DIANORA [_is again not listening_]. NURSE. Gracious one--my Lady--is it true--what people say about the envoy? DIANORA. What envoy? NURSE. The envoy whom the people of Como sent to our master. DIANORA. What are people saying? NURSE. They say a shepherd saw it. DIANORA. What did he see? NURSE. Our gracious lord was angry at the envoy--would not accept the letter that the people of Como had written him. Then he took it anyhow--the letter--read part of it, tore it into bits and held the pieces before the envoy's mouth and demanded that he swallow them. But the envoy went backwards, like a crab, and made stary eyes just like a crab, and everybody laughed, especially Signor Silvio, the master's brother. Then the master sent for the envoy's mule and had it brought to the gates. When the envoy was too slow in mounting, the master whistled for the dogs. The envoy left with his two yeomen. Our master went hunting with seven men and all the dogs. Towards evening, however, they say that our gracious lord, and the envoy met at the bridge over the Adda, there where Verese begins--our master and the envoy met. And the shepherd was passing and drove his sheep next to the bridge into a wheat-field--so that the horses would not kill them. And the shepherd heard our master cry, "There's the one who wouldn't eat, perhaps he'd like to drink." So four of our men seized the two yeomen, two others took the envoy, each one took hold of a leg, lifted him from the saddle--threw him screaming like a madman and struggling fiercely, over the parapet--he tore out a piece of the sleeve of one, together with the flesh. The Adda has very steep banks at that place--the river was dark and swollen from all the snow on the mountains. The envoy did not appear again, said the shepherd. [_Nurse stops, looks questioningly at Dianora._] DIANORA [_anxiously_]. I do not know. [_She shakes off the worried expression, her face assumes the dreamy, inwardly happy expression._] DIANORA. Tell me something about his preaching--the Spaniard's preaching. NURSE. I don't know how to express it, gracious one. DIANORA. Just say a little. Does he preach of so many things? NURSE. No, almost always about one thing. DIANORA. What? NURSE. Of resignation to the Lord's will. DIANORA [_looks at her and nods_]. NURSE. Gracious one, you must understand, that is all. DIANORA. What do you mean by--all---- NURSE [_while speaking, she is occupied with the flowers_]. He says that all of life is in that--there's nothing else. He says everything is inevitable and that's the greatest joy--to realize that everything is inevitable--that is good, and there is no other good. The sun must glow, and stone must be on the dumb earth and every living creature must give utterance to its voice--whether he will or no--we must---- DIANORA [_is thinking--like a child_]. NURSE [_goes from window--pause_]. DIANORA.