The rogue drew himself suddenly together.
'Call, Messer,' he said. 'That is my answer.'
His chin dropped on his breast. Tassino uttered a cry, and hid his face in his hands. Not a word or apparent movement followed; but when, goaded by the fearful stillness, the two dared to look up once more, they found themselves alone.
Then, at that, Tassino shrieked and sprang to the grille.
'My God!' he sobbed; 'he has gone, and left me to my fate!'
He moved to escape by the door, but Narcisso caught and wrenched him back.
'What ails the fool!' he protested in his teeth. 'My orders be to keep, not kill thee, man!'
Messer Ludovico, walking enveloped within a little cloud of his adherents, smiled to himself on his way back to the palace.
'The fascination of the serpent,' mused he, shaking his head—'the fascination of the serpent! How could that crude organism be expected to resist the arts of our Lamia, when I myself could fall near swooning to them? Hath he betrayed me to others? I think not; yet it were well to have him silenced betimes. The weakness was to threaten where I dared not yet perform. Yet it may chance, after all, he shall come to be prevailed on for the ring.'
'The ring!' he muttered, as he climbed presently to his chamber—'the ring! I think it comes to zone the world in my imagination!'