Chapter 21 Chapter 21

During the next week, Machiavelli's moods fluctuated as wildly as the colors on a quilt of wild hues.At one moment he was hopeful, at another moment he was depressed.He went from happy longing to angry disappointment, agitated and unable to control himself for a while, and fell into despair for a while.Because Bartolomeo couldn't make up his mind, he wanted to go but hated the idea.He seemed to be tempted to gamble his money on something with little chance.So on the one hand, they are worried about losing money, and on the other hand, they are greedy for the benefits that may be obtained.He can decide to go one day and change his mind the next day.Machiavelli's digestive system was already fragile, and this uncertainty made his stomach ailments worse.It would be cruel if he couldn't take advantage of an opportunity he had spent so much effort and money creating.He bled himself and took a little laxative and nothing but liquids.To make matters worse, his work became heavier. The negotiations between the duke and his rebel leaders deteriorated and became very difficult. Take the time inside to learn about the situation and meet the influential people who have come to Imola from the various city-states.At the last moment, fate smiled on him.One of Bartholomew's agents in Ravenna wrote to him, telling him that if he did not immediately close a deal which he had been negotiating for some time, another offer would be accepted.This matter made Bartholomew make up his mind.

Machiavelli's stomachache disappeared.That day, after chatting with Bartolomeo, he went to see Father Timoteo.The latter agreed to provide Bartolomeo with those proposals proposed by Machiavelli.To please Aurelia, he went to a peddler who had come to Imola to do business, and bought a pair of gloves embroidered with gold thread and giving off a scent.It cost him a lot of money, but at this juncture, he couldn't be too stingy.He sent Pierrot to deliver the gloves, specifically telling Piero to ask for Madame Caterina, so that the servants would think that Pierrot had only come with a message for his master.In addition, Machiavelli asked Piero to tell Caterina that he wanted to meet her and was willing to meet her in the church at a time that was convenient for her.When Piero came back and told him that Madame Caterina had called for her daughter, and that Aurelia was very happy to see the present, Machiavelli couldn't help being very happy.This kind of glove was very precious at that time, and the famous Marquise of Mantua thought that this kind of glove was worthy of the queen of France.

"How does she look?" asked Machiavelli. "Ms. Aurelia? She looks very happy." "Don't be a fool, boy. Does she look pretty?" "She's still the same." "Fool! When is Katerina going to church?" "She will go to Vespers this afternoon." Machiavelli and Caterina were very happy when they came back. "Man is really an advanced animal." He thought to himself.With courage, ingenuity, and money, there was almost nothing he could not do. At first Aurelia was really frightened, and she didn't want to listen to this suggestion at all, but she was persuaded by Katerina little by little.Caterina's statements are irrefutable, which is also natural, because they were prepared in advance by Machiavelli.These reasons, added to the gentle but powerful exhortations of Father Timoteo, were all the more convincing.Aurelia was a sensible girl who knew that sometimes small evils could lead to great good, and that it was unreasonable not to take advantage of such opportunities.In short, she was ready to fulfill Machiavelli's demands as long as Bartolomeo was safely on his way.

Once Bartholomew made up his mind, he decided to act immediately.So, at noon the next day, he took a servant and a groom, and set out for Ravenna.Machiavelli, out of his usual politeness, went over to say goodbye to Bartolomeo and wish him well on his journey.Nina was sent back to her parents' house for the night.After Nina had gone, Machiavelli asked Piero to send to Bartolomeo's a large basket containing live fish fresh from the river, two fat capons, and a candy shop. Candied fruit bought there, and a large bottle of the best local wine.The plan agreed upon was that Machiavelli would wait until three hours after sunset, that is, after nine o'clock in the evening, when Serafina was fast asleep, to come to a small gate in the courtyard, and Caterina I'll bring him in and we'll have dinner together.At an opportune time she would retire to her bedroom, leaving Machiavelli with his beloved beauty.She assured Machiavelli that he must leave the house before daylight.When Piero returned from delivering the gift baskets, he brought a final message from Ms. Caterina.She would be by the little door when the church bells struck nine.To make sure it was Machiavelli himself, he had to knock twice quickly, wait a moment, knock again, wait a little longer, and knock twice again.After that, the door will be opened, and he will get in immediately without saying a word.

