CHAPTER IX.
THE MARZOCCO INN.
I tried every possible means I could think of to obtain employment, tono avail, and, in the intervals of my fruitless search for work,haunted the streets and gardens, with the hope of obtaining anotherglimpse of Angiola, but without any success. Inch by inch my resourcesdiminished, until they became so small that a blind beggar would havehardly thanked me for the gift of them. I lived in constant dread ofCeci reappearing to demand the sum I owed for my rent, but he did notcome. He was evidently giving me time, starving me out to surrender tohis terms. I used to see him as I went in and out, sitting in hisoffice like a spider, yet he never even lifted his head as I passed. Ihated, almost feared, going by that door. Bitterly did I regret nothaving left Florence when I was able. It was now impossible to do so,unless as a defaulter, and the weight of that paltry debt oppressedme, as if a cannon-ball were slung around my neck. I could not leaveuntil I paid it, and of doing this there seemed no prospect. I hadparted with my cloak for money to buy food, but the last copper ofthat was gone, and I was now penniless. For two days I had not eatenanything but a morsel of bread, and on the morning of the third day Irose desperate with hunger, and prepared to go any lengths to satisfyit. I ate my self-esteem and made another attempt to see La Palisse,but was denied admittance, and when I came back I actually hesitatedbefore the door of Ceci's office, and almost made up my mind to yield,and say I would do his business for him. It required an effort, so lowhad I sunk, to rouse my pride. At last it flared up, and with a cheekhot at my weakness, I sought my chamber and there passed the day. Thepigeons that lived under the eaves opposite my window, and to whosesoft cooing I so often listened with pleasure before, now arousedother thoughts within me. If I could only lure one within reach! Butit was impossible, and I glared at them as they fluttered and flirtedwith each other, with the hungry eyes of a cat baulked of her prey. Atlast I gave it up, and with a curse flung myself on my bed. Fool thatI was! Five-and-thirty years should have brought me wisdom. I hadstayed on in Florence, allowed my chances of revenge to get moredistant, in fact, reached a stage of mind when I was doubtful if Icould rightly exact vengeance, drifted into abject poverty, and worsethan that, was continually thinking of a woman, who, when I hadrendered her a service, treated me with contempt, who had no doubtforgotten me by this time, amidst her duties, if she had any, and herpleasures, of which I doubt not she had store. So the evening cameamidst my reflections and self-reproaches, and, it being dusk, Idecided to go forth again, and snatch a purse, if necessary, to obtainfood. As I rose, an impulse I could not control made me unfasten mymoney-belt, and search if by chance there was a coin within it. Ofcourse there was not a brown copper, but my fingers, in running up thebelt, touched something hard, and I pulled forth, attached to its tagof red ribbon, my cross of St. Lazare, which, it will be remembered, Ihad placed therein for safety the night I was imprisoned in the VillaAccolti. I had clean forgot it in my troubles, and now it lay in myopen palm, with the diamonds in it winking in my face. My whole frametrembled with excitement. Here was the means of freeing myself fromdebt at once, and of obtaining funds to quit Florence, nay Europe. Atthe lowest computation its worth could have been no less than fortycrowns, and this at present was wealth to me. What with the effects ofthe want of food, and the sudden discovery of the cross, I began tofeel weak all over, and flinging the badge on the table, sank downinto a chair before it to compose myself. The room was almost dark,and I sat staring at the jewels and at the diamonds on it, whichsparkled through the gloom. That little trinket was linked with theone great event of my life. All the past came vividly before myexcited brain. I was again in that desperate retreat of Charles ofFrance up the valley of the Taro, with the army of the League in fullcry behind us. The old boar Trevulzio commanded the rear guard,disputed every inch of the road, and now and again stood boldly atbay, and gave a taste of his tusks to the Duke of Bari, and the finegentlemen of Venice. It was at this moment that Roderigo Gonsaga madehis dash for the heights above the junction of the Ceno and the Taro.Trevulzio saw the movement; he was powerless to help, and knew that ifit succeeded all was lost. At the time I was at his bridle hand.
"Ride for your life," he said, "and tell the king--that." He pointedto the black line of the infantry of Spain moving towards the heights.I was off at once, waiting no second bidding.
I found Charles mounted on Savoy, his one-eyed black charger, one ofthe finest horses I have ever seen. The king grasped the situation ata glance. He gave a sharp order, closed his vizor with a snap, and infive minutes, a thousand lances followed him down the long slope, upwhich the Spaniards were advancing. It was an absolutely silentcharge. Not a cheer went up, and the only sound was the thunder of thehorses' hoofs, and the clink of mail as we sped on after the king.Then there was a sullen crash, and a sea of struggling men and horses.The veteran troops of the Great Captain maintained their highreputation, fighting like dragons to the end.
