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Naples also found the moment propitious for re-asserting her baselessclaims to this much-disputed crown; since the death of the infant Kinghad left the Queen without a successor in her own line, and mightdispose her to look with favor on the proffer of the hand of Don Alfonsoof Naples who would graciously consent to accept the position ofKing-consort--instead of that of "Prince of Galilee," which had notproved to be the imposing, permanent honor his partisans had fondlyhoped.
Meanwhile, with the persistence worthy of a better cause, his supportershad ingeniously thrust him forward--a compliant puppet--from one schemeinto another--all tending toward this same noble end. Immediately afterthe failure of Rizzo's conspiracy, he had been betrothed to theillegitimate daughter of King Janus--one of the three children mentionedin his will--who with her two brothers, had been sent to Venice to avertpossible disastrous consequences; a small following in Cyprus upheldthis match--so eager were they that some descendant of their charmerKing Janus, should keep the crown of their realm, that they granted theNeapolitan Prince Alfonso the shadowy title of "Prince of Galilee."
But after the death of his young betrothed, Alfonso had followedCarlotta to Alexandria, where Rizzo now held the honorable post ofAmbassador to the Sultan from the Court of Naples; and here, whileVenice was still playing her game, sub-rosa without the overt confessionof power that came later--Rizzo, the arch-schemer, first sought to bringabout the adoption of the prince of Naples by Carlotta--asheir-presumptive to her rights; and later, as her following among theCyprian nobility increased, proposed Alfonso for _husband_ to Carlotta.
But now, since the strength of Venice could be no longer doubted, Rizzo,holding ever in view the ascendancy of his chief and with an astoundingfaith in his own magnificent insolence, rose to the occasion, and sailedon a secret embassy for Cyprus to propose the hand of Alfonso to QueenCaterina herself!
The details of this romantic intrigue were not known until longafterward in the court-circle, except by the few who had intercepted andfrustrated the carefully-laid plans; but there were many hints of someconcealed happening of deep interest which made delightful themes forromantic conjecture whenever the younger maids of honor found themselveshappily without the dignified supervision of the Lady of the Bernardiniand Madama di Thenouris, or the equally-to-be-evaded youngermaid-of-honor, Margherita de Iblin.
"Something has happened, and no one tells us anything," one of themdeclared discontentedly when curiosity had reached an unbearable pitch,and the rumors of which they had caught echoes were growing in interest."There was a fire high upon the hills one morning; some say it was abeacon fire."
"There are always rumors that mean nothing," said Eloisa quietly.
Dama Margherita had been kept in close attendance upon the Queen, whohad been often in counsel with the Counts of the Chamber of late, andEloisa had an uneasy sense that it devolved upon her to uphold thequietness of discussion for which Dama Margherita always strove.
"Nay, Eloisa--that strange craft, hiding back of the great rock on thecoast--without lights or colors--why was it anchored there, in sight ofthe signal-fire, instead of in the port where it had been safer?"
"Thou wilt have it a beacon-fire," Eloisa interposed again; "it is intruth more romantic than a blaze some wanderer may have lighted to doduty for his camp."
But no one answered her, they were all humming about Dama Ecciva,interrupting each other with excited questions; for Dama Ecciva hadbeen, if possible, more mysterious and tantalizing than ever since theserumors had been afloat--which was a sign that she could tell somethingif she would. "So, my pretty friends!" she answered with a silverylaugh, "for once it entereth your thought that there be matters aboutwhich we--the Maids of honor of Her Majesty--are not worthy to hear!"
"I make exception of the Dama Margherita, to whom Her Majesty ishoney-sweet!" she added, as her glance rested on Eloisa; and growing hotas she dwelt upon the thought, she went on--"she hath a manner quiteinsufferable--she, who hath not more right than I to rule this court. Ifone were to put the question to our knights--'an Iblin or a deMontferrat?' would it make a pretty tourney for a Cyprian holiday?"
She laughed a mocking, malicious laugh; then suddenly stretched out oneslender hand and made a descriptive motion as of tossing her glove intothe centre of a distant circle--her eyelids narrowing until they seemedalmost to close--a strange light escaping from them--her breath comingwith slow pants, as if from suffocation--the hand dropped at her sidebetraying her passion by convulsive movements trembling through thetinted finger-tips.
In the bizarre Cyprian costume which many of the ancient Greekpatricians still retained, she seemed of a different mold from the youngVenetian gentlewomen of the court of Caterina--like some fantastic fury,half-elf, half-woman.
"_The Melusina!_" Eloisa whispered, shuddering: "thou mindest me of her.I like thee not in this strange mood!" while the others drew away fromher with a faint cry of protest.
But Ecciva's momentary mood of passion passed as quickly as it came; andshe answered her companions with a tantalizing, sparkling smile,rallying them on their seriousness, and flashing whimsicalities aroundthe circle like some splendid, inconsequent fire-fly.
