CHAPTER V.
D'ENTRANGUES SCORES A POINT.
Before I had gone fifty paces, however, I became aware that there wassome law left in Montevarchi, for a warning cry made me look over myshoulder, and I saw a party of the city-guards, who had discreetlykept out of the way when Brico and I crossed swords, hurrying towardsme. The same glance showed me that the ancient was already in theirhands, and was being dragged along with but little regard to hiscomfort; and I felt sure that now, as the troop was gone, the citizenswould wreak their vengeance on this hen-roost robber, and he would belucky if he escaped with life. As for me, the catchpolls being out,they no doubt reasoned that they might as well net me. To stop andresist, would only result in my being ultimately overpowered, andperhaps imprisoned; to yield without a blow meant very much the samething, and, in the shake of a drake's tail, I resolved to run, and totrust for escape to my turn for speed. So I set off at my roundestpace, followed by the posse, and the rabble who but a moment beforewere cheering me.
More than once I felt inclined to turn, and end the matter for myself;but the fact that this might mean laying aside all chance of settlingD'Entrangues, urged me to my best efforts. Some fool made an attemptto stop me, and I was compelled to slash him across the face with mysword, as a warning not to interfere with matters with which he had noconcern. I hardly knew where I was going; but dashed down a littlebye-street, and was, after a hundred yards, brought to a halt by adead wall. I could barely reach the top of it with my hands, luckilythis was enough to allow me to draw myself up, and drop over to theother side, just as the police reached within ten feet of me. I didnot stop to take notes of their action, but was off as soon as my feettouched ground, and found to my joy that I was close to one of theunrepaired breaches in the city wall, made six months ago byTremouille's cannon. Through this I rushed, and scrambling down aslope of broken stone and mortar, found I would be compelled to climbdown very nearly a hundred feet of what looked like the sheer face ofa rock, before I could reach level ground. There was not even a goattrack. My agility was, however, spurred on by hearing shouts behindme, and preferring to risk death in attempting the descent, ratherthan fall into the hands of messer the podesta, I chanced the venture,and partly by holding on to the tough broom roots, partly slipping,and aided by Providence and Our Lady of San Spirito, to whom Ihurriedly cast up a prayer, I managed to reach the bottom, and fell,exhausted and breathless, into a cistus hedge.
I was too beaten to go another yard, and had my pursuers only followedup, must have become an easy prey. As it was I heard them reach thebreach, where they came to a stop, all shouting and babbling at thesame time. One or two, bolder than the others, attempted to descendthe ledge of rock, down which I escaped, but its steepness dampedtheir courage. They, however, succeeded in loosening some of thedebris so that it fell over the cliff, and a few of the stones droppedvery close to me; but by good hap I escaped, or else this would neverhave been written. One great block indeed, just passed over my head,and I vowed an altar-piece to Our Lady of San Spirito, who alone couldhave diverted that which was coming straight to my destruction; and Imay add I duly kept my word. After a time the voices above began togrow fainter, and to my delight I found that the citizens, thinking itimpossible I should have escaped like a lizard amongst the rocks, wereharking back, and ranging to the right and left. I waited until allsound died away, and cautiously peeped out. The coast was clear. I hadrecovered my wind, and without more waste of time, I rose and pressedon in the direction of the hills, determined to chance no furtheradventures near the towns. Indeed, I had crowded more incident intothe past few hours, than into the previous five-and-thirty years of mylife, and my sole object, at present, was to reach Florence withoutfurther let or hindrance.
Keeping the vineyards between me and the town, I avoided allobservation, and at a small wayside inn, filled a wallet which Ipurchased, with food and a bottle of the rough country wine, so thatthere might be no necessity for my visiting a human habitation duringthe remainder of my journey. With the wallet swung over my shoulder,an hour or so later I was ascending the slopes of Mount St. Michele,cursing the fallen pine-needles, which made my foothold so slippery,that I slid rather than walked.
Turning the corner of a bluff, I suddenly came upon half-a-dozen men,reclining under the pines in various attitudes of ease. They sprang upat once on seeing me, and one of them, presenting his arquebus, calledon me to halt.
"You must pay our toll before you pass, Signore," said the man, whoappeared to be the leader of the party.
"As you please," I replied, "but my only metal is cold steel."
"_Corpo di Bacco!_" he exclaimed. "I thought I knew you, and yourvoice makes me certain. Surely I address the Cavaliere di Savelli?"
I bowed, a little confused at the thought of my disguise being soeasily penetrated, and the bandit went on, turning to his comrades--
"Put down your gun, Spalle, this gentleman is one of us, and--hawks donot peck out hawks' eyes. Signore," he added, "you pass free. I hadthe honour to serve in your _condotta_ during the Siena war, anddoubtless you remember Piero Luigi?"
"I do," I said, and the memory of a bag of florins which accompaniedthis same Luigi on his disappearance one fine day came to my mind. Ihad not however seen the man for three years, but he was apparently ofthose who do not forget faces. As it turned out, however, he had seenme very recently without my knowing it.
