If I rode in the country I knew that he was not far away, if I frequented public assemblies I saw his keen eyes upon me, and his wide mouth fixed at a patient grin. He was oppressively, sickeningly affectionate, his role being that of the old friend of my family, who had rocked my cradle and held me by my leading-strings. At meals he came skipping about me with little offerings: "A rose-bud for my bosom's king!" he would say; "Fresh-pulled radishes for my heart's blood!"; and once, while I was at dinner, he danced up to the table with a large and bleeding rabbit, saying, "A coney for my dear, of old Palamone's wiring!" This was too much for my patience; I swung the beast about his ears, drove him from the room and flung his catch after him. He brought me no more presents, but did not cease to be my shadow. CHAPTER XL I GET RID OF MY ENEMY AND PART FROM MY FRIEND When the day drew near upon which I had appointed to depart from Florence, I saw that I must come to terms with the fellow. I sent Belviso out to look for him--and to find him at no greater distance than the other side of the door, with his eye at the keyhole. He came in, blinking like an owl, still weak with his recent excesses, and very nervous. I felt my gorge rise at the sight of him, but did my best to be cool. "Palamone," I began, "it appears that you have recently done me a service----" He leered at me. "My Francis! When--and at what hour of day or night have I not been ready to serve you?" "Why, that's as may be," said I. "I think I could remind you of a night attack at Pistoja----" "Oh, cruel," he said, "oh, cruel!" "Of a ravishment--of the strappado applied to a man bound hand and foot--" He pretended to weep. "Cruel, cruel Francis!" "Of detestable treachery in Florence when you set to work to entrap a good girl who had done you no harm in the world--and, Fra Palamone, I think I may remind you of the payment of those services of yours IN KIND, in the Piazza of Santa Maria." With clasped hands, streaming eyes, he beamed upon me. "Generous hand! Oh, healing, life-giving blood!" "I am glad," I said, "that you consider yourself healed by bleeding. But now, it appears, you have appointed yourself messenger from my friends, and have succeeded in benefiting me without extraordinary robbery. I cannot suppose that you did this for love." "Believe it," says he, "believe it, Francis." "You must forgive me if I cannot," said I. "On the contrary, I believe that you have acted for what profit you can make out of it. I never asked you to interfere in my affairs, and owe you less than nothing, but to make an end of you, since you do, perhaps, believe that you have served me with this late news of what you, no doubt, would call my 'good fortune,' I will give you more than you deserve." I counted out ten guineas, or their equivalent, and held them out to him.