A Jay of Italy

  *CHAPTER XXI*

  Carlo kept his room all day, gnawing and tramping out his problem, andextracting nothing from it. Not till it was deep dark did he call forlights, and then he cursed his page, Ercole, who brought them, becausethey dazzled his brain from thinking. Swerving on his heel, he was inthe act of bidding the boy let no one enter, unless it might be MesserBembo, when, the door being ajar, there hurried into the chamber thefigure of a fantastic hag, who, upon noting his company, stoppedsuddenly, and stood mumbling and sawing the air.

  'Begone!' he roared, astounded, and took a furious step towards her.

  She laughed harshly. His clenched fists dropped to his sides. Therewas no mistaking that bitter cackle. He flung his arm to the page,dismissing him.

  The moment the door was shut upon them, off went the cloak and sequins,off went the hood and snaky locks, and the Fool Cicada, clean and lithein a tight suit of jarnsey, stood revealed.

  Carlo leapt upon him, mouthing.

  'What mummery, beast, and at such a time? Wait while I choke thee.'

  In the tumult of his fury he remembered his promise to Bernardo, andfell back, breathing.

  'Hast finished?' said Cicada, acrid and unmoved. 'I could retort upon afool but for lacking time. Where's the boy?'

  'Renegade! What concerns it thee to know?'

  'I say, where's the boy?'

  'If I might trounce thee! Safe, at present, no thanks to thee.'

  'Have I asked any? You must take horse and ride after the ring.'

  'The ring!'

  'I warn thee, lose not a moment. It may be even now upon the road.'

  'The road!'

  'That echo's a scrivener. Say after me thus, word for word, so thyskull shall keep the record: _The ring goes this moment to the Duke atVigevano, in false witness against our Saint. Narcisso gave it toBeatrice, Beatrice to Ludovic, Ludovic to Tassino--and Tassino carriesit, wrapped round with fifty damning lies_. Can you fill in the rest?'

  'My God! How know you this?'

  'I know. Why have I been mumming else?'

  'O, thou good Fool!'

  'So beatified in a moment? But stay not. To horse, and after, or byluck in front of, this ill-omened popinjay. He must be anticipated,overreached, despoiled, poniarded--anything. I've had my ear to hisdoor--it smarts yet--Ludovic was with him. I was before the Prince andheard him coming--"trapped!" I thought. But the fool looked out--dooropens to the stairs--and shut me into its angle against the wall. Soagain when they left together, and I slipped away behind their worships,and presently ran before. There you've the tale. And so, a' God's namemount and spur, for a minute's delay may kill all. But sith even now itbe too late, why, run after to traverse that foul evidence, and the Lordspeed thee. Remember--Tassino and the Vigevano road.'

  Stunning, bewildering as was the nature of this blast, it served toclear Carlo's brain as a southerly wind clears stagnant water. It meantaction, and in action lay his _metier_. Prompt and comprehensiveinstantly, now that the sum of things had been worked out for him, hedwelt but on the utterance of a single curse--so black and monstrousthat the candle-flames seemed to duck to it--before he turned and strodeheavily from the room.

  'Mercy!' muttered Cicada, tingling where he stood; 'if Monna Beatriceisn't blinking smut out of her eyes at this very moment, there's novirtue in Hell.'

  Ten minutes later, Carlo, booted, spurred, and cloaked, issued hurriedlyfrom his quarters, and made for a postern in the north wall, on t' otherside of which Ercole, so he had sped his errand well, should be alreadyin waiting with the cavalier's horse, 'l'Inferno,' saddled and bridledfor the hunt.

  A thin muffle of snow lay on the pavements, choking echo; a thin, stillfog, wreathing upwards from it, made everything loomfantastic--curtains, towers, the high battlemented spectres of thesentries.

  He clapped his hand to his hip, in assurance of the firm hilt there, andwas clearing his throat to answer the guard's challenge, when, on themoment, a whisk of sudden light seemed to overtake and pass him, and hewhipped about, with a catch in his breath, to face an expected onset.

  Nothing was there. Only the ghosts of mist and snow peopled the ward hehad traversed; but, across it, licking and leaping from a high window inthe Armourer's Tower, spat a tongue of flame.

  He dwelt a moment, fascinated. Faint cries and hurried warnings reachedhim. The flame shrunk, broke from its curb, and writhed out again.

  'Galeazzo's room!' he muttered; 'a red portent to greet him!' and,turning to pursue his way--ran into a vice of arms and was in a moment aprisoner.

  The shock was so stunning, that he found himself bound and helplessbefore he could realise its import. And then he roared out like alassoed bull:--

  'Dogs! What's this?'

  The Provost Marshal answered him, waving aside his capturing sbirri.

  'Her Grace's warrant, Messer.'

  Lanterns seemed to have sprung like funguses from the ground, grosslymultiplying the strong company which surrounded him. He stared abouthim bewildered; then, all in an instant, drove forward like abattering-ram. There was a clash of pikes and mail; an arquebusexploded, luckily without disaster; and Carlo was down in a writhe ofmen, pounding with his heels.

  It brought him nothing but a full interest of bruises. Shortly he was onhis feet again, torn and dishevelled; but this time with a thong abouthis ankles.

  He found wisdom of his helplessness to temporise.

  'Save thee, Provost Marshal, I have an important errand toward. Spareme to it, and I'll give my parole to deliver up my person to thee on myreturn.'

  The dummy wagged aside the appeal, woodenly.

  'I've my orders.'

  Carlo lost his brief command of temper.

  'Swine! To truss me like a thief?'

  'To hold thy person secure, Messer.'

  'With ropes, dog?'

  'I'll unbind them, on that same parole.'

  For all answer, Carlo dropped and rolled on the ground, bellowing cursesand defiance. It was childish; but then, what was the great creaturebut a child? Despair divorced from reason finds its last resource inkicking; and strength of body was always this poor fellow's convincingargument. The presumption that, by his own impulsive retort onBernardo's assailant, he had brought this cowardly retaliation onhimself, made not the least of his anguish. Why could his thick headnever learn the craftier ways of diplomacy? And here, in consequence,was he himself scotched, when most required for killing! He boundedlike a madman.

  It took a dozen of them, hauling and swaying and tottering, to conveyhim up, and into, and so down again within, the tower of the dungeons.Jacopo had no orders other than for his safe durance and consideratekeep; but no doubt that 'swine' weighed a little on the human balanceside of the incorruptible blockhead's decision. There was a cell--oneadjoining the 'Hermit's'--very profound and safe indeed, though far lessdeadly in its appointments (so to speak, for the other had none) thanits neighbour. And into this cell, by the Provost Marshal's directions,they carried Master Carlo, still struggling and roaring; and, havingdespoiled him of his weapons, and--with some apprehension--uncorded him,there locked him in incontinent to the enjoyment of his own clamour,which, it may be said, he made the most of up to midnight.

  And then, quite suddenly, he broke into tears--a thing horrible in sucha man; and casting himself down by the wall, let the flood of despairpass over his head--literally, it almost seemed, in the near cluck andrustle of waters moving in the moat outside.