"I ought to have told you," I said, "I have found it."
"Where?"
"In the garden--in shreds and tatters."
He became suddenly very silent, and so we finished our meal. All that day I rested, more for the horses" sake than my own, and be sure I did not fail to make frequent enquiry of Angiola"s condition, hearing each time she was better, and would certainly see me on the morrow. Whilst I lay resting, my mind was active. I cast up the time I had left at my disposal. I still had four clear days to carry out my mission, and to make my plans to intercept Bozardo. But after my adventure in Perugia I had need for extra care, and could not afford to throw away an hour of the four days that were left to me. There were many points to think of. Bozardo would no doubt be strongly escorted, and if the forty thousand ducats he had with him were in gold, they would be difficult to carry away, and would be a great temptation to my men. I could answer for Jacopo and Bande Nere; of course St. Armande was beyond suspicion, my doubts of him were at rest; but for the others? They might or might not yield to temptation. If they did yield, affairs would be serious indeed. I deliberated long and carefully, making up my mind to adopt the following course. Tremouille was but a few miles from me. I would see him, tell him of the enterprise which D"Amboise had entrusted to me, and ask him to send a troop, or some trusted men, to whom I could hand over the money in case I succeeded. If he could send these men on to Sa.s.soferrato, I meant to ambuscade on the banks of the Misa, make my dash at Bozardo there, and if all went well, they could receive the money in a few hours, and relieve me of that anxiety. Of course Tremouille might refuse to see me; he might even do worse; but I would give him the chance and accept the risk.
When I came to think of it, it was hardly possible that he was unacquainted with the cardinal"s design, and I could form no better plan than the one I had resolved upon. I would have to deny myself the pleasure of seeing Angiola on the morrow, but the four days gave me no margin. The day"s repose did me much good, and, after supper, which we took about six o"clock, I ordered Castor to be saddled. St. Armande looked surprised, but I wasted no words, telling him briefly that I was bound on business, and that on my return we should have to make an immediate start. I refused all offer of companionship, and shortly after Castor and I were galloping through the glow of a late sunset to the camp of Tremouille.
I skirted the sh.o.r.es of Trasimene, the road being easier there, and as I went on, could not help wondering to myself what manner of reception I would have from the duke. Good or bad, I was determined to see him, and I soon caught sight of the line of tents, cresting the hills that overhung the defile where Hannibal caught the Romans. The tents were soon lost to view in the grey of the coming night. One by one the camp fires began to light the hills; the mist that rises here after sundown enveloped me, and slackening speed, I let Castor pick his way up an ascending road, covered with loose stones, and cut into ruts and fissures. In a while I came to an outpost, and at once challenged by the sentry, and surrounded by the piquet. I explained that I was from Rome to see the duke, and could not possibly give the pa.s.s word. The officer of the watch replied that this was my affair, not his, and that I would have to remain here until the morning, or until a field officer inspected the posts, in which case he would take his orders.
There was no help for it, and I resigned myself to circ.u.mstances, with an impatient heart So an hour or two pa.s.sed, which I beguiled by discourse with the subaltern, telling him of Rome; he was a cadet of the house of Albani, and hearing petty items of news in return, the chief of which was that the Seigneur de Bayard had returned to the camp. Even as he said this, we heard the deep bay of a hound, and I recognised Bran"s throat.
"_Per Bacco!_ It is Bayard himself going the grand rounds," exclaimed the subaltern springing to his feet, and giving the order for the men to stand at attention. In a few minutes we heard the sound of horse"s hoofs, the sharp clink of steel scabbards, and a half-dozen hors.e.m.e.n rode up. As they approached, Castor neighed in recognition of his twin brother, and an answering call showed that Pollux knew the greeting, and gave it back. The hound too came up, and rising on his hind feet, fawned a welcome on me. I made myself known to Bayard at once.
"_Ciel!_" he said, "you are the last man I expected to meet, and you want to see the duke, come with me then."
On the way I told him of the success of my attempt to free Angiola.
"We have just heard of it," he said, "and it has gone far in your favour. In fact Madame de la Tremouille, who is back again, could speak of nothing else at supper this evening. It was a brave deed, and I envied your luck, cavalier."
I told him of my plan, enquiring if he thought Tremouille would give me the a.s.sistance I wanted, pointing out that the movement of any troops, where I wanted the detachment to go, could not possibly be taken as a breach of the truce.
"As for the truce," he made answer, "it is in the air. The king has really left Macon at last. It is said that the advance guard under the Seneschal of Beaucaire has already crossed the Ombrone. Tremouille cannot possibly refuse, and here we are."
We pulled up at the entrance to a large pavilion, out of whose open door a broad band of light streamed into the night.
"Follow me," said Bayard, and I did so, the guards saluting respectfully as we entered.
I had not time to look about me, but saw that Tremouille, who was in his armour, was pacing up and down the tent, with his limping gait, and dictating a despatch to his secretary. He stopped short in his walk, and greeting Bayard cheerfully, looked at me with a grave surprise.
"This is M. di Savelli," said Bayard, "he has business of such importance with your excellency, that I have taken it upon myself to bring him here."
The duke glanced at me keenly, the thin lines of his lips closing together.
"Are you aware of the risk you run by coming to my camp?" he asked.
"I am perfectly aware, your excellency, but----"
"You must either be a fool, or a very brave man," he interrupted.
"I lay claim to neither honour, my lord, and I take the risk: will you hear me?"