Charles, whose horse had carried him far in advance of us all, was ingreat danger. His helmet had fallen or been struck off, and he wasrecognised. Gonsaga, seeing all was lost, made a despairing rush atthe king with a half-dozen men at his back, and had it not been forthe way Savoy kicked and plunged, would have surely slain him. Urgingmy horse to its utmost speed, I reached Charles just in time to wardoff a furious blow aimed by the Spaniard at the king, and fading fulltilt against him, brought down both horse and man. The next momentothers came up, and we were safe. Philip de Comines reproached theking respectfully for running himself into peril; but Charles, wipinghis sword on the mane of his charger, said with a laugh:
"All is well that ends well, my Lord of Argenton; but it is thanks tothis good sword here," and he turned to me, "that our cousin ofOrleans must exercise his patience yet a little longer. Come closer,sir."
I dismounted and approached helmet in hand. The king detached theCross of St. Lazare he wore, and bending from the saddle, slipped theloop of the ribbon round my neck.
"Wear this for the sake of France," he said with a gracious smile.
And now the patience of Orleans had come to its end, and Louis XII.was king, and of my hopes and dreams, all that remained was the crossof the order blinking at me.
It had to go, and there was no help for it. With an effort I rose and,thrusting the cross into my pocket, hurried into the street. My wayled to the ward of San Spirito, and it took me some little time toreach the place where I meant to dispose of the jewel. When I reachedit, I was so overcome with weakness that I had to halt for a moment torest. It was during that halt, that hesitation of a minute, that mycourage came back to me, and I pulled forth the cross and held it inmy cold fingers with a heart tossed by conflicting emotions. I couldnot do it. Death would be preferable. Well, I had faced death before,and there was no reason why I should not do so again with an equalmind. The Arno was deep enough to hold me, and God would perhaps bekinder in the next world than in this. I placed the cross back slowly,my honour was still white, and death that was coming would give me afull quittance for all my troubles. I turned my back on thepawnbroker's, and went towards the Arno; but I had miscalculated mystrength, and near Santa Felicita I felt a sudden giddiness and sankdownwards on the pavement. I struggled to rise, but the faintnessincreased, and dragging myself close to the wall I leaned against itin a sitting posture, and a kind of stupor fell upon me, through whichI still felt the intolerable pangs of hunger. In a little time I feltbetter, and as I saw the flash of torches, and heard voices inlaughing conversation, I made an effort to rise, gaining my feet justas two ladies, with their attendants, came opposite to me, and then Istaggered back again.
"Poor man! He is hurt."
"I am starving," I said in the bitterness of my agony, and the nextmoment could have killed myself, for I recognised the ladies whom Ihad rescued from Luigi in the Garden of St. Michael. I had my desireand had seen her again; but how?
Madonna Angiola made a hurried search for her pur
se, and not findingit, with a hasty movement tore something off a bracelet, and thrust itinto my hand. Before I could recover from my astonishment they hadgone on, and although I called after them, they did not stop. Theshame of having received charity, and from her, was all butunbearable; but with it I felt the hand of hunger knocking at me in amanner that would take no denial. My courage was gone, and urged bythe fierce pangs of my hunger, I resolved to utilise the gift, andobtain some food to give me strength to die. I smile as I think ofthis now. Then it was no laughing matter. I plucked myself upsufficiently to go back to the pawnshop. Entering it, I placed thearticle, which I judged to be a jewel, but which I had not evenexamined, before the man in attendance, and asked for an advancethereon.
"It is one of the gold tari of Amain," he said, poising it on hisfinger, "and of full weight. Do you wish to sell it?"
"No," I replied, "I merely wish to pledge it."
"I will give you two crowns," he pushed the money to me, and with it areceipt. I gathered these up, and staggered rather than walked to theMarzocco Inn, which lay hard by. There were half-a-dozen peoplesupping there; but I had no eyes for them, all I could think of wasthe pasty, the roll of white bread, and the ruby Chianti, which Iordered. It is a common belief, that those who have not eaten food forany length of time, are unable to do so when it is placed before themat first. Whether I am constitutionally stronger than the generalityof men, I do not know, all I can say is, that I formed an exception tothe rule, if a true one, and demolished my supper, gaining strengthwith every mouthful, and feeling my chilled blood warmer with everydrop I drank of my goblet of wine, My courage came back to me, and Ibanished all thoughts of the Arno. At last I was done, and leaningback in my seat, viewed with complacency the huge orifice I had madein a most excellent pasty, and the whiles slowly sipped my wine. Thatfeeling of sleepy comfort, which attends like a good angel on a fullmeal, possessed me, my sorrows had for the moment taken themselvesoff, and I grieve to say I did not even bestow a thought on her, towhose charity I was indebted practically for my life. I sat for themoment, lapped in a dreamy comfort, forgetful of all things. I dozedfor about half an hour, and opened my eyes with my head clear again,and my pulse beating firmly. I had, somewhat recklessly, it is true,enjoyed a crown's worth of happiness, there was another fat crownstill in my pouch; with care it would last some days, and during thattime luck might turn. With these thoughts running in my head, I let myeyes wander over the room. It was now somewhat late, and only thenight-birds were left. Of these, a party of five was seated at a tablea little removed from me, and were conversing in low tones. It neededbut a glance to see they were not honest men, and from the suspiciousmanner in which they looked around them, I gathered they were here forno good purpose. One of the party rested his eyes on me, and thenwhispered to a companion, who was seated with his face from me. Icaught the answer, which was given in somewhat loud tones. "Even if hedoes, what does it matter? Cannot a few gentlemen enjoy a glass inpeace at their ordinary? If he gives trouble we can quiet him."
