Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/265

 leaves opposite to him, and Luigi's head came out. And seeing the men-at-arms made no sign of hurting him the poor poet gave a whistle and a swift pattering of feet came along the passage inside the labyrinth. Then Luigi began slowly to ease himself out, and still the soldier did nothing, but when he was clear of the hedge and had turned to help Constance, the man seized him by his neck and pushed him back again by force, so that all his struggling could not keep him on the right side of his prison, and while he was doing this the pikeman heard someone's breath caught sharply, and a noise like sobbing. And once or twice Luigi tried to escape that night and put his head out as before, and saw standing by each soldier a serving man holding a great torch, and neither said anything, but let him painfully work his way out as before, and then thrust him back. And just as the sun set at the close of the next day the messengers the duke had sent began to return, and with them came companies of men, whom my lord himself received, and showed them where they might get stones, rough and smooth, for these fellows were masons. Straightway they went to their work, and as more came, they too fell to their tools, and at midnight many score of men were a-labouring by torchlight, and a place had been made ready for the foundations of a wall right around the maze. Nor was there any delay, but the stones were set one above other, and compacted with mortar, and still the men-at-arms stood in their order, but Luigi only came out once more. And it chanced that as