"It is a pleasure to think I am not forgotten, and in a way,Excellency, you have paid your footing." The rascal was alluding to mystolen florins. "To think," he continued, "that you should have joinedus! But I suppose it was the dice, and, to be sure, the rubies wereworth ten thousand. You should have realised at once and vanished; butexperience will come, and mayhap another chance. I saw the trial,Excellency, and we do not war with the profession, least of all with anew recruit. You are free to pass, or, if you prefer it, to accept ourhospitality for a while."
I declined the proffered invitation with a brief thanks, and went on,my blood boiling at the impertinence of the scoundrel who sofamiliarly claimed me as one of his own kind. Innocent myself, I wastasting to the dregs all the humiliation of the guilty, and it wasonly perhaps a lucky chance that saved me from the rope, or the stillworse fate of the galleys at Pisa. Turn which way I would, my owncountry would never be a country for me again. I was cut out from myorder, my infamy would be known wherever my name was heard, and myassociates would henceforth have to be the vilest of mankind. Had Icommitted a murder, or even an act of treachery in war, that couldhave been wiped out; but to have sunk to the condition of a commonthief, this was ignominy beyond repair. I therefore resolved, as soonas I pushed matters to a conclusion with D'Entrangues, that I shouldleave Italy and seek a new life in the strange countries beyond theseas which Messer Columbus, the navigator, had discovered, and there,my past being unknown, perhaps find a future of peace or the restwhich fears no disturbing from this world.
My original idea had been to seek the dominions of the Turk, but theywere too close to my shame; even the New World was hardly far enough.So I planned, and so doubtless would I have acted had notcircumstances worked to give me back what I lost, as I thoughthopelessly, and to bring home to my mind the certainty of that tendermercy of God, of which we on earth take too little account.
It was late in the evening before I halted and ate my dinner under anoverhanging rock, sheltered from the north wind by a clump of pines.When I finished I rolled myself up in my cloak, and fatigue, togetherwith a good conscience, combined to send me to a sleep as sound as itwas refreshing. I was up before the sun and continued my way,determined to reach Florence by evening. I took no particular noticeof the view, where I could see to my right the Prato Magno, and to myleft all the valley of the Greve; but kept my eyes before me, intenton my thoughts.
At length, when passing Impruneta, where the black virgin is, Florencecame in sight. There was a slight haze which prevented me from seeingas clearly as I cou
ld wish; but I plainly made out the houses on thebanks of the Arno, Arnolfo's Tower, the Palace of the Signory, theCathedral, the Bargello, and the unfinished Pitti Palace, whilstbeyond rose the convent-topped hill of Senario, where the Serviteshave their monastery.
As I looked, there was little of admiration in my heart, although thescene was fair enough; but I could give no mind to anything beyond thefact that I was at last within measurable distance of D'Entrangues,and that in a few hours my hand was like to be at his throat.
With these thoughts there somehow mingled up the face of Madame, andthe scene of our last meeting. I put this aside, however, with astrong hand, and determined to think no more of her, although no suchrecollection could be anything but pleasant and sweet. Until I met herI had managed well enough without womankind, and for the future Iwould leave bright eyes alone. Yet I knew I was the better man forholding the privilege of her friendship. However, she had passed outof my life, and across the seas I would have other things to think ofthan the memory of my platonic friendship with Doris D'Entrangues.
It was close upon sunset when I entered the San Piero Gate, and foundmyself in Florence, and in a difficulty at the same time, inconsequence of my wearing a sword. I luckily, however, remembered thatLa Palisse, the French leader, was then in the city, and explainingthat I was from the army at Arezzo with a message to him, inquiredparticularly his abode, which I was told was in the palace of theexiled Medici in the Via Larga. It so happened that La Palisse was inconstant communication with Tremouille, and this and my confidentbearing imposed upon the guards. I supplemented my argument with acouple of crowns, and they let me pass without further parley. It willthus be seen that whatever the regulations may have been, they wereeasily broken. Indeed I found later on that they were, even at thattime, a dead letter, and that the zeal of the guards was merelyinspired by the prospect of making something out of me, which they didon this occasion. I knew Florence fairly well, having been there undercircumstances very different to the present; but as I hurried alongthe crowded streets, I began to feel I was somewhat uncertain as towhither the roads led. I judged it prudent, however, not to makeinquiries, but kept my eyes on the sharp look-out for an hostelsuitable to my purse, which was diminishing at a fearful rate. Istopped for a while at a street stall to satisfy my hunger with a cakeof wheat and a glass of milk, a wholesome but unpalatable beverage,and entered into conversation with the stall-keeper. It came out thatI was in a difficulty about a lodging, and the man very civilly toldme where one could be procured, and added to his kindness, seeing Iwas apparently a stranger to the place, by directing his son, a smallbare-legged urchin, to guide me to the house, which he said was an oldpalace of the Albizzi, that had passed into the hands of the bankerNobili, and was rented out in tenements.
