“Lorenzo was always seeking our master,” said the monk.  “Often would he come walking in our gardens, expecting surely he would hasten down to meet him; and the brothers would run all out of breath to his cell to say, ‘Father, Lorenzo is in the garden.’  ‘He is welcome,’ would he answer, with his pleasant smile.  ’But, father, will you not descend to meet him?’ ‘Hath he asked for me?’ ‘No.’  ’Well, then, let us not interrupt his meditations,’ he would answer, and remain still at his reading, so jealous was he lest he should seek the favor of princes and forget God, as does all the world in our day.”

“And because he does not seek the favor of the men of this world he will be trampled down and slain.  Will the God in whom he trusts defend him?”

The monk pointed expressively upward to the statues that stood glorified above them, still wearing a rosy radiance, though the shadows of twilight had fallen on all the city below.

“My son,” he said, “the victories of the True Church are not in time, but in eternity.  How many around us were conquered on earth that they might triumph in heaven!  What saith the Apostle?  ’They were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.’”

“But, alas!” said Agostino, “are we never to see the right triumph here?  I fear that this noble name is written in blood, like so many of whom the world is not worthy.  Can one do nothing to help it?”

“How is that?  What have you heard?” said the monk, eagerly.  “Have you seen your uncle?”

“Not yet; he is gone into the country for a day,—­so say his servants.  I saw, when the Duke’s court passed, my cousin, who is in his train, and got a moment’s speech with him; and he promised, that, if I would wait for him here, he would come to me as soon as he could be let off from his attendance.  When he comes, it were best that we confer alone.”

“I will retire to the southern side,” said the monk, “and await the end of your conference”:  and with that he crossed the platform on which they were standing, and, going down a flight of white marble steps, was soon lost to view amid the wilderness of frost-like carved work.

He had scarcely vanished, before footsteps were heard ascending the marble staircase on the other side, and the sound of a voice humming a popular air of the court.

The stranger was a young man of about five-and-twenty, habited with all that richness and brilliancy of coloring which the fashion of the day permitted to a young exquisite.  His mantle of purple velvet falling jauntily off from one shoulder disclosed a doublet of amber satin richly embroidered with gold and seed-pearl.  The long white plume which drooped from his cap was held in its place by a large diamond which sparkled like a star in the evening twilight.  His finely moulded hands were loaded with rings, and ruffles of the richest Venetian lace encircled his wrists.  He had worn over all a dark cloak with a peaked hood, the usual evening disguise in Italy; but as he gained the top-stair of the platform, he threw it carelessly down and gayly offered his hand.