He turned the parchment over, and conned the seal with its stag device. Then the amazement passed out of his face, light broke on it, and he uttered a laugh. He turned, pulled up a stool, and sat down at the table's foot, whence he had them all under his eye.
'Let us proceed with method. How did this letter reach you, Carmagnola?'
Carmagnola waved to Belluno, and Belluno, hostile of tone and manner, answered the question. 'A clown coming from the direction of the city blundered into my section of the lines this morning. He begged to be taken to you. My men naturally brought him to me. I questioned him as to what he desired with you. He answered that he bore a message. I asked him what message he could be bearing to you from Vercelli. He refused to answer further, whereupon I threatened him, and he produced this letter. Seeing its seal, I took both the fellow and the letter to my Lord Carmagnola.'
Bellarion, himself, completed the tale. 'And Carmagnola perceiving that seal took it upon himself to break it, and so discovered the contents to be what already he suspected.'
'That is what occurred.'
Bellarion, entirely at his ease, looked at them with amused contempt, and finally at Carmagnola in whose face he laughed.
'God save you, Carmagnola! I often wonder what will be the end of you.'
'I am no longer wondering what will be the end of you,' he was furiously answered, which only went to increase his amusement.
'And you others, you were equally deceived. The letter and Carmagnola's advocacy of my falseness and treachery were not to be resisted?'
'I have not been deceived,' Stoffel protested.