’No?’ mocked the Prince. ’And ye such sworn allies! O sweet, you shall learn policy betimes! You will not yield the ring? Well, there is Tassino, as you say. Play him against it.’ She knew she dared not. The vague implication of forces and understandings behind all this banter quite cowed her. She had defied the serpent, and been struck and overcome. Hate was no match for this craft. But emotion remained. She dwelt a long minute on his smooth, impenetrable face; then, all in an instant, yielded up her sex, and stole towards him, arms and moist eyes entreating. ’I dared thee; I was wrong. Only——’ Her palms trembled on his shoulders; her bosom heaved against his hand. ’I have suffered, what only a woman can. O, Messer, let me keep the ring!’ Her voice possessed him like an embrace; the soft pleading of it made any concession to his kindness possible. He was very sensitive to all emotions of loveliness, but with the rare gift of reasoning in temptation. He shook his head. ’Ah!’ she murmured, ’let me. Thou shalt find jealousy a hot ally.’ She pressed closer to him. He neither resisted nor invited. ’Most excellent sweetness,’ he said gently. ’I melt upon this confidence. Henceforth we’ll bury misunderstanding, and kiss upon his grave. But truth with sugar is still a drug. A jealous woman is bad in policy. Trust her always to destroy her betrayer, though through whatever betrayal of her friends. Besides, forgive me, Messer Bembo may yet prove accommodating.’ At that she dropped her hands and stepped back. ’Is this to bury misunderstanding?’ she cried low. ’O, I would _I_ were Duchess of Milan.’ ’More impossible things might happen,’ he said thickly, for all his self-control. She stared at him fascinated a moment; then swiftly advanced again. ’Let me keep the ring,’ she urged hoarsely. ’I could set something against it—some knowledge—some information.’ He had mastered himself in the interval; and now stood pondering upon her and fondling his chin. ’Yes?’ he murmured. ’But it must be something to be worth.’ She hesitated; then spoke out:— ’A plot to kill the Duke—no more.’ The two stared at one another. She could see a pulse moving in his throat; but when at last he spoke, it was without emotion. ’Indeed, Madonna? They are so many. When is this particular one to be?’ ’Do you not know?’ she answered as derisively as she dared. ’I thought you had a tool for everything. Well, it is to be in Milan.’ ’In Milan—as before,’ he repeated ironically. ’And the heads of this conspiracy, Madonna?’ ’Ah!’ she cried, with a sigh of triumph; ’they are yours at the price of the ring.’ He canvassed her a little, but profoundly. ’After all,’ he murmured, ’why should I seek to know?’ ’Why?’ she said, with a laugh of recovering scorn, ’why but to nip it in its bud, Messer?’ He was quick to grasp this implied menace of retaliation. ’Tell me,’ he said, ’why are you so hot to retain this same ring?’