"Then give it me," said the Duke; "and I give you your life and fifty pieces of gold. For I have great need of it."
Now when Antonio heard the Duke's words, he was seized with great fear; for he surmised that it was against Lucia that the Duke meant to use this drug; and noiselessly he loosened his sword in its sheath and bent forward again to listen.
"And though my purpose is nothing to you, yet it is a benevolent purpose. Is it not, Lorenzo?"
"It is your will, not mine, my lord," said Lorenzo in a troubled voice.
"Mine shall be the crime, then, and yours the reward," laughed the Duke. "For I will give her the drug, and she shall wed you."
Then Antonio doubted no longer of what was afoot, nor that a plot was laid whereby Lucia should be entrapped into marriage with Lorenzo, since she could not be openly forced. And anger burned hotly in him. And he swore that, sooner than suffer the thing to be done, he would kill the Duke there with his own hand or himself be slain.
"And you alone know of this drug now, they say," the Duke went on. "For the wizard of Florence is dead. Therefore give it me quickly."
But the wizard answered, "It will not serve, my lord, that I give you the drug. With my own hand I must give it to the persons whom you would thus affect, and I must tell them what they should do."
"More tricks!" said the Duke scornfully. "I know your ways. Give me the drug." And he would not believe what the wizard said.
"It is even as I say," said the wizard. "And if Your Highness will carry the drug yourself, I will not vouch its operation."