letimetothink.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.Checcohadtakenonhisownshouldersallpreparations,sothatMatteoandIhadnothingtodobuttoenjoyourselvesandthatwedid.TheonlysignIhadthatCheccohadbeenworkingwasalookofintelligencegivenmebyoneortwoofthosewhosenameshadbeenmentionedinChecco'sstudy.JacopoRonchi,takingleaveofmeontheThursdaynight,said,—
'Weshallmeetto-morrow.'
'Youarecomingtoplaychess,Ithink,'Isaid,smiling.
When,attheappointedhour,MatteoandIfoundours