XV
關燈
小
中
大
ommenttoeverysentenceofPlato.'
'Yourascal,Pico!'answeredLorenzo,alsolaughing.'Andwhatisyouropinionoflove,Messer?'headded,turningtome.
Ianswered,smiling,—
'Contuapromesse,ettuafalseparole,
Confalsirisi,etconvagosembiante,
Donna,menatohaiiltuofideleamante.'
..........
Thosepromisesofthine,andthosefalsewords,
Thosetraitorsmiles,andthatinconstantseeming,
Lady,withthesethou'stledastraythyfaithfullover.
TheywereLorenzo'sownlines,andhewasdelightedthatIshouldquotethem,butstillthepleasurewasnottoogreat,andIsawthatitmustbesubtleflatteryindeedthatshouldturnhishead.
'Youhavethespiritofacourtier,MesserFilippo,'hesaidinreplytomyquotation.'Youarewastedonliberty!'
'ItisintheairinFlorence—onebreathesitinthrougheverypore.'
'What,liberty?'
'Nothespiritofthecourtier.'
Lorenzolookedatmesharply,thenatPico,repressingasmileatmysarcasm.
'Well,aboutyourbusinessfromForli?'hesaidbutwhenIbeganexplainingthetransactionheinterruptedme.'Oh,allthatyoucanarrangewithmysecretaries.Tellmewhatisgoingoninthetown.Therehavebeenrumoursofdisturbance.'
IlookedatPico,whoroseandwentout,saying,—
'Iwillleaveyou.Politicsarenotforme.'
ItoldLorenzoallthathadhappened,whilehelistenedintently,occasionallyinterruptingmetoaskaquestion.WhenIhadfinished,hesaid—
'Andwhatwillhappennow?'
Ishruggedmyshoulders.
'Whoknows?'
'Thewisemanknows,'hesaidearnestly,'forhehasmadeuphismindwhatwillhappen,andgoesabouttocauseittohappen.Itisonlythefoolwhotruststochanceandwaitsforcircumstancestodevelopthemselves....'
'Tellyourmaster—'
'Ibegyourpardon?'Iinterrupted.
Helookedatmeinterrogatively.
'Iwaswonderingofwhomyouwerespeaking,'Imurmured.
Heunderstoodand,smiling,said,—
'Iapologise.IwasthinkingyouwereaForlivese.Ofcourse,IremembernowthatyouareacitizenofCastello,andweallknowhowtenacioustheyhavebeenoftheirlibertyandhowproudoftheirfreedom.'
HehadmeonthehipforCittàdiCastellohadbeenamongthefirstofthetownstoloseitsliberty,and,unlikeothers,hadborneitsservitudewithmoreequanimitythanwashonourable.
'However,'hewenton,'tellCheccod'Orsitha