"This is really dealing with an experienced woman," thought Machiavelli. "She does everything seamlessly." He had a servant come in with a bucket of hot water and took a bath, which he hadn't had since the night before he married Marietta.He remembered that he had caught a cold after taking a bath that day, and had passed it on to Marietta quite naturally.Then he sprinkled some of the perfume he had bought with rose oil for Aurelia.He then put on his best clothes.In order not to spoil his appetite for the rich dinner he had been looking forward to for a long time, he did not enjoy the simple dinner prepared by Serafina, saying that he would have dinner at the hotel with Duke Ferreira's emissary.He tried to read for a while, but he couldn't concentrate because he was too excited.He played the lute wildly for a while, but his fingers would not obey him.He thought for a while about Plato's dialogues, and concluded with satisfaction that pleasure, always accompanied by pain, is an imperfect good.The dialogues of Plato are certainly informative, but the meditations on eternal things are also really dry.Thinking of the difficulty of this matter, and the process by which he gave full play to his ingenuity to overcome difficulties, he couldn't help feeling elated.It would be a hypocrisy on his part, an unworthy behavior, not to admit that he was extraordinarily intelligent.He can't think of another person who can use such a high degree of skill to fuse his own passion, and the weaknesses and interests of the characters of all parties involved, and make these factors serve his own wishes.It seemed as if the waiting time would never stop, but suddenly the church bells rang.Machiavelli got up quickly, put on his cloak and opened the gate of the yard, ready to walk into the dark night.He was about to raise his legs and walk into the alley, but he heard footsteps on the cobbled road.He closed the door partly and stood behind it, wanting to wait for the passerby, no matter who he was, to walk through the door.But instead of passing by his door, they stopped at his door, and one of them began to knock.Since the door was not fastened, the knock pushed the door back a little, and the torches held by the two visitors caught sight of Machiavelli in the passage.

"Ah, Lord Niccolo." One of them said.Machiavelli recognized him at once as one of the Duke's secretaries. "We are here to pick you up. And are you going to the palace too? His Excellency the Duke wants to see you. He has something important to tell you." For a moment Machiavelli was at a loss.He could think of no excuses for refusing the duke's invitation.If he hadn't been bumped into in all his out-of-the-way attire, he could have sent a message saying that he was sick in bed and couldn't be invited.But in this state, how could he excuse his unwellness and refuse?The duke is not a man who you can casually claim to have other arrangements and refuse to attend an interview. Moreover, if he really has important news to inform Machiavelli, as a diplomat, Machiavelli must not refuse to attend. don't go.It is very likely that these news are related to the safety of Florence.Thinking of this, Machiavelli's heart sank.

"Wait a moment, let me tell my servant that he need not accompany me." "It's not necessary. We'll send you back safely." Machiavelli entered the living room, then turned and closed the door. "Listen, Pierrot. The Duke wants to see me. I'll meet the Duke briefly and tell him I'm suffering from colic. Madame Caterina is probably waiting. Go to her yard and tell him Your method is to knock on the door. Tell her what happened here, and tell her that I will be back as soon as possible, and tell her to let you wait in the yard, and you can open the door for me when I go."

"Understood." "And tell her I'm very depressed, deeply distressed, very sad, sullen and angry. I'll be back in half an hour." After saying this, he went to the palace with those who came to pick him up.He was shown into an anteroom, and the secretary left him to announce his arrival to the Duke.Machiavelli waited.Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes.Then the secretary came back and conveyed the duke's apology.It turned out that a messenger had just arrived, bringing some letters from the Pope.At the moment the Duke was reading the letter behind closed doors with Bishop Erna and Agapito da Amalia.As soon as he was done, he would call Machiavelli over.So Machiavelli was once again left alone.His patience is being brutally tested.He was fidgeting, he kept changing his sitting position in the chair, he was biting his nails, he was pacing back and forth in the room.He started to frown, and then he blushed, and then he got angry, and finally he was literally pissed off.Finally, in desperation, he rushed out of the reception room, found the secretary who had sent for him, and asked him in a cold tone whether the Duke had completely forgotten him.

"This is a very regrettable matter. The duke would not have kept you waiting if it were not for some urgent business. I believe that what he has to tell you is of great importance to the Consulate of Florence. Please Don't be restless." Machiavelli controlled his irritation with all his might, and sat down in the nearest chair.The secretary began to talk to him. Although Machiavelli used some simple sentences to perfunctory the secretary's question and looked casual, the secretary was still very interested and did not feel bored at all.It took Machiavelli a lot to keep himself from telling the chatterbox to shut his stupid mouth.He kept thinking in his mind: If they came a minute late, they wouldn't have found me.At last Agapito da Amalia himself came and told Machiavelli that Duke Machiavelli was ready to see him.By this time, Machiavelli had been waiting for a full hour.He thought that Pierrot might be standing behind the door shivering in the cold courtyard, and a sarcastic smile came to his lips.Thinking that at this moment, he was not the only one suffering foreign crimes, he felt a little comforted.

The duke was accompanied by his cousin, Bishop Erna.He appeared polite, but wasted no time in pleasantries. "I have always been open and honest with you, my lord clerk. Today I want to make my position clear to you. I am not satisfied with the so-called goodwill you conveyed under the orders of the Consulate. The Pope may die at any time. If I To preserve my domain, I must take measures to protect myself. The King of France is my ally, and I have an armed force, but this may not be enough. Therefore I hope that I can establish friendly relations with my neighbors around. These Neighbors are Bologna, Mantua, Ferreira and Florence."

Machiavelli thought that it was not an appropriate time to repeat the same old tune and explain once again the goodwill of the Florentine government.So he wisely chose silence. "As for Ferreira, we married my dear sister, Madame Lucrezia, to the duke, for whom the Pope prepared a generous dowry. Apart from this, we And gave his brother the cardinal a lot of favors. By these measures we have gained the friendship of the duke. In Mantua we are doing two things, the first of which is to make the brother of the marquis a red Bishop, in exchange, the Marquis and his brother will pay us forty thousand ducats. The second thing is to marry my daughter to the son of the Marquis. Bring back the dowry. I don't need to point out to you that mutual benefit is the strongest foundation that a lasting and solid friendship can have." "Infallible, sir," asked Machiavelli, smiling. "And Bologna?" The lord of Bologna, Giovanni Bentivoliu, stood with the leaders of the rebellion.Although his army had retreated and disengaged from the Duke's army, it was still at war with the Duke.Duke Valentino stroked his well-trimmed, angular beard and smiled sinisterly. "I don't want Bologna. I want her cooperation. It's quicker to make Mr. Giovanni a friend than to drive him out of Bologna. Then again, even if I take Bologna, It is also very possible that I will not be able to hold on, and it may end up defeating me. Besides, if I do not reach an agreement with Bologna, Duke Ferreira will not give me any help." "Mr. Giovanni signed an agreement with the rebels." "Your information is not accurate this time, my lord." The Duke replied with a pleasant face. "Mr Giovanni refused to sign that agreement because he thought the terms of the agreement did not protect his interests. I am in contact with his brother and things have gone so far to the satisfaction of both parties. Once we reach an agreement, his brother will Receive a cardinal's hat, or, if he is not interested in the priesthood, he can marry my cousin, sister of Cardinal Borgia. Our four city-states, with the support of the King of France, will become Incomparably powerful. At that time, what your master wants from me will far exceed what I want from them. I want to say that I have no malice against them, but the situation is stronger than people. If there is no treaty Limit me, and I will have ample leeway to act in my highest interest." The picture is poor.Machiavelli thought for a while.He knew Agapito and Bishop Erna were watching him. "What exactly does Your Excellency want us to do?" he asked with as nonchalant an air as possible. "I understand that you have reached an agreement with Vitellozzo and Orsini." "So far no agreement has been signed. As far as I am concerned, I can sign these agreements or not sign them at all. I have never advocated the complete smashing of Orsini: if the Pope dies, I must have some in Rome. Friend. When Paglo Orsini came to see me, one of his complaints was the behavior of Ramilo de Rorca, and I promised him that I would satisfy him, and in this matter I He walks the talk. Vitellozzo is something else. He is a viper and he did everything he could to break the agreement between me and Orsini." "Perhaps it would be better if you spoke more directly." "Exactly. I hope you will write a letter to your masters, telling them that the King of France will most likely order them to resume providing me with protection fees. As you know, these protection fees are for no reason. Stopped without reason. Once the King of France has ordered it, they will do it. In my opinion, it is better to do something voluntarily than to be forced to do it." Machiavelli paused for a moment, trying to compose himself.He knows that every word he utters carries danger.When he spoke again, he said as flatteringly as possible: "Your Excellency has shown extraordinary wisdom in using troops and making friends, but in the matter of protection fees, you cannot be compared with those mercenary leaders who are so poor that only you and a few minions can sell you. Your Excellency is a powerful faction in Italy. One of the characters, we form an alliance with you, which is in line with your identity, instead of treating you like a mercenary." "I will regard this protection fee as an honor." The Duke replied politely. "I say, my lord clerk, that we may make some arrangements that will benefit both of us. I am a professional soldier, bound by friendship to your city-state. It is a great thing for me that your master refuses my request. A contempt. I say with confidence that I can play for Fiorentina as well as anyone." "I venture to say that if your Excellency has three-quarters of Florence's forces, she will have no security for my government." "So you doubt my sincerity?" "Not at all," replied Machiavelli, trying to be earnest. "But my officers are careful not to take a step that they might regret. They want to keep peace with everyone." "My lord clerk, you are so smart that you don't know that the only way to ensure peace is to prepare for war." "I have no doubt that my government will take appropriate steps to deal with the eventuality that may arise." "You mean by hiring other military chiefs to serve them?" asked the Duke sharply. This is an opportunity that Machiavelli was looking for.He knew that Duke Valentino was prone to anger in an instant, and once he had vented his anger, he would dismiss the object of his anger with disdain.Machiavelli wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, not caring about the possibility of angering the Duke. "I have every reason to believe that this was indeed their intention." To his surprise, the Duke laughed.He got up from his chair, with his back to the fire, and answered Machiavelli with complete pleasure. "Did they think they could remain neutral in this turbulent time? Of course they are all intelligent people. When two neighboring countries go to war, the one with which you have friendly relations will think that you duty to help, and if you fail to fulfill your duty, he will be displeased with you. The other nation will despise you for your cowardice and lack of courage. Thus, to one of them, you are a worthless To one friend you are a foe to the other. "Being neutral is a situation where the neutral side can help one side and can help the other side. But at the end of the day, he will find that he has to join the melee, and before that, if he decides to join a side early, He will appear decisive and dignified. Believe me, it will always be a wise choice to join without hesitation. Because in the end, one side will always win, and the winning side will be a threat to you. Because, at that time, who will come to your rescue? You will have no reason to ask others to come to your aid, and in fact no one will come to your aid. The winning side will not trust a A friend of yours will not find it any use. The defeated party will not be able to help you. And even if he could, he will not save you. Because before that, if you rushed to the rescue, you could save him, but you But he stood still and watched him being defeated by others." Machiavelli was really in no mood to listen to the duke's tirade on neutrality right now.He just hoped that, by this point, the Duke had finished what he had to say.But he had more to say. "Regardless of the risks of war, the risks of remaining neutral are greater. Neutrality turns you into an object of hatred and scorn, and sooner or later the person who thinks he can take you down will do so. On the other hand, if you Help one side win the war, although the victorious side will be powerful and make you fearful, but you are an ally, so the victorious side owes you favors, and you also make the victorious country have to maintain friendly relations with you. " "Does your excellency think, from your own experience, that people are so grateful for past favors that they are merciful when they use their power to do harm to their benefactor?" "Victory is never clear-cut. No victor can turn his back on his friends. It is better to treat his friends fairly." "But what if the side you support loses?" "That makes you even more important to your ally. He will do everything in his power to assist you. Once the times turn, you can share the fortunes. So, no matter how you look at it, neutrality is foolish. That's I want to tell you. It would be wise for you to convey to your master the little bit of statecraft I share here." After saying these words, the Duke sat back in his chair and stretched out his hand to warm himself by the fire.Machiavelli, bowing, was about to withdraw when the Duke spoke again to Agapito de Amalia: "Did you tell the clerk that his friend Buonarroti was delayed in Florence and would not be here for a while?" Agapito shook his head. "I don't know the man, sir," Machiavelli replied. "Never mind. It's the sculptor." The Duke looked at him with a smile in his eyes.Machiavelli suddenly guessed who this person might be.He once wrote to Piaggio asking for money, and Piaggio told him in his reply that the money would be brought by a man named Michelangelo.But the name didn't matter to him.But the duke's words meant that his belongings had been searched, apparently with Serafina's help.He is thankful that he has stored important documents in a safe place.In his residence he kept only a few irrelevant documents, including letters from Piaggio. "There are many stone carvers in Florence, sir," he answered calmly, "and it is impossible for me to know them all." This Michelangelo is a man of ability.He carved a Cupid out of marble and buried it. When the statue was dug up shortly afterwards, it was considered an antique. The Bishop of San Giorgio bought it, but when he found out that it was a fake, he put it away. Returned to the seller.It ended up in my hands and I gave it to the Marchioness of Mantua as a gift. " "Is your excellency going to order him a sculpture to rival the one Leonardo made for the Duke of Milan?" This ingenious answer trembled through the air, and the secretaries around the Duke were all dumbfounded, looking at the Duke to see how he would respond.The statue of Francesca Sforza on a horse is considered by many to be Leonardo's masterpiece.When Marshal Treforzio attacked Milan, the statue was destroyed by military disaster.Francesca's son, Rodevico il Moro, who consecrated the statue, a tyrant like Cesare Borgia, was expelled from the city and is now the of a prisoner.In these words Machiavelli pointed out unmistakably to the Duke how dangerous his situation was, and how badly he would fall if his luck deserted him.The Duke laughed. "It's not like that. I have more important things for this Michelangelo to do. The city's defenses are so poor that I'm going to ask him to draw up a new fortification plan. Since you mentioned Leonardo, I want you to see his portrait of me." He gestured to a secretary, who left the room, and soon came in with a stack of papers, which he handed to the Duke.The Duke then showed Machiavelli one by one. "I would never have known it was you if you hadn't told me it was your portrait." "Poor Leonardo, he really didn't have much talent to paint a portrait like himself. But as paintings, I think they have value." "Maybe so, but I still think it's a pity that with his talent, he should waste his time painting and making statues." "I dare you, once he's in my service, he won't paint or sculpt any more. I sent him to Pompino to drain some swamps, and he went to Chesna and Cesenatico dug canals and built a harbor." He returned the portrait to the secretary, dismissing Machiavelli in a graceful manner.Machiavelli noticed jealously that the duke was no less elegant than the King of France.Agapito da Amalia accompanied him out of the Duke's office.During the past month, Machiavelli had tried his best to win the confidence of the chief secretary. He was related to a prominent Roman noble family in Colonna, which was the enemy of the Orsini family, so Machiavelli Viri estimated that Agapito might be inclined to the Florentine government, because Orsini was also an enemy of the Florentines. From time to time, he tipped a bit of information to Machiavelli, and the latter judged its authenticity according to the degree of possibility.At the moment they are passing through the auditorium used for various ceremonies.Agapito suddenly took Machiavelli's hand and said: "Come into my room, please. I have something to show you." "It's getting late, and I'm sick again. I'll come back tomorrow." "As you please, I want to show you the agreement between the Duke and the leader of the rebellion." Machiavelli was shocked.He knew the documents had arrived at Imola, and he was trying to get a glimpse of them.The ruling group was desperate to know the content of the treaty, and for this reason they wrote to Machiavelli, reprimanding him for not being conscientious.Machiavelli had no choice but to plead in vain to the Consulate that he had done his best and reported to the Consulate all that he had learned.But he didn't tell the ruling group that in the duke's court, the secrecy was so well kept that no one knew what the duke would do until he acted.At this moment the clock struck again: he had kept Aurelia waiting for two full hours, the fried fish must have been completely ruined, and the fat capon must have been charred in the oven.He was very hungry at this time, because he hadn't used food since he had eaten before noon.It has been said that the longing for love and the longing for food are two deep-rooted instincts, and who can blame them for giving in to them?Machiavelli sighed: Florence's safety was at stake, her liberty was at stake. "okay then." He thought irritably that no one in history had sacrificed so much personal interests for the good of the country as he did. Agapito led him up a flight of stairs, opened a door, and led him into a small room.In the room, there was a bed against one wall.There was only one dim oil lamp burning in the room, and the light was very dim.Agapito lit a candle made of animal fat from an oil lamp and asked Machiavelli to sit down in a chair.Then he sat down himself, and some documents were scattered on a desk next to him.He leaned on the chair and crossed his legs comfortably.His expression seemed to say that time didn't matter to him at all. "There was a reason why I didn't give you a copy of the agreement before, and I'll tell you about that reason in a moment. For the same reason, I didn't copy the duke Ferreira's agent or anyone else. The duke and Paglo Orsini drew up a document of agreement between them, and Paglo took it to the military chiefs, and told them that, if they agreed, he could represent the duke and them as well. To sign an agreement, in which he had the duke's authorization. But he had just begun to do it, and the duke went over the document again, and found that there was a clause missing in the document that looked after France." Machiavelli listened to this with great impatience. What he wanted was to see the agreement, get it if possible, and leave.But at the moment he had to concentrate on listening to the other party's statement. "The last clause was finally drawn up, and the duke ordered me to go after Lord Paglow, and told him that the duke would not sign the document unless he accepted this additional clause. I caught up with him, and he simply said Rejected, but after talking for a while, he agreed to share the rider with others. But he felt that it was impossible for everyone to accept this clause. Then I left him." "What is the content of the additional clause?" There was laughter in Agapito's voice when he answered. "If it is accepted, that opens a window through which we can slip out of this agreement, in other words, we will be free from the agreement; if it is not accepted, it opens Another door through which we can stride forward." "It seems the duke is more interested