Marjorie Bowen

“ Visconti!... I have heard the name enough," returned Count Conrad. "I intend to have my lady's gift—it suits neither my honor nor my affection to leave it there to be some mercenary's plunder; and the chessmen too, boy! The set the Emperor gave—ah! you would love them—silver and ivory—I will bring them too. They will while away more weary hours such as these. What was I thinking of to leave them there so long!"
"At any moment Francisco may return, and without thee here time will be lost; moreover, his orders were that we await him."
At Tomaso's words, Conrad raised his arched eyebrows. ”

“ The laugh faded from Count Conrad's face, and his eyes flashed.
"No, Tomaso, I shall not forget," he said; "too well do I recall that night when I crept down the palace steps with my Lady Valentine. Visconti met us; parted us; ah, when I think of her face!—she was forced back to the horror of her life again: I, carried off to die of slow starvation in my own villa. Yes, yes; if his wrongs are like mine, Francisco did well the other night when we dashed on Milan; such wrongs put madness into one. Think of it, Tomaso ”

“ Francisco is a brave, brave man."
"He is a leader of men, methinks," said Tomaso gravely. "I little doubt the Count is right; he is more than he appears. Now we will leave the horses here behind these chestnuts, and step toward the road and reconnoiter." ”

“ He was very handsome, of a sunny, pleasant expression, a quality rarely found among the Italians of Lombardy; and to-day, although prepared for flight, his blond curls were as carefully arranged as though he still shone at the court of Milan.
"Messer Francisco is long," he remarked again, and Tomaso turned with a start.
"He has doubtless met with unexpected difficulty, lord," he said with some reproach. "Horses must be found—somewhere—for our journey to-night. Every hour we stay here is dangerous."
"My heart misgives me that I did not accompany him," said Conrad ”

“ It is not strange he should wish to revenge Della Scala's wrongs and his own."
"I think him of better birth and station than he claims," said the Count judicially. "He has the bearing of one gently born." ”