Heaven only knows through what bye-lanes and alleys the imp led me,chattering like an ape the whilst; but at last we reached the housewhich lay in the street di Pucci. An arrangement was soon entered intowith the person in charge, and I paid in advance for two weeks thesmall rent asked for the room I took. I selected the room, becausethere was in it some furniture, such as a bed, a table and a couple ofchairs, which, I was informed with some emphasis, had been seized fromthe last tenant in default of rent. I sent the boy away rejoicing, andwas surprised to find that the housekeeper did not depart as well; butthis worthy soon made it clear to me that a further payment wasrequisite on account of the furniture. I was too tired to haggle, sopaid him the three broad pieces he wanted, and bid him get me somecandles. He returned after a little delay with what I needed, and Imay say at once that under a rough exterior I found this man, with allhis faults, was capable on occasions of displaying true kindliness ofheart.
I would like to pay him this tribute, for subsequently, as will beseen, we had a grave difference of opinion which ended in disaster forhim. At the time this happened I could not but condemn him strongly,for in order to further a plot in which he was engaged, he tried toinduce me to crime, and when, by a happy chance, I was able tofrustrate his design, joined in an attempt to murder me. I fullybelieve, however, now that I can look back on affairs coolly, that, incommon with others of his age, he thought it no wrong to adopt anymeans to further a political plot, whilst in the every day observancesof life he displayed, in an underhand manner, much virtue.
When he was gone I sat down to count my money, and found I had but tencrowns in all the world. With prudence however this would last sometime. Still it was gall and wormwood to me to have to weigh each itemof my disbursement. It would be necessary as well to renew my attire,which, with the exception of the leather buff coat, was almost ruinedby the hard wear it had been exposed to on my journey. I sat down torest, but now that I had reached Florence a reaction set in, andassailed by a full sense of my position I gave way to despair. In alittle time I became more composed; but it was impossible to keepstill with the fire in my heart, and I sallied into the street, takingcare to note landmarks, so as to find my way back. In this manner Imust have gone for about a quarter of a mile, when I was brought to astandstill by the coming of a gay party down the street, in thedirection opposite to mine, all marching by the light of many torches,to the music of a band. The musicians led the procession, which wasflanked on each side by a number of flambeaux bearers, and a retinueof servants, all bearing swords despite the law.
The merry-makers walked in pairs, each lady resting her fingerson her cavalier's arm, and all laughing and talking with the utmostgood-humour. I was compelled to draw myself to the wall to admit oftheir passing, and whilst thus giving them the road, the light fellbrightly on me, and I became an object of alarm to some of the fair,who gave utterance to pretty little exclamations of terror, with theresult that I came in for haughty looks from the gallants.
In the middle of the promenaders were two ladies, who, apparently nothaving partners of the opposite sex, had linked themselves together,and the attention of the taller of these was bestowed upon me for amoment, and it was not flattering. As she wore a mask, I could seelittle of her face beyond the half contemptuous look in her eyes whichwere dark as night, and a short curl of the upper lip, with which sheno doubt intended to express the same sentiment as her glance. Iwaited calmly until the whole party passed on, admiring the grace ofthe demoiselle who had favoured me with her scornful survey. I watchedthem until they turned off into another street, and then went on, idlywondering who the people were, and more especially the dark-eyed lady.
The street behind me was in gloom, a few yards in front of me a lamphanging from a wall threw a dim radiance; beyond that there was gloomagain. Through the darkness before me I heard the sound of hurryingfeet, coming in my direction, and almost before I was aware of it, thenewcomer and I fell into the circle of the light, and met face toface.
It was D'Entrangues! He knew me as if by instinct.
"You!" he exclaimed, and on the instant his sword was out. I saidnothing. I was blind, mad with anger. My whole soul hungered for hislife as I thrust at him, and in doing so slipped my foot over the edgeof the narrow pavement and fell heavily. He was on me at once;something flashed in his left hand, and I felt a stinging sensationall over my side. He did not wait to see the result of his blow.Perhaps he made too sure, and springing over me, ran into the darknessbeyond. I scrambled up at once, and made an attempt to follow; but mybrain began to reel, and I was compelled to lean against the wall tosupport myself.
The clash of steel had however aroused some of the inhabitants, andhearing footsteps approaching I pulled myself together with an effort,and making across the road, turned back to my lodging. Here again Ifelt too weak to proceed without help, and sank to the ground, knowingI was bleeding freely. By this time two or three men came up, andafter surveying the spot under the street-lamp, crossed over in mydirection. The rays of a lantern held by one of them discovered me,and they hastened up. I begged the favour of their assistance to myabode, saying I had been stabbed, and this the worthy citizens readilyaccorded; and not content with that, when I reached my room,
gave meall help in dressing my injury. The dagger, which I had to extract,had gone through the folds of my cloak, but was turned by a steelbuckle on the strap of my buff coat, and had cut through the coat anddown my side, inflicting an ugly flesh wound. This in itself was notdangerous; but I had lost much blood, and when the kind citizens hadgone, in making an attempt to rise from my chair, I had only just timeto reach my bed before I became unconscious.
The Honour of Savelli: A Romance Page 6