‘How many, de Lana — how many?’

‘Five — six or seven —’

‘Hundreds!’

‘Thousands, my lord!’

Visconti leaned forward in his chair in his excitement. ‘Thousands?’

The men from Magenta are come in, laden with plunder.’

Visconti laughed.

‘I said I would give them Lombardy to sack — and there are thousands of prisoners?’

The scene was the summer palace, that same night. Visconti sat at the head of a table in a room adjoining the one in which the tapestry was torn and the floor still sticky with blood. It was a small apartment, beautifully inlaid with mosaic, and now blazing with lights, and full of a fine company of officers and nobles.

‘Thousands — men, women, and children — some men of note, too, my lord; the ransacking of palaces for miles —’

‘And Novara?’

‘Some beat the flames out still — they say half the place is saved’

‘Let them plunder it cried Visconti. ‘Let them pick Novara bare! The palace was burned?’

‘To a cinder.’

‘To a heap of ashes!’ said another. ‘There is nothing but the bastion, red hot —’

‘As you should know, da Ribera,’ laughed the officer next him, ‘seeing you tried to ride over it.’

‘And killed his horse,’ said another.

‘And saved myself!’ shouted da Ribera. ‘I look for a reward for that, my lord — the saving of a valiant officer of yours —’

‘Shall not be forgotten!’ laughed Visconti. ‘Be paid by this advice. Remember burning towns are dangerous, as to his mortal cost a certain great Frenchman found at Rouen, and several great Germans more recently at Milan —’

‘When they lay along the rampart like flies, I have heard my grandfather say, striving to loot in the midst of the very flames,’ said de Lana, ‘like da Ribera here.’

‘Had I been in Milan, Barbarossa himself would have burned in the midst of it,’ said Visconti, sweeping back the glass and silver before him. ‘The town had weeks to prepare’

‘Had you been there, Milan would not have burned at all, my lord!’ said a flattering voice.

‘Maybe it would not. It was certainly before the Visconti’s rule began,’ and he looked down the table with a smile at the dark face of Martin della Torre.

‘And now the plans, de Lana — Novara to Magenta, Magenta to Vercelli.’

He swept the glasses still further back, and spread the parchment de Lana handed him on the coloured marble table. ‘Vercelli — we hold Vercelli, de Lana?’ The officers moved up closer, leaning over the table.

‘We hold Vercelli — and Magenta.’

Visconti placed a silver goblet to keep the parchment down, and traced the route with the point of his dagger.

To Turin — to Cuneo — as near as we dare to the stiff-necked Genoese, and we have circled Piedmont.’

‘And these same Genoese?’

‘Let them keep quiet,’ said Visconti; sheathing his dagger and leaning back, ‘and they may keep Genoa; we have larger game in view — the Empire. From the walls of Novara the Alps are to be seen, from the walls of Magenta they hide half the sky, from Turin one may touch them, and so we go closer —’

‘And hold the Empire in check,’ said de Lana, with excited eyes. ‘Ah, my lord, it was almost worth it —’

Visconti turned to him sharply.

‘What do you say, de Lana?’

There was a second’s pause. This was the first, even vague, reference to what had happened earlier that same night; it seemed weeks since, and yet the sun had not risen on it. Visconti looked at de Lana and laughed.

‘Almost worth it — almost worth what, de Lana?’

The soldier, recovering himself, returned his glance. ‘The extinction of four noble families, my lord.’

‘Did my lord do it?’ cried another.

Did he ask the d’Estes to burn Novara?’

‘No,’ smiled Visconti. ‘But had they not, I had done it for them, as I will burn Mantua, and the Gonzagas in it. We will have no seditious spots in the Lombardy I rule. There will be one capital and one ruler,’ he added sternly. ‘The d’Estes knew enough to anticipate it.’

De Lana was silent.

‘And these prisoners, my lord?’ asked da Ribera. What of them?’

‘They choke the camp,’ said another.

‘They are partisans of Mastino della Scala, naturally,’ said Visconti. It was the first time the name had been mentioned, and Visconti’s eyes flared to see that there was silence at it. ‘Mastino della Scala, I said — they favoured him.’

‘Yes, my lord; him, or the Estes.’

‘You will put them to the sword.’

‘All?’

‘All!’ shouted Visconti, half rising. ‘I will have no rebellious slaves to groan over della Scala’s grave, and hatch me plots from the ashes of their bones — we will raze the cities to the ground, and put them to the sword. My triumph will need no prisoners to prove it — and see it done, de Lana.’

