“I hear that the Grand Company is allied with Albornoz, and that its General is secretly the soldier of the Church.  Is it so?”

“Ay—­Albornoz and I understand one another,” replied Montreal, carelessly; “and not the less so that we have a mutual foe; whom both are sworn to crush, in Visconti, the archbishop of Milan.”

“Visconti! the most potent of the Italian princes.  That he has justly incurred the wrath of the Church I know—­and I can readily understand that Innocent has revoked the pardon which the intrigues of the Archbishop purchased from Clement vi.  But I do not see clearly why Montreal should willingly provoke so dark and terrible a foe.”

Montreal smiled sternly.  “Know you not,” he said, “the vast ambition of that Visconti?  By the Holy Sepulchre, he is precisely the enemy my soul leaps to meet!  He has a genius worthy to cope with Montreal’s.  I have made myself master of his secret plans—­they are gigantic!  In a word, the Archbishop designs the conquest of all Italy.  His enormous wealth purchases the corrupt—­his dark sagacity ensnares the credulous—­his daring valour awes the weak.  Every enemy he humbles—­every ally he enslaves.  This is precisely the Prince whose progress Walter de Montreal must arrest.  For this (he said in a whisper as to himself) is precisely the Prince who, if suffered to extend his power, will frustrate the plans and break the force of Walter de Montreal.”

Adrian was silent, and for the first time a suspicion of the real nature of the Provencal’s designs crossed his breast.

“But, noble Montreal,” resumed the Colonna, “give me, if your knowledge serves, as no doubt it does,—­give me the latest tidings of my native city.  I am Roman, and Rome is ever in my thoughts.”

“And well she may,” replied Montreal, quickly.  “Thou knowest that Albornoz, as Legate of the Pontiff, led the army of the Church into the Papal Territories.  He took with him Cola di Rienzi.  Arrived at Monte Fiascone, crowds of Romans of all ranks hastened thither to render homage to the Tribune.  The Legate was forgotten in the popularity of his companion.  Whether or not Albornoz grew jealous—­for he is proud as Lucifer—­of the respect paid to the Tribune, or whether he feared the restoration of his power, I cannot tell.  But he detained him in his camp, and refused to yield him to all the solicitations and all the deputations of the Romans.  Artfully, however, he fulfilled one of the real objects of Rienzi’s release.  Through his means he formally regained the allegiance of Rome to the Church, and by the attraction of his presence swelled his camp with Roman recruits.  Marching to Viterbo, Rienzi distinguished himself greatly in deeds of arms against the tyrant ("Vita di Cola di Rienzi".) John di Vico.  Nay, he fought as one worthy of belonging to the Grand Company.  This increased the zeal of the Romans; and the city disgorged half its inhabitants to attend the person of the bold Tribune.  To the entreaties of these worthy citizens (perhaps the very men who had before shut up their darling in St. Angelo) the crafty Legate merely replied, ’Arm against John di Vico—­conquer the tyrants of the Territory—­re-establish the patrimony of St. Peter, and Rienzi shall then be proclaimed Senator, and return to Rome.’