his foe, however, conciliated and touched the more frank and soldierly
qualities of his nature, and composing himself, he replied:--

"Signor di Castello, I rest your debtor for a courtesy that I have but
little imitated. Howbeit, if thou wouldst bind me to thee for ever, thou
wilt suffer me to send for my own charger, and afford me a chance to
retrieve mine honour. With that steed, or with one equal to thine, which
seems to me of the English breed, I will gage all I possess, lands,
castle, and gold, sword and spurs, to maintain this pass, one by one,
against all thy train."

Fortunately, perhaps, for Adrian, ere he could reply, Riccardo Annibaldi
cried, with great warmth, "Sir Knight, I have with me two steeds well
practised in the tourney; take thy choice, and accept in me a champion
of the Roman against the French chivalry;--there is my gage."

"Signor," replied Montreal, with ill-suppressed delight, "thy proffer
shows so gallant and free a spirit, that it were foul sin in me to balk
it. I accept thy gage, and whichever of thy steeds thou rejectest, in
God's name bring it hither, and let us waste no words before action."

Adrian, who felt that hitherto the Romans had been more favoured by
fortune than merit, vainly endeavoured to prevent this second hazard.
But Annibaldi was greatly chafed, and his high rank rendered it
impolitic in Adrian to offend him by peremptory prohibition; the
Colonna reluctantly, therefore, yielded his assent to the engagement.
Annibaldi's steeds were led to the spot, the one a noble roan, the other
a bay, of somewhat less breeding and bone, but still of great strength
and price. Montreal finding the choice pressed upon him, gallantly
selected the latter and less excellent.