The herald., 1898-11-06

OF the door OF the palace, and thou
shalt see what thou shalt see."
1 looked in the direction which ne
indicated and saw a decapitated head
with CORY locks, stuck upon a pike 1T
the top of the archway. The eyes were
closed, the features pinched and the
formerly rubicund cheeks fallen in;
but I knew it at once for the head OF
the once arrogant and magnificent
Castruccio.
by my halidom," said I. but
would fain know who hath led this
sudden and successful revolution"
go to. my FRIEND" he answered.
"Now who should lead it but the
greatest elevationist of them all,
Prince Timoteo of the Pazzi?"
49," thought l. 1.-THE thing hath
been done under my name, and against
my orders. l will come about with
these knaves, presently. in such a
fashion that they will wish themselves
further. Meanwhile I must get Ippo-
lita out Of the way. for she must not
see this CHASTITY sight"
| I returned to the countess, and, as
approached her, I perceived that her
eyes, even at that very moment, We're
| fastened in a stony and fearful stare
upon the mutilated head of her father.
No words could have availed at such
a time so 1 simply took her hand and
squeezed it tightly. to let her know
that I was by her side in this horrible
and heartbreaking calamity. Present
ly, she got the better Of her terrible
emotion ,and looked down at me with
| a pale and fearless face, and gave ut
terance II one of those trivial express
| x,.;t ,;AI
men cloak their real feelings upon
such occasions:
"Beshrew me, but papa looks quite
natural" said she.
/ now led my fiery charger with his
lovely burden, a little to one side, to
an obscure spot, and there telling her
the history Of my dealings with the
elevationists, and how they had acted
that night without my sanction and
totally in opposition to my wishes, /
bade her wait for me till should have
gone into the palace and subjugated
the villains and brought them to ac-
count. l then sprang up the granite
steps of the portico, crossed the ves-
tibule and suddenly burst into the
banquet hall. where the whole martial
company was assembled
What, ho!" 1 thundered, in a voice
which Immediately procured silence
Base dogs and contumacious caitiffs
what mean ye by this orgie? What
warrant had We for this outbreak, and
why have We disobeyed my orders
which were that the rising should be
postponed? Tell me, moreover, why
should not cause to be cut off the
heads of the ringleaders of ye."
| At this, the assemblage seemed
somewhat abashed, but a burly hal
berdier who sat near me, the same
man who had cloven the skull of the
joking knight, rose up from his seat
and deliberately snapped his thumb
and finger at me.
| II snap my fingers at thee" said he.
| 1t was unnecessary for him to say
so, as everyone had seen him do It.
went to draw my sword that I might
perforate him, when l suddenly be-
came almost paralyzed by observing,
upon a raised seat, some way down on
the other side of the table, no less a
parsonage than Brother Ambrose. the
ex-monk and erstwhile captain of the
band of thieves.
Seize that man." I cried. pointing
him out, "for by our Lady, he is the
same friar who escaped the flames yes
tereen, besides being the captain of as
vile a pack of robbers as ever stole
Pardy, seize him, 1 tell ye."
Hold thy tongue, thou scurvy i'm
postor," cried Brother Ambrose, coolly
at the same time rising from his seat.
| Thou hast but short while to live,
and santiddio, thou wilt best improve
it by listening to what I now say to
| thee"
The faces Of all the old warriors
looked ominous. 1 felt somewhat un-
easy and glanced toward the entrance,
but found that score of them had
risen and lined themselves in front of
it, so that escape was impossible IN
that direction. The renegade monk
| now continued:
Thou dost assert that thou are
Timoteo, the son of the noble Arnolfo,
Now, by my faith, how may that we'll
be, when l myself, as all these stout
men-at arms can vouch, am Prince
Timoteo the last of the Pazzi, and at
present, by Gods grace, ruler of this,
our goodly principality of Firenzalino?
Ha. thou dost start, but let the CALLED
jade vince as Bocaccio says. Listen
to me, and will tell thee the tale, as
I have already told it to these trusty
warriors, my vassals. A score of years
ago, my sire, the noble Prince Arnolfo,
was minded, in order to preserve me
from the Vaccinations of mine enc
mics, to let me down, by means of Il
long stout rope, into the outside world
Natheless, when l had come down a
matter of a hundred feet or more,
repented of me of it, and did crawl into
that level of the copper mine, the
mouth of which doth open upon the
face of the cliff. Being come by this
means back into my native land, had
shame to appear before my sire, and
from that time to this, 1 have led a
wandering life, seeing all things, en-
joying all things, and proving all
things, that in the end / might be
schooled and qualified for the position
to which l knew some day l would at
tain. That l speak sooth, hath been
shown by the old graybeard Jacopo,
who hath recognized and acknowl-
edged me, and who hath, at the same
time, denounced thee as an impostor,
and, moreover, as a foreigner, who by
his innocent aid hath come into this
our land from the lower world of here
tics and villains, in opposition to the
laws made and provided. Wherefore,
I say to thee that thou shalt die Seize
him, my valiant minions, and, by our
Lady, let his shrift be a short one"
I drew my sword and, as they closed
around me, 1 prepared to sell my life
as dearly as possible. Then, all at
once there sounded q most Internal