A minute's ticking silence was ended by the stir and pert laugh of the challenged himself, as he left the ring of spectators and sauntered into the arena. It was a little showy upstart, to be sure, as ebulliently curled and groomed as her Grace's lap-dog, and sharing, indeed, with Messer Tinopino the whole present caprice of their mistress's spoiling. His own base origin and inherent vulgarity, moreover, seeming to associate him with the ducal brutishness (an assumption which Galeazzo rather favoured than resented), confirmed in him a self-confidence which had early come to see no bounds to its own viciousness or effrontery.
Now he cocked one arm akimbo, and stared with insufferable insolence on the pronouncer of his name.
'Know'st me, Prophet?' bawled he. 'Not more than I thee, methinks. Wert well coached in this same inspiration.'
'Well, indeed,' answered Bembo. 'Thou hast said it. It was God spake in mine ear.'
Tassino laughed scornfully. It was a study to see these young wits opposed, the one such plated goods, the other so silver pure.
'In the name of this lying carle,' he cried, 'what spake He?'
'He said,' said Bembo quietly, '"Let the false swearer remember Ananias!"'
Then in a moment he was all ruffled and combative, like a young eagle.
'Answer!' he roared. 'Didst thou this thing?'
Now, a woman-petted, cake-fed belswagger is too much of an anomaly for the test of nerves. Tassino, shouted at, gave an hysteric jump which brought him to the very brink of tears. He was really an ill-bred little coward, made arrogant by spoiling. He had the greatest pity and tenderness for himself, and to any sense of his being lost would always respond with a lump in his throat. Now he suddenly realised his position, alone and baited before all—no petticoat to fly to, no sympathy to expect from a converted tyrant, none from a mob which, habitually the butt to his viciousness, would rejoice in his discomfiture. Actually the little beast began to whimper.