Gone, absolutely gone, out of sight, into the heart of danger and at the crucial moment, for a set of chessmen and for a lady's love-gift.
After an undecided pause of utter vexation, Tomaso could not resist the impulse to start in pursuit after him. But Count Conrad was fleet of foot; he had disappeared, and Tomaso dared follow no farther, for Francisco might return at any moment, and to find them both gone would make bad worse.
And scarcely had he re-entered the hut before he heard the sound of horses ridden cautiously, and in a few moments more Francisco turned into the open.
He was mounted, Vittore in front of him, on a powerful black horse, and leading two others, and his face was animated with his triumph.
"Thou see'st," he said, "we are well provided, though it has taken me all day. Now, to mount, without pause. Where is the Count?"
"The Count," faltered Tomaso, half-crying with vexation, "the Count----"
"Well, what of him?" said Francisco, pausing keenly.
"He has gone back to the villa--to fetch something. Oh, Messer Francisco, prevent him I could not--he left but now----"
"Gone back to the villa!" cried Francisco. "Did he rave? Is he in his senses?"
"He went to fetch a dagger he remembered and some chessmen."
With a cry of rage Francisco flung himself from his saddle. "Methinks I left a fool to guard a fool," he said. "Did I not tell thee to see Count Conrad kept from folly? Our lives are on it!"
Tomaso paled at his displeasure, and faltered out a recital of what had happened, but Francisco cut him short.
"The thing has happened," he said sternly, "and may cost us dear, but mine the fault to trust the foreign coxcomb." Never had the two boys seen him so moved, and they shrank into silence.
Francisco fumed with anger. "We will ride without him," he said at length; but even while he bade Tomaso mount, and saw to his own girths, he paused irresolute, and Tomaso was thankful. He did not like to think of the gay Conrad left to meet his fate alone. He ventured to speak.
"The dagger was a lady's gift," he said--"the Lady Valentine's. He could not bear to leave it."
"He will have been wishing that he had," said Francisco brusquely; but his face softened, and he added presently: "He must be brought back, we cannot wait, and 'tis too dangerous to abandon him--for him and for ourselves."