CHAPTER VIII IN SABINA
Castel Gandolfo—Its gardens—The Sabine Hills—The Reverendo—An expedition into the hills—The Campagna in the early morning—“Our Lady of Good Counsel”—Ancient Præneste—Italy’s landscape—Struggles of the Colonna—Destruction of Palestrina—Boniface’s revenge and expiation—Olevano, the haunt of artists—“Picturesque utility”—The wrong train—Romance of a pebble—The work of the Saints [pp. 137-158]
CHAPTER IX PEOPLE OF THE HILLS
The Apennines—View from a peak—Real hospitality—Polenta—Woods of Sabina—A hill family—The cook—A queer adventure—People of the South—A night festival in the Abruzzi—The journey—The old organ—Marion Crawford’s boys—Juvenile theatricals [pp. 159-179]
CHAPTER X A STORY OF VENICE
A follower of the Condottieri—The raw recruit—Division of the Dukedom of Milan—Carmagnola’s turn—Growth in wealth and power—Disaffection—Venice acquires his services—War with Milan—A leisurely campaign—Carmagnola at the height of his glory—Fortune turns against the Venetians—Stirrings of suspicion—Reception in Venice—The Senate Chamber—Growing dusk—The attack—End of his part in the world—Another story of the North—St. Raniero, the patron of Pisa—The power of temperance [pp. 180-199]
CHAPTER XI QUEEN JOAN OF NAPLES
A conspicuous feminine sinner—Marriage of State—Her beauty—Her Hungarian husband—Petrarch and the monk—Joan’s ascent to the throne—The Naples succession—Her favourites—The churches of Naples—Joan’s lovers—Factions of Naples—Charles of Durazzo—A bold proposal—Charles’s ambitious plots—War of the Factions—Disappearance of Maria—Becomes the wife of Charles—Joan’s horror [pp. 200-217]
CHAPTER XII A MEDIÆVAL NIGHTMARE
Pact between Charles and Andrew of Hungary—Joan’s homage to the Papal Legate—Andrew ignored—Arrival of Andrew’s mother—Andrew upheld by the Pope—His reprisals—“The man must die”—The Queen’s conspiracy—Last meeting of Charles and Andrew—The hunting expedition—The banquet in the monastery—The murder—Tempest breaks over Joan’s head—An evil blow at Charles—Trial of Andrew’s murderers—A nightmare of cruelty and fear [pp. 218-243]