They quailed; their attitude acknowledged him the master. ‘Spare the churches,’ said Visconti, ‘and see that all relics are brought with due honour to Milan. Da Ribera, you ventured furthest into Novara; saw you any churches?’

‘One, my lord, is saved: the church of Santa Chiara.’

We tried to rescue the monks,’ struck in Martin della Torre. ‘They refused our succour, and returned into the flames — screaming —’

He paused.

‘What?’ demanded Visconti.

‘Somewhat about God’s curse,’ answered della Torre. ‘Their execration was not pleasant.’

‘Had you not been there, you had not heard it,’ said de Lana. ‘And a few crazy — hark!’

There came a great noise from without, and the trampling of crowding feet.

‘Another company is joining us,’ remarked Visconti.

‘The soldiers from Novara,’ said della Torre, and put his goblet down, and de Lana turned expectantly to the door. Visconti, facing it, rose in his seat as it was flung wide and a couple of scorched and bleeding soldiers entered followed by a trampling guard.

‘From Novara?’ asked the Duke.

They stopped short, saluting.

‘From Novara! We have saved the library and the college, my lord, and some three palaces.’

‘They would have burned the library,’ cried Visconti, ‘sooner than it should enrich Milan — the jealous fools!’

‘Now, hark you,’ he added to the soldiers, ‘every man bringing a book or a gem or a picture, I reward; every man destroying one, I hang. Now, which is he who saved the library?’

An officer pushed forward.

‘This is he, my lord; one of my company.’

‘Take this from me,’ and Visconti handed the man his neck-chain.

‘And the prisoners, my lord?’

‘What care I for the prisoners! You will give no quarter, I say!’

The officer bowed, and drew a little book from his doublet, laying it on the table.

‘A monk gave me this for his life,’ he said. ‘And all Lombardy knows your taste in books, my lord.’

‘Remember we league with the Pope,’ said Visconti, taking it up. ‘The monk should have had his life without a bribe; now go, and heed what I have said.’ He turned to de Lana: ‘Follow, and see if the flames be out; ’tis daylight.’

The curtains were drawn away from the window, and the early light, fast glowing into sunlight, and the fresh morning air, filled the heated chamber.

The lamps flared pale, the gorgeous dresses and flushed eager faces of the men round the table, the glimmer of the gold and silver vessels before them, showed in a garish contrast with the soft light.

‘Seneca,’ said Visconti, turning over the volume the soldier had brought. ‘Where is that knave Giannotto? Seneca, spoiled by interlining, but still Seneca. Giannotto — I say!’

The secretary was not in the room, but the page dispatched soon brought him. He stood in the doorway, blinking at the daylight, looking around confused, and the company broke into laughter.

‘Take this!’ cried Visconti. ‘A Seneca on vellum, with some dolt’s comments; take it, Giannotto.’

‘There is a library being brought in below,’ said the secretary.

‘Because we spared the church of Santa Chiara, who must have been the patron saint of poets — eh, de Lana?’

‘Messer Francesco Petrarca found her so,’ said a noble laughing. ‘A lucky day for him when he stepped inside the church of Santa Chiara!’

‘He had cause to thank her, doubtless —’

‘If Messer Hugues had not,’ smiled Visconti.

‘I know not, my lord; for a dull boor like that, he gathered some fame else never his.’

‘And the poet turned it to good account,’ said Visconti. ‘Methinks he used his love for money-making; he coined the Lady Laura into good gold pieces!’

‘Now, my lord, is not that spite because Messer Petrarca left his library to Venice?’

Visconti laughed.

‘Let him leave his library where he pleased, he was a fine man of business, say!’

‘And a wearisome poet,’ said de Lana.

‘O Fiametta!’ said Visconti laughing. ‘Joanna! Naples and the blue sea! These are thy patron saints, de Lana?’

‘Nay, I like not that book of feeble love-making any better,’ replied de Lana; ‘a Florentine dallying!’

‘I doubt me if thou hast ever read it,’ said the Duke gaily.

‘Alighieri is more to de Lana’s mind,’ remarked da Ribera, pouring wine, ‘and the fair daughter of old Folco. I myself used to sing Alighieri’s verses till I tired.’

‘Yourself or your audience, my friend?’

But Visconti looked at the speaker, frowning.

‘You have mentioned Alighieri, forgetting who was his patron,’ whispered della Torre.

