XXV

n,theworthiesrose,oneafteranother,andsaidthesamethingswithanairofprofoundoriginality. ThenAntonioSassistoodup.ItwashewhohadadvisedGirolamotoimposethetaxesonthetownandhewasknowntobeadeadlyenemyofChecco.TheothershadbeensufficientlyastonishedwhentheysawhimentertheCouncilchamber,foritwasthoughtthathehadleftthetown,asErcolePiacentiniandothersoftheCount'sfavouriteshaddone.Whenhepreparedtospeak,thesurprisewasuniversal. 'Ourgoodfriend,Niccolo,'hesaid,'hascalleduponustodecidewhatshallbedonewiththetown. 'Yourthoughtsseemtobeincliningtooneforeignmasteroranother.ButmythoughtsareincliningtotheLiberty,inwhosenamethetownhasbeenwon. 'LetusmaintaintheLibertywhichthesemenhaveconqueredattheriskoftheirlives.... 'WhyshouldwedoubtourabilitytopreservetheLibertyofourancestors?Whyshouldwethinkthatwe,whoaredescendedfromsuchfathers,bornfromtheirblood,bredintheirhouses,shouldhavedegeneratedsofarastobeincapableofseizingtheopportunitywhichispresentedtous? 'LetusnotfearthattheMightyMonarch,whodefendsandprotectshimwhowalksthepathoftheJust,willfailtogiveusspiritandstrengthtointroduceandfirmlytoimplantinthiscitytheblessedstateofLiberty.' AttheendofthesentenceAntonioSassipausedtoseetheeffectonhisauditors. Hewenton,— 'ButastheexampleofOurMasterhasshownusthattheshepherdisnecessaryforthepreservationoftheflockandasHeseemstopointoutourguardianbythesuccesswhichHehasgrantedtohisarmsintheexterminationoftheWolf,IproposethatwesurrenderourLibertytothehandsofhimwhoisbestabletopreserveit—Checcod'Orsi.' AcryofastonishmentburstfromtheCouncillors.WasthisAntonioSassi?TheylookedatChecco,buthewasimpassivenoteventheshadowofathoughtcouldbereadonhisface.Theyaskedthemselveswhetherthiswaspre-arranged,whetherCheccohadboughthisenemy,orwhetheritwa