Marjorie Bowen

“ Mastino was silent. "Oh, no," cried Ligozzi, passionately. "You are not yourself. For the love of Heaven let me go and tell them to depart."
And he started forward, but Mastino caught him by the arm.
"Stay, Ligozzi; I command it."
"Then you yourself will tell them? Oh, it is impossible that thou couldst fall!"
"Impossible?" Mastino rose with clenched hands. "I think it is impossible that I could let her die."
Ligozzi looked at his changed face.
"The cities are not yours, my lord; the soldiers are not yours—would you be a traitor, Della Scala?" ”

“ I tell thee I warned them, I would hold them as nothing when it came to saving her."
"Still, they trust you," returned Ligozzi. "Listen, Della Scala; I speak in the cause of honor—you shall hear, you shall know what it means, before you lend yourself to such a thing for love of a woman! It will give all Lombardy to Visconti, it and hundreds to the sword; it will mean the burning of cities to the ground; it will mean the misery of half Italy! ”

“ Cities pass under Visconti's rule and cities are snatched from him—am I responsible for the fate of Lombardy? Men fight, betray, deceive and lie for wealth, ambition, and revenge—and common folk pay the price—shall I consider it too closely if they suffer once in a cause like mine? I tell thee, Ligozzi, I would hold it cheap to save her from Visconti with the misery of all Italy."
Ligozzi's eyes did not move from Della Scala's face.
"Thou art striving to blind thyself, Della Scala. Oh, my lord," he resumed, "because others are dishonorable will ye be so also? ”

“ A woman!" cried Ligozzi. "Gian Visconti will burn in hell for tempting you, but, by all the saints, so will you, my lord, if you accept such terms."
Mastino was roused. The energy of Ligozzi broke the bonds of his dull agony. He turned, also passionately.
"Have I not prayed and implored for this—only this—her life and her return? Have I not sworn and vowed I would recover her—at any cost? Have I not warned them of it—and she shall not die! She shall not die! What care I for the cities! Did I not warn them? She shall not die!" ”

“ She is one woman against the fate of half Italy."
"She is my wife!" cried Della Scala desperately; "that one woman is my wife! Thou hast forgotten!"
"Forget it too, my lord; for your own honor's sake, forget it too."
"Ligozzi, Ligozzi," whispered Mastino, "thou canst not mean it: deliver up to die by Visconti's hands the woman I—love!" ”

“ Does not Visconti fling all laws, all humanity, all honor to the winds—can I fight him within the bounds of a boy's code of honor? The time comes, Ligozzi, when such things hold one no longer—the soul thrusts them asunder and does what it must, regardless of the laws of men! ”

“ Visconti's moods and motives he could understand—to some extent they were his own, on his own level,—but this man—some things were beyond the Duke of Milan's secretary, and for the first time in his life he felt it. Mastino himself broke that hideous silence. He raised his head, and with a little affectionate movement Ligozzi laid his hand on his master's arm as if to strengthen him.
"I have considered," said Della Scala, in a hard voice. He paused a moment, but a moment only. "I have considered, and my answer is: I will accept Visconti's terms—my wife against the towns." ”

“ It will give a mad tyrant to rule over thousands who are at present free—it will send d'Este and Vincenzo to prison—to shame, misery, death perchance—it will strip Julia Gonzaga of everything—and is she not as young and fair and good as Isotta d'Este—and did she not trust you with her all? ”

“ As plainly attired as any of his soldiers, Mastino overawed the Milanese with something new to them—the sense of worth.
They were not trained to dealings with it.
"Greetings from Gian Visconti, Duke of Milan," took up the secretary. "Moreover, we bring terms of peace for your acceptance, my lord."
Mastino was silent a space, and Ligozzi, standing behind his chair, looked at them with an ill-concealed abomination that Giannotto's quick eyes noticed keenly.
"My lord, is the one with you to be trusted even as yourself?" he asked, submissively. "For our mission, Prince, is secret." ”