He nodded, and I laid my proposal before him. When I had finished his face expressed approval.
"Very well," he said, "I will detach Hawkwood. If you succeed, hand the money over to him."
"I understand, my lord," and bowing I retired. As I reached the door of the pavilion, I heard the duke"s voice again:
"M. di Savelli."
"My lord," and I faced him.
"Succeed in this, and count me as a friend. I give you the word of Tremouille."
"I thank your excellency," and turning again I went forth. Bayard followed me out.
"I have half a mind to ask you to let me share your adventure," he said, "I am afraid, however, they will not allow me to go. At any rate I will ride back to the outposts with you--down, Bran," and he swung into the saddle.
When I shook hands with Bayard on parting from him, his last speech was--"Be careful, cavaliere, for Tremouille is a man of his word--if you fail, however, remember the game is not yet lost--good-bye, and good luck."
I turned Castor"s head towards the convent, and leaving the camp fires behind me, went on through the darkness. It was midnight when I reached the villa. Those tough old soldiers Jacopo and Bande Nere were on the watch. Everything was ready; and after sharing a skin of wine all round, we rode out--shadowy figures through the mist, now faintly lit up by a young moon, whose thin crescent lay quietly in the sky. I looked back at the walls of the convent; from a window of an upper chamber a light was shining. Perhaps it was hers! And I bent down my head in a silent prayer, for G.o.d"s help in my fight back to honour.
CHAPTER XXIV.
TOO DEARLY BOUGHT.
About a mile from Arcevia, the road from Sinigaglia to Rome, begins to ascend the oak-shrouded hills whence the Misa has its source, pa.s.ses Sa.s.soferrato, and then, turning due south, goes on for some nine miles over the mountains. At the point where this road, up to now following the banks of the Misa, and advancing in a gentle slope, begins the somewhat abrupt ascent of the outer chain of the Pennine Alps, on a high overhanging rock, covered with twisted and gnarled oaks, stood a ruined and deserted castle. It was of the eleventh century, and originally belonged to the Malatesta, whose battered and defaced scutcheon frowned over the half-falling arch of the gate. Now it was ownerless, but there were tenants there, for the falcon had made her eyrie in its rocks, in the crannies of the falling towers were numberless nests of swallows, on the ruined _debris_ of the walls the little red lizard basked in the sunlight, and, when the night came, the melancholy hoot of the owl was heard, and tawny fox, and grey wild cat, stole forth on plundering quests, from their secure retreats amidst the thorn, the wild serpythum, and the fragments of the overthrown outer wall, which afforded these bandits of nature so safe a hiding place.
For once, however, for many years, the castle was again occupied by man. There were a dozen good horses under the lee of the north wall which still stood intact, and in the great hall, part of whose roof lay open to the sky, a fire of oak-logs was burning, whilst around it were gathered Jacopo and my men, cracking jokes, and finding the bottom of a wine skin. In a smaller chamber, a little to the right, I sat with St. Armande and the abbe. We, that is the chevalier and myself, had been dicing a little together to kill time, the abbe improving the occasion by reading from his Breviary. We had now been here for three days, on the watch for Bozardo"s party, but there was no sign of them. They had certainly not gone on, for we had carefully enquired, and were doubtless detained by some reason, of which we knew not the details. In order not to be taken by surprise, I had sent Bande Nere on to scout, with instructions to come back with a free rein, the instant he had news of the party. Two days had pa.s.sed since he went, there was no sign of him, and I was beginning to feel a little anxious.
"_Diavolo!_" I exclaimed, "I am getting sick of sitting like a vulture on a rock here. I wish Monsignore Bozardo would hasten his steps."
The abbe looked up in a mild surprise, and St. Armande put in gently--"The compulsory rest has done your wound good at any rate."
"I fancy, chevalier, I owe more thanks to your skilful doctoring than to the rest. _Per Bacco!_ But I think I shall carry those claw marks to my grave."
"What one carries to the grave does not matter," said the abbe, "it is what one carries beyond the grave that the signor" cavaliere should think of."
"True, reverend sir, I trust I may ever remember that," and rising, I put my hand on St. Armande"s shoulder, "come, chevalier, I go to take a turn outside, will you join me?"
He rose with pleasure on his face. On our way out we pa.s.sed through the great hall, and listened for a moment to Jacopo, who in a tuneful voice was singing a Tuscan love song. So absorbed was he and his audience, that they did not observe us, nor did our footfalls attract any attention as we pa.s.sed out into the open air.
The moon was still young enough for all the stars to be visible, and leaning over the ruined battlements we looked out into the night. Far below us we heard the river, murmuring onwards towards the sea, behind us the castle stood grim and silent, a red light showing from the windows of the hall, through which we could catch the lilting chorus to Jacopo"s song.
For a time neither of us spoke, and then to make some conversation I turned to my companion.
"Who is that abbe, chevalier, who accompanies you everywhere? Not a tutor surely?"
"In a way--yes," he answered, "he was born and brought up on our estates, and is a faithful servant of our house--you must know," he went on, "that in Picardy, the name of St. Armande is honoured as that of the king. I would trust Carillon with more than my life; my honour, if need be; for he and his fathers have served us more faithfully I fear than we have served France."
"Not more faithfully than you mean to though--eh, St. Armande?"
"If I live," was the reply, as he made a slight gesture, a movement of the head that brought back to me the shadowy memory I was always trying to grasp.
"Live--why of course you will live," I answered.