Could it be? Yes, it was no other than the ancient Brico, who had, Iperceived, got out of the clutches of his friends, the catchpolls ofMontevarchi. I made certain, therefore, I would have business shortly,and leaning back again, pretended to doze, keeping my ears very wideopen, and holding a watch on the scoundrels from the tail of my eye.
"He tarries late," said one, "perhaps your information is wrong."
"I have it from a sure hand, from the younger Ceci. Buonoccorsi and hewill both be here. The former, however, as you know, we do not want."
I almost started at these words. Was it possible that I had stumbledon the bravos who were engaged in Ceci's plot? If so, stranger thingnever happened to me, and chance was probably throwing in my way whatotherwise I would never have been able to discover. Even as the lastspeaker finished his sentence, two persons, evidently of consequence,and a woman entered the inn, and set themselves down at a table closeto mine. The men both wore masks, but the lady did not, and let herglance run with a free look on us all. One of her two companions, avery stout man, put down his mask, disclosing a jolly rubicund face,and roared out for a flagon of wine. The other, still keeping hisfeatures covered, engaged in lively badinage with his fair friend, andas he moved his hand slightly, I caught the flash of a valuable ring.
The five at the table all had their heads together now, and I saw theone nearest to me stealthily draw his sword. With an apparentlycareless movement I so placed my own weapon as to be at hand on themoment. Presently Brico arose, and swaggering across the room with aglass in his hand, deliberately stopped before the lady, and drainedit to her health. She laughed back her appreciation, and Brico calledout, "Blood of a King! Madonna, but you waste yourself with HisCorpulence there," and he jerked his hand towards the stout man, whosat speechless, his cheeks purple with rage. "Come and join us goodfellows here," he added, and attempted to pass his arm around herwaist; but the masked stranger flashed out his rapier, and Bricoonly escaped being skewered by an agile retreat. This was, however,the signal for an instant assault, and with a shout of "AMedici--_palle_--_palle_," those at the table rushed on the smallerparty. As they rose, I jumped up, and pushed my table with greatviolence in their direction. Two of the men fell over it, and thisgave me time to draw my sword and join the weaker party. The ladyrushed out with a scream, and the stout gentleman bellowing lustilyfor help followed suit, and made his exit, no attempt being made tohinder him, the attack being solely directed against the masked man,who with his back to the wall, and the table between himself and hisassailants, defended himself with great spirit and skill.
Slashing one of the ruffians across the face, which put him out of thefight, I ranged alongside of the stranger, and a very pretty set-toensued. At this juncture the innkeeper entered with half-a-dozenothers, and kept dancing about, adjuring us to stop, but offering nohelp. I made for Brico, but could not reach him, having to engage witha better swordsman than I had met for many a day; but I saw we werenow three to two, for the ancient was more bent on executingflourishes with his sword, and in cheering on the attack, than on realbusiness. My opponent was a left-handed man, so anything like atime-thrust was out of the question. He played the usual game ofleft-handed men, namely, a cut over, and disengagement in tierce, butremising, I forced him to a straight riposte, and pinked him throughthe ribs. He fell with a howl, just as my companion ran his manthrough. We were now two to two, if Brico was included, but the otherswaited for no more and fled, no attempt being made to stay them by thehost. The innkeeper, however, began to make a great to-do; but thestranger thrust his purse in his hand, and lifting his mask spoke afew words in mine host's ear. The effect was magical, and the padronewas now all civility. We had a look at the two men who were down, theone who was slashed across the face being nowhere to be seen. Theywere both quite dead, and an ill-looking pair of corpses did theymake.
"Have these carrion removed, padrone--and beware how you say a word ofwhat has happened, signore," and the masked man held his hand out tome, "I thank you heartily, and you will find I have a long memory. Dome the favour to accompany me to my house."
I had no reason to refuse, and bowing my acknowledgments, we left theinn.