XXI

Hepausedandsmiledatthepleasantnessoftheirony. 'Afterwardsweshallraisethetown,anditiswellthatasmanyofourpartisansaspossiblebepresent.Thebestdayforthatisamarket-day,whentheywillcomein,andweshallhavenoneedofspeciallysummoningthem,andthusgivingrisetosuspicion.' Checcolookedatustoseewhatwethoughtofhisideathen,asiffromanafterthought,headded,— 'Ofcourse,thisisallonthespurofthemoment.' Itwaswellhesaidthat,forIwasthinkinghowelaboratelyeverythingwasplanned.Iwonderedhowlonghehadtheschemeinhishead. Wefoundnothingtosayagainstit. 'Andwhowilldotheactualdeed?' 'Iwill!'answeredChecco,quietly. 'You!' 'Yes,alone.Iwilltellyouyourpartslater.' 'Andwhen?' 'NextSaturday.Thatisthefirstmarket-day.' 'Sosoon.'Wewereallsurpriseditwasonlyfivedaysoff,itgaveusverylittletimetothink.Itwasterriblynear.Alessandrovoicedourfeelings. 'Doesthatgiveusenoughtime?WhynotSaturdayweek?Therearemanyneedfulpreparations.' 'Therearenoneedfulpreparations.Youhaveyourswordsreadytheotherscanbewarnedinafewhours.Iwishitwereto-morrow.' 'Itis—itisverysoon.' 'Thereislessdangerofourcouragefailingmeanwhile.Wehaveourgoalbeforeus,andwemustgotoitstraight,withclearnessofmindandstrengthofwill.' Therewasnothingmoretobesaid.Asweseparated,oneoftheMoratiniasked,— 'Abouttheothers,shallwe—' 'Youcanleaveeverythingtome.Itakeallonmyhands.WillyouthreecomeheretoplayagameofchessonFridaynightatten?Ouraffairswilloccupyussothatweshallnotmeetintheinterval.Irecommendyoutogoaboutasmuchaspossible,andletyourselvesbeseeninallassembliesandparties....' Checcowastakinghiscaptaincyinearnest.Hewouldallownocontradiction,andnoswervingfromthepathhehadmarkedout—onthespurofthemoment. Wehadfourdaysinwhichtomakemerryandgathertherosesafterthat,whoknows?WemightbedanglingfromthePalacewindowsinanevenline,suspendedbyeleganthempenropesorourheadsmightbedecoratingspearheadsandourbodiesGodknowswhere.IsuggestedthesethoughtstoMatteo,butIfoundhimsingularlyungrateful.Still,heagreedwithmethatwehadbettermakethemostofourtime,andasitaccordedwithChecco'swishes,wewereabletogotothedevilfromasenseofduty.IamsureClaudianeverhadalovermoreardentthanmyselfduringthesefourdaysbut,addedtomydutiestowardsthatbeautifulcreature,wereroutsandbanquets,drinking-parties,gaming-parties,whereIplungedheavilyinmyuncertaintyofthefuture,andconsequentlywonafortune.Checcohadtakenonhisow