The Winslow mail., 1900-05-17

staring at each other, and then Baglioni
spoke again, with his deep, sneering accent:
'Is it usual for the Cavaliere di Savelli to
pay visits with drawn sword in his hand?"
"Is it usual" replied, "for gentlemen to
be received by having a savage beast set at
them?'
ooh, Pluto" and he touched the bear:
"Pluto was not set at you, man-you would
not be here if he was"
"Probably-if, however, you will call the
beast to one side l would like To discuss my
business with you, cavaliere."
"Shut the door and sit down there" he
replied, 'Pluto will not disturb us-you can
put back your sword. 1t would avail you
little" he grinned.
1t cost me an effort, but l did as l was
hidden, and Baglioni sank back into his
| lounge, the bear still standing and keeping
its fierce eyes on me. Its master, however,
| kept running his hand up and down it's
| shaggy coat, whist he asked, IN his measured
| voice.
"Well, and to what do owe the honor of
| this visit?"
"You would prefer no beating about the
bush?"
at is my way"
'eWcll, then, cavaliere, have come from
Rome with a special object, and that is to
ask you tQ change sides and to use your in
| huence with your cousin, Count Carlo, to do
| likewise"
81 follow the head of my house."
Exactly. You are aware that His Holi-
ness is now over 20 years of age"
"The lambkin of God, Alexander-yes.
"Well, he cannot go on forever, and if he
were to die it is an end to the Borgia."
"Ho! ho!" he laughed, at is an end to
the Borgia-Cavaliere, your employers are
mad. 1t will take not little to break Ce-
sare-Cesare Borgia, Duke of Romagna,
Imola and Faenza, Marquis of Rimini, Count
Of Forli, Lord of Pesaro and Fano, Gonfal-
onere of the Church-good for low-born
bastard-eh? Ho! no! break Cesarel Not
you"
stronger trees have fallen, sgnore-re-
member, we have France and the Floren-
tines on our side, and 20, 900 men, under Ire
mouille and Trevulzio, are not 20 miles from
you."
l was playing risky game. If did sue
| ceed in inducing this man to listen to my
proposals, and he actually persuaded his
cousin to do likewise, it would be terrible
blow to the Borgia. On the other hand, l
ran the immediate risk of being arrested and
| kept prisoner or killed outright. But it
was the only way to gain time and look
about ME; and whilst Baglioni rehectively
stroked his strange pet, making no reply to
my last speech, L glanced cautiously but
carefully around the room. Like the passage
outside, the walls were hung with old armor
| and old flags. Time had defaced the pic
lures on the ceiling, and such furniture as
there was was old, and the coverings of the
chairs and tables moth-eaten and wine
stained. The stale odor of wine mingled
with the must of long untouched room, and
everywhere, on the tables, on the chairs,
and strewn here and there on the floor, were
cards. Evidently the cavaliere had weak
ness in this direction, and like lightning it
flashed upon me that if he were gambler
the game was probably in my hands, and l
would drop policy and turn to the cards.
My thoughts were interrupted by Baglioni,
who broke the silence. "What evidence
have you to show you are the person you
| represent yourself to be?'
81 can offer you none. In matters like
these one does not carry evidence about
but if you like to send trusted messenger
| to Rome, to the Cardinal d Amboise-see the
reception he will get-or, nearer still, to Ire
| mouille?"
'And why come to me?"
cousin, and because you are man who will
play for big staks," and / risked the shot
His eyes flashed and his hand stopped in it's
movement through the fur of the bear.
''My influence with my cousin is-that,"
he snapped his fingers, "but big stake
yes-I like playing for big stakes"
l stopped and picked up card, holding
it idly up between my finger and thumb
"Ihis, what [ propose, is bigger stake
than you could ever get on the king, cava-
liere," and with twist of my wrist | sent
the card from me; it hit the wall opposite
with a smart tap, and then foated slowly
and uoiselessly down to the floor of the
room.
The mans eyes followed the card, and he
muttered as if to himself:
"a big stake-ye -yes-Carlo gives me nothing
/ am his jailer-I, who in single night
have lost two lordshps to Riario, have now
not a ducat to fling in the air, except what
the niggard allows me-"
| did not like the part was playing, but
| knew enough of the state of affairs to be
certain that ID Amboise would richly reward
the person who could detach Baglioni from
the Borgla. | said no more than the truth,
therefore, when added, quietly:
"You would have another ordship, or two
maybe, to stake if my proposal were carried
out"
"Cospetto!" he said, "it is useless"
"Then l am sorry" | replied, rising as if
to depart, "but must wish you good day."
"Diavolo! Cavaliere, you are not going
without some refreshment. Ho! without
there" and his deep voice pealed out like a
great bell.
The bear, which had stretched itself on
the floor, rose with grunt, but Baglioni
pressed it's head down, and it sank back and
began to hum itself between it's paws, like
an enormous bee, or rather with the sound
thousand bees might make.
After little delay there was knock at
the door, but apparently, as usual, the per
son outside, whoever he was, did not feel
disposed to come in. Ny host rose in anger
and stepped across the room, followed bv
his beast, the latter passing unpleasantlv
close to me.
There was an alteration at the door: nv
host went out with his pet, and for min
ute or two | was left alone. | moved NV
seat nearer to the small table beside Bagl
oni's lounge, and, taking up the pack of
cards, began to shuttle and cut them.
The cavalere came back very soon. flask
in one hand and glass in the other.
"Blood of st. John" he exclaimed, as he
set them down with clink on the table
''those rascals-I will have their ears cui,
off-they fear this poor lamb" and he
fondied the great bear, which rose on its
hind feet and began muzzling it's master.
Il am not surprised. Corpo di Baccol
The king agan!" and flung down the pack
in apparent disgust.
Down, Pluto!" and Baglioni turned to