"Had you not come hither, madam mother, you had been spared the sight
to-day," I answered with some lingering spark of my rebellious fire still
smouldering.

"It was God's will that I should come to set a term to such vanities before
they take too strong a hold upon you," answered she. "Lay down those
weapons."

Had she been angry, I think I could have withstood her. Anger in her at
such a time must have been as steel upon the flint of my own nature. But
against that incarnation of sorrow and sadness, my purpose, my strength of
character were turned to water. By similar means had she ever prevailed
with my poor father. And I had, too, the habit of obedience which is not
so lightly broken as I had at first accounted possible.

Sullenly then I set down my sword upon a bench that stood against the wall,
and my target with it. As I turned aside to do so, her gloomy eyes were
poised for an instant upon Falcone, who stood grim and silent. Then they
were lowered again ere she began to address him.

"You have done very ill, Falcone," said she. "You have abused my trust in
you, and you have sought to pervert my son and to lead him into ways of
evil."

He started under that reproof like a fiery stallion under the spur. His
face flushed scarlet. The habit of obedience may have been strong in
Falcone too; but it was obedience to men; with women he had never had much
to do, old warrior though he was. Moreover, in this he felt that an
affront had been put upon the memory of Giovanni d'Anguissola, who was my