Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 28, 2025
Once only did Francesco's light-heartedness fail him, and this was when, upon visiting the armoury, he found but one single cask of gunpowder stored there. He turned to Fortemani to inquire where Gonzaga had bestowed it, and Fortemani being as ignorant as himself upon the subject he went forthwith in quest of Gonzaga.
"Is that your affair?" he growled menacingly. "You are over-bold, sir stranger, to seek a quarrel with me, and over-pert to tell me how I shall discharge my captaincy. By the Passion! You shall be punished." "Punished I?" echoed Francesco, on whose brow there now descended a scowl as black as Ercole's own. "Aye, punished, young sir. Ercole Fortemani is my name."
"Let me name myself to you. I am Ercole Fortemani," he said, with the proud air of one who announced himself an emperor. "A formidable name," said Gonzaga, in accents of surprise, "and it bears a noble sound." The great fellow turned on him in a sudden anger. "Why that astonishment?" he blazed. "I tell you my name is both noble and formidable, and you shall find me as formidable as I am noble.
Brushing past Fortemani, who stood cold and contemptuous by the doorway, watching the failure he had expected, he returned with burning cheeks and bitter words to Madonna Valentina. She was dismayed at the tale he bore her, magnified to cover his own shame.
On this green lawn Valentina's ladies and a page beguiled the eventide in a game of bowls, their clumsiness at the unwonted pastime provoking the good-humoured banter of Peppe, who looked on, and their own still better-humoured laughter. Fortemani, too, was there, brazening out the morning's affair, which it almost seemed he must have forgotten, so self-possessed and mightily at his ease was he.
You have been insubordinate when you should not only have been orderly, but have enforced orderliness in others. And for that, by my lights, you should be hanged. Waste no more time on him, Madonna," he concluded, turning to Valentina. "Let the example be made." "But, Madonna " began Fortemani, paling under the tan of his rugged countenance. Gonzaga silenced him. "Your words are vain.
I was wrong in not disclosing my identity to you before you discovered it by such unfortunate means and with the assistance of the only traitor Roccaleone has harboured, Romeo Gonzaga who, as Fortemani has just told you, is at this moment admitting my cousin and your uncle to the castle.
I was told that probably there would be no fighting, and that if there were, it would be no more than a brush with the Duke's men. So, too, did you assure my comrades." "Did you indeed?" quoth Valentina, intervening, and addressing herself to Fortemani, to whom Cappoccio's words had been directed. "I did, Madonna," answered Ercole. "But I had Messer Gonzaga's word for it."
They crossed the quadrangle, and, mounting the steps down which Fortemani had dashed to meet the Count, they passed into the banqueting-hall, which opened directly upon the south side of the courtyard. The Count, following in her wake, ran the gauntlet of scowls of the assembled mercenaries.
Detain him in the tower till I return, and on no account let him be seen or heard by anyone." "Yes, Excellency," the man replied. "But what if the captain comes and finds me absent from my post?" "I will provide for that. I will tell Messer Fortemani that I have employed you on a special matter, and ask him to replace you. You are dispensed sentry duty for to-night."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking