I moved slightly aside, and watched the various groups as they wandered to and fro, or stood together conversing; and the hum of voices, the gay strains of music, and the brilliant dresses made up together a scene well worth the looking at. The Florentine ambassador was talking to the Cardinal of Santa Susanna, a few feet from me. I caught the tones of his voice, and as he turned round our eyes met. Machiavelli, for it was he, glanced at me as at a perfect stranger, and then, slightly adjusting his purple lined robe, moved slowly onwards with his companion. "We mount yet higher, signore---_excelsior!_" The words were breathed rather than whispered into my ear, and Corte stood beside me. "_Excelsior!_" I repeated with a smile, "but are you not putting your head in the lion's mouth?" He smiled back upon me, more of a snarl than a smile. "The beast is gorged now. He will not think of me--see, there is some one coming your way--adieu!" He turned and passed into the groups, and St. Armande touched my arm. "You are to be presented to the Lady Lucrezia," he said, and the next moment I found myself bowing over the hand of one of the most beautiful, and certainly the most infamous woman of her age. She was barely twenty-three; had already wedded three husbands, and was to become a wife again, and marry Alfonso of Ferrara. She was seated in a low lounge, and as I came up she extended her hand to me with a charming smile. Standing before her, looking at her large limpid eyes, at the small red bow of the lips, and the clear cut features set in a mass of red gold hair, I could not imagine that the stories I had heard were true. It could not be that this fair young woman who was before me had smilingly committed crimes of nameless horror. I would not believe it. "So, cavaliere, you have come to the court at last! I thought you were never going to do us that honour." "His Eminence of Strigonia said you meant to take the vows," and a lady, who was leaning over Lucrezia's seat, laughed as she put in these words. I recognised the peculiar unmusical laugh I had heart at the gate St. Paul, and glanced at her with some interest. "My sister-in-law, Giulia Farnese--Giulia Bella, is it not?" and Lucrezia touched her lightly on the arm. "Oh, yes, Giulia Bella--and are you really going to become a hermit?" "I might have had such thoughts until I came here," I said, "but I must now put them aside." "Neatly turned, cavaliere--St. Armande himself could not have put it better--sit here, chevalier," and Lucrezia made room for St. Armande on her lounge. At this moment a commotion at the entrance attracted our attention, and a man robed in black, followed by two others, walked up towards the Pope.