in punishing those who threatened his city than in peace." "Don't be confused, the Duke never lets his personal wishes interfere with his interests." "You promised to show me the agreement." "This is." Machiavelli eagerly began to read the document.Under the terms of the document, the duke and the leaders of these rebels agreed to live in peace and alliance from now on.They would retain their respective command over their troops, and would be subject to the duke, and would receive the same remuneration from the duke for this purpose as before.And, as a pledge of credit, each of them will send a son to the duke as a hostage.Moreover, they stipulated that each time they set up camp with the duke, only one general could accompany them, and the length of time was decided by the duke.On the other hand, they agreed to return Urbino and Camerino to the duke in exchange that the duke would protect their domain from encroachment, but this did not include attacks from the pope or the king of France.And some time ago the King of France attacked them.This is the additional clause that Duke Valentino insists on.And this rider, as Agapito said, made the whole deal worthless in a way that not even a child could fail to see.Bentivoli of Bologna and Petrucci of Siena are in the process of signing another agreement with the pope.Machiavelli read the document again, frowning. "How can these people expect the Duke to forgive them for the harm they have done to him?" Machiavelli sighed after reading it. "And how can the Duke forget the dangers these people have thrown him into?" "It's called playing hard to get." Agapito quoted an idiom with a smile on his face. "Will you let me take this document with me so I can make a copy?" "I can't take this document out of my custody." "I promise to send it back tomorrow." "That's impossible. The Duke may have access to this document at any moment." "The duke has been assuring me of his sincere friendship for Florence. It is very important that my government understand the content of this agreement. Believe me, any service you can render them will not be honored by my government. will forget." "I've been in the business of state for so long that I can't believe there is any genuine gratitude from any monarch or government." Machiavelli continued to press him for the convenience, and finally Agapito agreed: "You understand that I will do my best to accommodate your request. I admire your intellect as much as I admire your character. I will make an exception, and I will allow you to copy a document here." Machiavelli drew a breath.It will take half an hour to complete, and the time is ticking fast.Has there ever been another person in love throughout the ages who has been put in such a predicament?Right now, it seems that there is no good way, and we can only let the current environment dictate it.Agapito vacated his place at the table and gave Machiavelli a piece of paper and a brand new quill.He lay down on the bed and watched Machiavelli transcribe the papers as fast as he could.As he wrote the last line he heard the bellman shouting to tell the time.Then the church bell rang.It was midnight. 阿加皮托和他一起下了楼，当他们抵达宫殿正中央庭院里的时候，阿加皮托叫来了两个卫兵，让他们擎着火把，送马基雅维里回他的住所。这个时间天上正下着冷雨，漆黑的夜十分寒冷。当他们到达之后，马基雅维里付了一点小费给两位士兵，将他们打发走，然后打开了门。他一直等到再也听不见他们的脚步声以后，又转身出门，将门锁上，又悄悄地溜了出来。他穿过胡同，按照原先商量好的方式轻轻地叩门。然而无人回应，他又敲了一遍，先敲两下，停顿一下，敲一下，再一停顿，然后又敲两下。他等待着。一股阴冷的风从巷子深处吹来，一阵雨点打在了他的脸上，尽管他裹得挺严实，用一条围巾包住了脸，以免夜里的晦气被吸到肺里，但是他还是不禁打了一个哆嗦。是不是那几个女人已经等得不耐烦了？但是皮埃罗应该在吧？他告诉皮埃罗一直等到他来为止，而直到目前皮埃罗还没有让他失望过。皮埃罗一定已经向他们解释了他为什么会迟到的原因。而且再说，对于那两个女人而言，尽管她们与马基雅维里动机不一样，但是她们也应该明白是万万不可以失去这次机会的。这次约会对她们的重要程度，一点也不亚于马基雅维里的热切程度。从宫里回来的路上，在经过巴托罗缪家豪宅的时候，他注意到房子已经熄了灯。他猛然想到，也许应该看一下房子的背面是否还亮着灯。在毫无结果地再敲了一遍门之后，他回到了自己的房子，上楼进了自己的房间。从那里他可以观察到巴托罗缪房子的院子和对着他这一边的窗户。nothing.他看到夜色深沉。也许皮埃罗是进去休息一下，喝一杯酒暖暖身子了，如果是这样，他这会儿也应该已经回来了。马基雅维里再一次走入那残酷的黑夜。他敲了门，等待着，不应之下又敲门，又等待，然后又敲门，又等待。他的手脚冰凉，牙齿在打着寒战。 “我这下该染上那该死的风寒了。”他嘟囔着。 猛然间一阵怒火涌上他的心头，他几乎都要用双拳猛砸那扇门了。然后理智占了上风。他明白，如果惊动了邻居，他也不能够拿到更多的斩获。最后，他得出结论，她们一定是等得不耐烦，最终放弃了他，上床睡觉了。他掉头回家，十分沮丧地进了自己的房子。他又冷，又饿，又极度失望。 “如果明天我染不上风寒，也肯定会患上肠绞痛。” 他进了厨房，企图找些吃的。但是塞拉菲娜一般是早上去买食物，如果食物有剩余下来，她会将之锁起来，所以他一无所获。火盆已经从起居室里拿了出去，起居室里冷得要命。但是马基雅维里连上床休息的慰藉都还不能够立刻拥有，他必须坐下来，将他与公爵的对话写成一篇报告。报告的撰写花了他不少时间，因为他要用密码来写最重要的部分。然后他还得用工整的字体将条约抄一份像样的抄本，以便可以随信寄出。他一直干到凌晨。这件公函实在是太重要了。他不能等一个用一两个金弗罗林就可以雇用的普通信使来递送这件公函。于是他爬上阁楼，叫醒了在那里睡觉的两个仆人，让其中一个较为可靠的，给马上了鞍，做好准备一旦城门打开，就出城送信去。他一直等到那个仆人穿戴完毕，让他出了大门，然后才回去上床睡觉。 “但是今晚本来应该是一个属于爱情的夜晚。”他一边将他的睡帽拽下来盖住耳朵，一边恶狠狠地低声咕哝道。