Raised on his elbow, he lay there for a spell, and gazed and gazed, his
mind running on visions which godly men have had of saints from Paradise.

At last the spell was broken by Peppino's voice, addressing her, his back
servilely bent. Francesco bethought him of the deference due to one so
clearly noble, and leaping to his feet, his wound forgotten, he bowed
profoundly. A second later he gasped for breath, reeled, and swooning,
collapsed supine among the bracken.




CHAPTER IV

MONNA VALENTINA


In after years the Lord of Aquila was wont to aver in all solemnity that
it was the sight of her wondrous beauty set up such a disorder in his
soul that it overcame his senses, and laid him swooning at her feet.
That he, himself, believed it so, it is not ours to doubt, for all that
we may be more prone to agree with the opinion afterwards expressed by
Fanfulla and the friar--and deeply resented by the Count--that in leaping
to his feet in over-violent haste his wound re-opened, and the pain of
this, combining with the weak condition that resulted from his loss of
blood, had caused his sudden faintness.

"Who is this, Peppe?" she asked the fool, and he, mindful of the oath he
had sworn, answered her brazenly that he did not know, adding that it