Her dark hair, woven with coins and trinkets, fell in innumerable longslender braids behind, from under a coronet of jessamine blossoms strungtogether upon strips of palm, which clasped the clustering waves of haircloser about her face--pure and colorless as old ivory. Her robe, ofgreen brocade, richly embroidered with gold, fell over full pantaloonsof scarlet satin which were tightly bound about the slender ankles byjewelled bands, displaying to advantage the tiny feet, clad in boots ofsoft, yellow kid, fantastically wrought with gold threads; the robeparted over a bodice of yellow, open at the throat, around which chainsof gold and jewels were wound in undue profusion.
"It is thou, perchance, Ecciva, who knowest not how to win the favor ofDama Margherita," ventured one maiden, bolder than the rest; "for withus hath she ever been most gracious. And for Her Majesty, the Queen----"
But a sudden impulse had come to Ecciva to cover herself with glory bymaking her companions sharers in the news of which she had gottenknowledge by a fashion peculiarly her own.
"Nay: leave the Queen to the Dama Margherita for this one blissfulmorning," she interrupted without ceremony: "for I have news--verily;and they may return ere it be told. Which of you knoweth aught of theHoly Sister Violante--she of the down-held lids and silent ways--whoslipped into the court the night of that _great signal fire_ upon themountain, behind the citadel?"
She scanned the eager faces triumphantly, but no one had anything totell.
"For verily the Sister Violante maketh part of this strange mystery,"she proceeded after a moment of impressive silence. "She and the greatsignal fire--of which no one knew aught!--so innocent were all thegentlemen of the court--and the Bernardini most of all! But they areparts of one romance; and the Violante came to influence Her Majesty;the Violante, with her devout ways, wearing the habit of a holysisterhood to which her gracious Majesty is wont to give unduereverence--being not apt to penetrate an intrigue--too fair a saint, byfar!--The Sister Violante came to win Her Majesty to acquiesce in somestrange bidding from Rhodes; or perchance from the Sultan himself."
"How knowest thou, Ecciva?" They crowded around her thrilling withpleasant excitement--the craving for which was unduly whetted by thesplendor and aimlessness of the life of this Eastern court--for aromance with such a beginning might have an indefinitely delightfultermination; and Dama Ecciva had some strange knack of always knowingmore than others of any savory morsel of gossip of which there might behints in the air.
She looked at them nonchalantly, well-pleased at any sort of dominance,but never confessing it by her attitude.
"Have I not eyes?" she questioned, with tantalizing slowness; "andears?--Are they to grow dull for lack of usage?"
"Nay; tell us, Ecciva."
She drew nearer and lowered her voice mysteriously. "That Tristan deGiblet--he who
would have killed the King the night that he climbed thecity-walls and fled to Rhodes--we know the tale----"
"Aye, aye; we know it. And then?"--they pleaded impatiently.
But Dama Ecciva was not to be swerved from the irritating composurewhich pleased her mood for the moment:
"And one of us--hath any one seen Alicia de Giblet? She hath not beenamong us since that night of the _signal fire_."
"She hath been ill, in the Chateau de Giblet this month past," severalvoices responded at once.
"Perchance, sweet maids;--or in some other less splendid castle wheredungeons are of more account than the fine banquet hall of the deGiblet! And because Alicia is sister to this Messer Tristan--I have donemuch thinking of late--it is time for the Bernardini to return. Let usgive over talk."
"Alicia de Giblet was sister to that traitor!" one of them exclaimedindignantly; "and we never dreamed it! But she was _gentilissima_;_poverina_! Ah, the pity of it!"
"But how came she ill, 'because of it,' as thou sayest, Ecciva?" Eloisaquestioned, wishing ever to have a reason for her beliefs; "it was longsince!"
"The night of the King's flight was long since--verily--before hiscoronation. Carlotta was Queen, then;--there have been wars and deathand woe enough since then! But this night of the signal fire is but amonth agone--and _that night came Tristan de Giblet to talk with hissister_, who let him into the Palazzo Reale. The daring of the man! Weare not cowards--we Cyprians!"
"Ecciva!--how canst thou verily be sure!"
She touched her eyes again, mysteriously.
"I knew him," she said, "when he was talking with his sister, and Iheard her promise him to bring him into the private audience chamber ofthe Queen."
"And thou, also, wert there?"
"Am I the Margherita to be shown such favor? Nay, but I have anaudience-chamber of my own from the window of my turret when there is nolight within: and all that day I knew by the face of Alicia that therewas some intrigue--which I was not one to miss through heedlessness!Alicia was watching for him that night; and I knew his face when I sawthem together on the terrace. And with them was another man--wrapped ina cloak--the feather of his hat drooping low over his face.--And hisface--I never turned my eyes away from him and I saw it for a momentwhen the wind swept his feather aside--his face was the faceof--_Rizzo!_" she whispered the name.
"Nay, nay, Ecciva--not he! It could not be _he_!"
"Nay, my trusting children; believe your betters, if you will! As forme--I trust these eyes, rather than the uncertain speech of those whoteach us what we _may_ believe. These eyes are good eyes! They have notfailed me yet!"
