D'Amboise made no answer, and our interview came to a close. I would, however, add here that nothing ever came of the burning of the inn. No complaint was ever laid, as far as I could find out, and the matter might have been an every-day occurrence, so little attention did it excite. I of course did not know that affairs had reached to such a pitch of disorder in Rome, and lived in hourly expectation, notwithstanding the cardinal's speech, of having considerable worry over the revengeful zeal of Jacopo. I took care that no such thing was likely to occur again, and Master Jacopo was penitent, swearing he would never give me further cause for annoyance. At the _levée_, that morning, St. Armande was, as usual, beside me, and I whispered to him to hold himself in readiness, as the time for our business was at hand. "I am glad of that," he answered, his face lighting up. "I attend the cardinal to-day to the Vatican," I said, by way of continuing the conversation. "There will be much going on this evening," he made reply. "The Florentine envoy has been here for the past two days, and the affair at the Vatican to-night is in his honour. Do you know that you have excited great curiosity in the hearts of the court ladies?" "Indeed? It is not my way." "Is it not? Well, Lucrezia expressed a particular desire to see you." "I trust it may not lead to the Tiber, chevalier. The attentions of the Lady Lucrezia are a trifle dangerous." His face became very grave. "Be civil to her, nothing more," he whispered. "You are quite right. Oh, how I hate that place!"--and he shivered a little. "Well, we will soon be out of it." "Please God!" There was no one at the high table at dinner that day, both the cardinal and Bayard having gone to dine with Sforza at the Sforza Cesarini, quite an informal business, and none of the suite accompanied them. The conversation at our table turned much on affairs, and as there were for once no guests, speech was very free. "The fleur-de-lis will cover our tongues," said Le Clerc, "and to-day we may let them wag." "Then how long is this truce to last?" asked De Briconnet, the captain of the cardinal's guard. "I am sick of this idleness here," he added. "As for that, no man knows whether it is peace or war," replied Le Clerc. "Tremouille is chafing at Passignano, swearing that the game was ours if we had only let him march on after Fossombrone, and he was right. Now Cesare has stamped out the Magione league, and the Borgia are as strong as ever." "How came such a man as Roderigo Borgia ever to be made pope?" I asked. Le Clerc laughed as he passed on the Orvieto. "When our Lord, the sainted Innocent, was called away, there were three favourites in the conclave. One was Giuliano della Rovere, the other Ascanio Sforza, and the third Roderigo Borgia. His eminence of St. Sabine's was our man, and the election would have been certain had not Borgia and Ascanio joined hands and the Milanese voted for Roderigo."