.If Farnese was dead, and well dead, they could, at last, express thething that was in their hearts.
And now at the far end of the square a glint of armour appeared; a troopof horse emerged, and began slowly to press forward through the crowd,driving it back on either side, but very gently. They came threeabreast, and there were six score of them, and from their lance-headsfluttered bannerols showing a sable bar on an argent field. They wereGaleotto's free company, headed by one of his lieutenants. Beyond the Pothey too had been awaiting the salvo of artillery that should be theirsignal to advance.
When their identity was understood, and when the crowd had perceivedthat they rode to support the holders of the castle, they were greetedwith lusty cheers, in which presently even the militia joined, for theselast were Piacentini and no Swiss hireling soldiers of the Duke's.
The drawbridge was let down, and the company thundered over it to drawup in the courtyard under the eyes of Galeotto. He issued his ordersonce more to his companions. Then calling for horses for himself and forme, and bidding a score of lances to detach themselves to ride with us,we quitted the fortress.
We pressed through the clamant multitude until we had reached themiddle of the square. Here Galeotto drew rein and, raising his hand forsilence, informed the people once more that the Duke had been done todeath by the nobles of Piacenza, thus to avenge alike their own and thepeople's wrongs, and to free them from unjust oppression and tyranny.
They cheered him when he had done, and the cry now was "Piacenza!Piacenza!"
When they had fallen silent again--"I would have you remember," hecried, "that Pier Luigi was the Pontiff's son, and that the Pontiff willmake haste to avenge his death and to re-establish here in Piacenza theFarnese sway. So that all that we have done this day may go for naughtunless we take our measures."
The silence deepened.
"But you have been served by men who have the interest of the State atheart; and more has been done to serve you than the mere slaying of PierLuigi Farnese. Our plans are made, and we but wait to know is it yourwill that the State should incorporate itself as of old with that ofMilan, and place itself under the protection of the Emperor, who willappoint you fellow-countrymen for rulers, and will govern you wisely andjustly, abolishing extortion and oppression?"
A thunder of assent was his answer. "Cesare! Cesare!" was now the cry,and caps were tossed into the air.
"Then go arm yourselves and repair to the Commune, and there make knownyour will to the Anziani and councillors, and see that it is giveneffect by them. The Emperor's Lieutenant is at your gates. I ride tosurrender to him the city in your name, and before nightfa
ll he will behere to protect you from any onslaught of the Pontificals."
With that he pushed on, the mob streaming along with us, intent upongoing there and then to do the thing that Galeotto advised. And bynow they had discovered Galeotto's name, and they were shouting it inacclamation of him, and at the sound he smiled, though his eyes seemedvery wistful.
He leaned over to me, and gripped my hand where it lay on the saddle-bowclutching the reins.
"Thus is Giovanni d'Anguissola at last avenged!" he said to me in a deepvoice that thrilled me.
"I would that he were here to know," I answered.
And again Galeotto's eyes grew wistful as they looked at me.
We won out of the town at last, and when we came to the high groundbeyond the river, we saw in the plain below phalanx upon phalanx of agreat army. It was Ferrante Gonzaga's Imperial force.
Galeotto pointed to it. "That is my goal," he said. "You had best rideon to Pagliano with these lances. You may need them there. I had hopedthat Cosimo would have been found in the castle with Pier Luigi. Hisabsence makes me uneasy. Away with you, then. You shall have news of mewithin three days."
We embraced, on horseback as we were. Then he wheeled his charger andwent down the steep ground, riding hard for Ferrante's army, whilstwe pursued our way, and came some two hours later without mishap toPagliano.
I found Bianca awaiting me in the gallery above the courtyard, drawnthither by the sounds of our approach.
"Dear Agostino, I have been so fearful for you," was her greeting when Ihad leapt up the staircase to take her hand.
I led her to the marble seat she had occupied on that night, two yearsago, when first we had spoken of our visions. Briefly I gave her thenews of what had befallen in Piacenza.
When I had done, she sighed and looked at me.
"It brings us no nearer to each other," she said.
"Nay, now--this much nearer, at least, that the Imperial decree willreturn me the lordships of Mondolfo and Carmina, dispossessing theusurper. Thus I shall have something to offer you, my Bianca."
She smiled at me very sadly, almost reproachfully.
"Foolish," said she. "What matter the possessions that it may be yoursto cast into my lap? Is that what we wait for, Agostino? Is there notPagliano for you? Would not that, at need, be lordship enough?"
"The meanest cottage of the countryside were lordship enough so that youshared it," I answered passionately, as many in like case have answeredbefore and since.
"You see, then, that you are wrong to attach importance to so slighta thing as this Imperial decree where you and I are concerned. Can anImperial decree annul my marriage?"
"For that a papal bull would be necessary."
"And how is a papal bull to be obtained?"
"It is not for us," I admitted miserably.
"I have been wicked," she said, her eyes upon the ground, a faintcolour stirring in her cheeks. "I have prayed that the usurper might bedispossessed of his rights in me. I have prayed that when the attackwas made and revolt was carried into the Citadel of Piacenza, Cosimod'Anguissola might stand at his usual post beside the Duke and mightfall with him. Surely justice demanded it!" she cried out. "God'sjustice, as well as man's. His act in marrying me was a defilementof one of the holiest of sacraments, and for that he should surely bepunished and struck down!"
I went upon my knees to her. "Dear love!" I cried. "See, I have youdaily in my sight. Let me not be ungrateful for so much."
She took my face in her hands and looked into my eyes, saying no word.Then she leaned forward, and very gently touched my forehead with herlips.
"God pity us a little, Agostino," she murmured, her eyes shining withunshed tears.
"The fault is mine--all mine!" I denounced myself. "We are being visitedwith my sins. When I can take you for my own--if that blessed dayshould ever dawn--I shall know that I have attained to pardon, that I amcleansed and worthy of you at last."
She rose and I escorted her within; then went to my own chamber to batheand rest.