She laughed lightly, satisfied with the impression her tale had made, asshe turned away indifferently; but they were eager for the rest.
"There is more, Ecciva!--that which cometh after?--_subito_--for theLady of the Bernardini might return!" They were all clamoring about her."And Alicia verily brought him to the Queen's audience-chamber?"
"Nay--bide my time, chatterers, if you would hear the tale--for it hatha sequel--we do not often get one good enough to be spoiled by a toohasty telling.--Rizzo, for it was verily he--can any one forgetRizzo!--he turned from them and began to climb the mountain, there,where the signal fire glowed later. And Tristan, the handsome knight,came into the palace with his sister; and after them come following theholy sister Violante--she who came hither from Rhodes some days before."
"Go on!" they cried eagerly, crowding closer. She waved them away fromher.
"There is no more," she answered provokingly--"save that which we allknow; _the signal-fire_, and the _galley floating below by the coast,half hidden by the great rock_--for that also I saw from myturret--thanks be to the Madonna for lifting the mortal dulness! And Ileft sleep for better things that night; for it was well-nigh the hourof matins when the galley set sail for Venice."
"But the audience with the Queen?"
"There was no audience. For I bethought me of somewhat I had _forgotten_in the ante-chamber--not to miss the knowledge of what was passing--andI sped me thither. And then there was naught left to do but to hide me,somewhat weak of heart, in the tapestry of the ante-chamber; for thedoor was wide into the Queen's salon, and there was His Excellency theBernardini, flashing scorn in his speech, so that one thought the airwould break into flames--he, the while, standing still enough for animage of a wrathful Kinyras; the Queen's guard was around him, all infull armor--a doughty corps of men to meet those three!--Alicia, whiteas a spirit, weeping against Tristan; and Violante, shaken out of herholy calm, kneeling to pray His Excellency's grace!"
"And then----?"
"And then they left the Queen's chamber and I dared not creep forthuntil all was quiet again. But I heard His Excellency's speech as hestood bowing in the doorway when the guards led Tristan forth--a modelof courtesy one would have said--for I could see him through a partingin the arras though I risked my life in standing there--'Her Majesty'said the Bernardini--very fair of speech--'doth surely owe such escortto the Illustrissimo, the Seigneur de Giblet, for the attention he wouldfain have offered in his own person to King Janus, in his EpiscopalPalace before he wore the crown of the realm.' And the Seigneur deGiblet, not to be outdone--being Cyprian--answers him--very proud andcold--'Is your Excellency ever so faithful to reward a service_contemplated, but not achieved_?' For he had meant to smother the Kingin his sleep that night, if Janus had not escaped to Egypt."
They were all silent until Ecciva, less overcome by these tragicmemories, resumed her story.
"And after that, Tristan came no more; nor his sister, the fair Alicia;nor Rizzo, the dark-browed. Nor was it many days ere Violante, the mostholy sister, had left the court.--Ask the Provveditori!"
"But what message did they bring Her Majesty?"
"Am I a noble of _Venice_ that I should know this mystery which touchethour realm of Cyprus?" she answered scornfully. "Ask the Bernardini, orthe Dama Margherita--to whom he confesseth all his soul!"
"But Rizzo?" Eloisa asked, bewildered.
"And Rizzo--when he had lighted the signal fire on themountain--thinking perchance, there had been time for the meeting withthe Queen which Alicia had promised Tristan--and the galley had come toshore beneath and waited for him,--went on board, nothing doubting,thinking to return to Rhodes--who knoweth?--To Carlotta perchance;--buthe found the galley _manned with mariners from the arsenal of Venice_;and Tristan coming to set sail for Venice, with the Queen's guard, allin full armor, to speed him on his way: _and a Venetian General incommand, in lieu of the African Captain of the galley who brought himhither_. For one may seek in vain to outwit a Venetian; one must admirethem for that, though it work us woe!"
"It is thine own tale, verily, Ecciva; thou speakest to mock us!"
"Nay--faith of Sant'Elena, it is true and sad enough--if there were notsadder to come. For Tristan, the gallant, handsome knight, being inchains, and fearing worse awaited him when he should reach Venice,wrenched the diamond from a ring he wore and kneaded it into the breadthey served him for his breakfast, and swallowed it--and so there was anend."
They still looked at her incredulously--"How shouldst thou know thistale of horror more than others--if it were true?"
She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "If one maketh wise use ofopportunity, one need not always wait the telling. But to-morrow thecourt will be ringing with the tale; it cometh but now from Venice."
"But Rizzo?"
"He is there in Venice in the _pozzi_; and the end will not be easy likethat of Tristan. For he is the greatest traitor of them all--verily atraitor almost sublime. It were not so difficult to admire the nerve ofthe man!--Rizzo----"
But her further speech was lost in the babel of expostulation andquestion that broke forth, and which would have lasted long but for thereturn of Madama di Thenouris and Dama Margherita.
The Royal Pawn of Venice Page 30