Gladly, then, did I turn to follow the Duke and Madonna Paola into the adjoining chamber to which Cesare led the way, even as Don Miguel’s voice was raised to command his men to clear the hall, to the end that he might conduct his examination in private.

The three of us stood in the anteroom.  A servant had lighted the tapers and closed the doors, and the Duke turned to me.

“First, Messer Biancomonte, to discharge my debt.  You are, if I am not misinformed, the lord by right of birth of certain lands that bear your name, which suffered sequestration during the reign of the late Costanzo, Tyrant of Pesaro, whose son Giovanni upheld that confiscation.  Am I right?”

“Your Excellency is very well informed.  The Lord of Pesaro did make me tardy restitution—­so tardy, indeed, that the lands which he restored to me had already virtually passed from his possession.”

Cesare smiled.

“In recompense for the service you have rendered me this day,” said he, and my heart thrilled at the words and at the thought of the joy which I was about to bear to my old mother, “I reinvest you in your lands of Biancomonte for so long as you are content to recognise in me your overlord, and to be loyal, true and faithful to my rule.”

I bowed, murmuring something of the joy I felt and the devotion I should entertain.

“Then that is done with.  You shall have the deed from my hand by morning.  And now, Madonna, will you grant me some explanation of your conduct in leaving Pesaro in this man’s company, instead of repairing to your brother’s house, when you awakened from the effects of the potion Ramiro gave you, or must I seek the explanation from Messer Biancomonte?”

Her eyes fell before the scrutiny of his, and when they were raised again it was to meet my glance, and if Cesare could not, for himself, read the message of those eyes, why then, his penetration was by no means what the world accounted it.

“My lord,” I cried, “let me explain.  I love Madonna Paola.  It was love of her that led me to the church and kept me there that night.  It was love of her and the overmastering passion of my grief at her so sudden death that led me, in a madness, to desire once more to look upon her face ere they delivered it to earth’s keeping.  Thus was it that I came to discover that she lived; thus was it that I anticipated Ramiro del’ Orca.  He came upon us almost before I had raised her from the coffin, yet love lent me strength and craft to delude him.  We hid awhile in the sacristy, and it was there, after Madonna had revived, that the pent-up passion of years burst the bond with which reason had bidden me restrain it.”

“By the Host!” cried Cesare, his brows drawn down in a frown.  “You are a bold man to tell me this.  And you, Madonna,” he cried, turning suddenly to her, “what have you to say?”

“Only, my lord, that I have suffered more I think in these past few days than has ever fallen to the life-time’s share of another woman.  I think, my lord, that I have suffered enough to have earned me a little peace and a little happiness for the remainder of my days.  All my life have men plagued me with marriages that were hateful to me, and this has culminated in the brutal act of Ramiro del’ Orca.  Do you not think that I have endured enough?”