‘The court of Verona and Can’ Gran’ della Scala —’

‘He recanted, my good lord; he died a Ghibelline,’ said da Ribera, acting on the whisper.

‘Mastino della Scala was a Ghibelline; we never quarrelled over that,’ said Visconti easily. ‘But Mastino was no patron of poets like his father.’ He leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window, where above the beautiful fresh green of the garden faint smoke-wreaths showed the last of Novara.

‘De Lana, you stood next; what did he say — as he went over?’

At the sudden brutal question, they started, and de Lana suppressed a shudder.

‘I did not hear — I thought — he was dead.’

‘I think you are still afraid of him,’ smiled Visconti. ‘I should like to know what he said.’ And he looked round for Giannotto, who had shrunk into a corner, and sat there gazing dully at the company.

‘Did you hear, Giannotto?’

‘I? How should I, my lord?’ and the secretary shuffled uneasily.

‘Ho! a sullen knave!’ cried Visconti, then leaned forward and touched de Lana on the arm.

‘I hear more arrivals — hark!’

What should this be?’ asked da Ribera in surprise. ‘Not my Lord Arezzo from Modena?’

‘From Modena!’ cried Visconti with sparkling eyes. ‘Is there success there too?’

‘Your arms cease to meet with aught else, Lord Visconti,’ said della Torre. ‘I drink to your perfect triumph!’ He raised his glass, red as a huge ruby in the light, and Visconti, triumphant indeed when the leader of a faction admitted it and deemed it politic to say so, drank to della Torre standing.

There was a clatter of footsteps and the noise of a great entry.

‘Silence!’ said Visconti. ”Tis Arezzo, I hear his voice.’

The door was again thrown wide, this time upon a splendid cavalier, clad in magnificent armour, shining beneath his travel-stained scarlet cloak.

‘Success rest upon your helm, Visconti, for Lombardy to Belluno is yours!’ He swept his cap off, and stood, flushed and panting, before the eager, excited company, who rose to a man.

‘Modena?’ asked Visconti. ‘And Mantua?’

‘Yours,’ said Guido d’Arezzo. ‘And of Ferrara, I myself received the keys, and rode post-haste to Milan, through a country that dared not raise a finger, where even the nobles came uncovered to my stirrup; and so from thence I followed you here — with these as proof of my success.’ He stepped aside, showing a glimpse of the disordered room beyond, and beckoned to one of the men behind him, taking two great standards from him.

‘This as a proof — the banner of the Gonzagas, the standard of the d’Estes!’ He dropped to one knee and laid them at Visconti’s feet, both bloodstained, torn, to rags, the bearings beaten from their surface; still, the flags that had floated from Modena and Mantua. The company burst into wild shouts, mad with the intoxication of success, and Visconti raised Arezzo and placed him beside him at the table, the banners at his feet.

‘Thou hast done splendidly,’ he cried. ‘On our side too there is fortune — Mastino della Scala will trouble us no more!’

‘Dead!’ cried the general. ‘Dead!’

‘He lies yonder in the garden.’ With smiling lips Visconti pointed through the open window. ‘He was killed last night!’

‘The last of the Scaligeri! Then Lombardy is yours indeed!’

‘From Vercelli to Belluno!’ cried de Lana.

‘I shall not forget those who helped me,’ said Visconti, and called for wine and himself served Arezzo. ‘I will prove I am no niggard to my friends — your health, Arezzo!’

The name of the victorious captain was shouted down the table; only Giannotto was silent, seated in the window-seat, and the Duke’s eyes fell on him.

‘Give the rogue there some wine,’ he laughed. ‘Have no fears, Giannotto, I will remember thee, there are palaces enough to loot. Thou shalt have the pickings of one. Drink!’ he added in a sterner tone, as the secretary refused the wine with muttered excuses. ‘Take it, and warm thy frozen blood, or we will find somewhat will do it better.’

The secretary took the goblet, but so gripping the glass that the slender stem snapped, and the liquid ran red over the black and white floor, like a trail of fresh blood.

The cellars are not so full that we can spare good wine,’ said da Ribera.

But Visconti laughed, and pulling the map again toward him, pointed out the march to Arezzo; and the secretary was forgotten, cowering in gloomy aloofness.

Giannotto watched the scene with a dull interest, as if it were far away and in no way belonging to him; he had had no sleep that night, and felt dizzy and confused. He could not forget Mastino, slain last night,............