The attentive governante's answer was always ready. She had the knowledge and the memory fitting to her station. The china was from one illustrious house--the statues, in succession, from another--the armour had belonged to the first or to the third Lord of Arestino, famous for his conduct in the wars of Charlemagne, against the Saracens or elsewhere. But the jewels and plumes had been the property of the Lady Angiolina Arestino, the wife of the last Count Ubaldi, and one of the handsomest women of her time; "Who died," said the ancient governante, "on this very day forty-four years, even on the very night of the Vigil of St Luke; and on the same night that the young Chevalier di Vasari, whom some--Heaven pardon them!--accounted her lover, was basely murdered. How my lady met her death, some doubted, for the Lord Arestino was of an unforgiving temper, and severe! But it was a strange business, at least for the Chevalier and his attendant, who disappeared on that night, and no traces were ever heard of them more!" "But the Chevalier's body was found, was it not, good Beatrice?" said a fair Florentine girl; "I am sure I have heard that it was; and that he was one of the noblest cavaliers of his time. And that is a beautiful bust--if it was like him--which stands in the Church of St Marco, on the tomb erected to his memory!" "His _body_ was found, with your ladyship's leave, three months after he was missing; but never the persons by whom he met his death. And up to this time, the servant who waited on him, and who I always thought had a share in his murder, has never been heard of. Some say that there were signs of his escape to France, and that his master's famous black horse, Bayard, was many years afterwards recognised in the capital of that country. I do not know how that was; but I just recollect the finding of the Chevalier Lorenzo's body, poor gentleman! He was found dead in a ravine, scarce four miles from the city; stripped of everything--naked--no doubt by those who had robbed and murdered him; and would never have been recognised but for his sword, which was found beside him, lying broken within a few yards of the spot where he fell!" "But the Count Ubaldi----, my Lord Theodore's ancestor--he died, too, early--did he not?" said the fair Lady Amina. "He did, by your ladyship's pleasure--alas! he did--soon after his lady; and her death was sudden--it was said that she was poisoned. It was all in the dreadful time of the plague, before the eldest of you, fair signoras--before your mothers almost, I might say--were born. Poor lady! it was in this very chamber, this chamber we now stand in, that she died." "Good Heaven!" said the Lady Amina, "in this chamber? Surely this was not the Countess Angiolina's bed on which I am leaning?"