"Behind thee, lord?" cried Tomaso, bewildered and startled at his excited tones. "Where? What?"
Conrad was on his feet, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"At the villa," he cried. "I know where it is, I will go and fetch it."
"My lord, consider what thou say'st," and Tomaso barred the door with outstretched arms. "We promised Francisco we would not leave the hut--to attempt the villa would be simple madness!"
"Why, boy, the villa is close by," laughed Conrad, "and Francisco may not be back for hours most like; he may hang back till dark. Meanwhile am I to twirl my thumbs in here, and Lady Valentine's love-gift calling to me from beyond that wall? Out of my way, Tomaso. The dagger may be useful, and 'tis beautiful: a handle carved out of a single stone. Lady Valentine will not forgive my losing it!"
"The Lady Valentine will forgive the loss of a dagger, lord, when thou help to rescue her from Milan," he said curtly. "But what use to seek her gift? And give thyself again into the Visconti's power?"
"Tush, Visconti! Visconti!... I have heard the name enough," returned Count Conrad. "I intend to have my lady's gift--it suits neither my honor nor my affection to leave it there to be some mercenary's plunder; and the chessmen too, boy! The set the Emperor gave--ah! you would love them--silver and ivory--I will bring them too. They will while away more weary hours such as these. What was I thinking of to leave them there so long!"
"At any moment Francisco may return, and without thee here time will be lost; moreover, his orders were that we await him."
At Tomaso's words, Conrad raised his arched eyebrows.
"Order? To thee, maybe; thou art a boy, and of humble station. I am Von Schulembourg: orders scarcely tally with that name."
He drew his mantle over his despised doublet, and stepped to the door, putting Tomaso aside and unheeding his entreaties.
"Calm thyself, I shall be back long before the grim Veronese!" he said airily. "Were there light enough, there would be time to learn the game before he comes again."
"I will learn from no one who so little knows his duty," cried Tomaso in hot wrath.
But it was as impossible to anger Conrad as to stop him, and with a smile on his lips and a good-humored wave of his hand, he was gone.