"Madre Mia!" he said with deep tenderness, "I think it is not possible
to hold the knowledge from her longer. It must be told to-night."
They were in the loggia overlooking the splendid stretch of terraced
gardens, now flooded with moonlight; they had been standing there, quite
silent, for a long time, each feeling that there was something to be
spoken and suffered--each praying to defer the moment.
"Oh, Aluisi--no!"
Her tone was an entreaty: but he only put out his hand and laid it
tenderly upon hers: the beautiful, tapering fingers trembled under his
touch, then slowly quieted, for there was a rare sympathy between them.
"I have done everything," he continued in a low voice, without looking
at her, "but they will not wait--matters of State, they say, to be
passed upon--a Queen must give her signature when it is needed."
He came closer, suddenly turning upon her a gaze which compelled her
startled comprehension. "They would be quite willing to pass the measure
_without_ her signature," he added, in a still lower tone. "It has come
to that--we must think of her rights and protect her _against her
Councillors_!"
"She has had so much to bear, poor child--so young--and her heart is
broken already with sorrow for her husband. For she had faith in him.
And now!--Have they no feeling for her?"
"Madre, carissima, thou knowest not Rizzo; he is the most powerful among
them, and the most ill-disposed. 'Let her take the Prince of Naples,' he
hath said openly before the Councillors, 'and give us a man to reign
over us.'"
"And Janus but two weeks dead!" The Lady Beata gave an involuntary cry
of horror. "But Fabrici, the Archbishop?" she asked after a moment, "may
he not influence them to be more gentle with her--having a brother in
the Council?"
Aluisi shook his head sorrowfully. "Nay, Mother--I know not which is
worse. Venice, at his election, would have prevented it, but could not,
because he represented this intriguing power of Naples which hath not
ceased from effort to have its will of Cyprus, since the betrothal of
Caterina--which also it sought to overthrow."
"How knowest thou?"
He laid his finger on his lips--"If we were yet in Venice, I might not
answer thee; but here--and it is for me and thee alone--it was I upon
whom the Signoria laid the task of drawing up their monitory letter to
Janus to hold him to his contract."
"Oh, if thou hadst not done it! I would rather thou hadst not written
it!" she said with a low moan.
"Aye--Mother: and I--even then I knew that it must be happier for the
child if that contract might be broken. Though if I had dreamed of
_this_ I could not have doomed one of our Casa Cornaro to such
suffering and dishonor. But thou knowest the pride of Venice: if not
_my_ hand, another's would have written it: and I then--we should not
have been here to shield her."
"But the Archbishop Fabrici cannot hold malice against Caterina. He hath
all the church of Cyprus in his command; he _must_ be friendly to the
Queen."
But Aluisi's face gave her no hope, as she turned to him.
"Fabrici, for another cause, holdeth the queen in deep disfavor," he
said, "for that he, having been sent by Janus on some embassy of marriage
for the child Zarla, came into the Chamber of Counts of the Kingdom--not
many days since--and with much grossness of speech would have discussed
the matter at length in that presence; which we, of her household--she
being in the first grief of her young widowhood--prevented, through
members of the Queen's Council, better disposed."
"It was well, Aluisi: it seemeth even now too soon--too cruel--to add
this shadow to her grief: and but for thee, she must have known thereof
that day. For she seeketh already to take up the burden of the State and
questioneth daily of the Secretary of the King of that which passeth in
the Council. 'That I may rule my people,' she sayeth sadly, 'and those
who loved the King will help me!' With what a tender grace she sayeth
'_my people_!'"
"Madre mia, thou who lovest her and art so wise--shall I leave this
parchment with thee? Thou best canst spare her in what must be told. I
have had made this copy of certain clauses of the Will of Janus, which
may not longer wait official reading before the Council in the Chamber
of the Counts and in presence of the Queen. Thinkest thou not it would
be too hard for her to learn first of its provisions before them all?"
"Thou art right, Aluisi--always right. But her faith in him is deep; how
shall I make her believe it?"
"I know not," he answered with a groan, and crushing the parchment in
his hand. Then he smoothed it out remorsefully and gave it to her. "It
is a faithful copy; there is no other argument. Thou wilt go to her
now--for it _must_ be."
With bowed head he led her to the door of the Queen's ante-chamber. "I
am here," he said, "if need should be."