"He was entirely in the right, your excellency. Nothing had been paid for the fish, and Gianettino's right to purchase was perfect, and nobody could dispute it!""Well, when we are in the right, we must maintain our right," said the cardinal, after a pause, "and as the affair is known to all Rome, it must be fought through with /eclat/! The fish, in all its pride of greatness shall grace our table to-morrow!""We have no dish of sufficient size in which to serve it.""Then let a new one be made," laughed the cardinal. "Take the measure of this Goliath, and hasten to the silversmith, that he may make a silver dish of the proper size. But see that it is completed by to-morrow morning, and that it is richly ornamented. If Rome has heard of the fish, so also must it hear of the dish. Hasten, therefore, Signor Brunelli, and see that all is done as I have ordered!""This is, in fact, a very diverting story," said the cardinal, laughing, when he was again alone. "We have here a monster fish which will probably swallow my friendship with the Duke of Grimaldi! Well, we shall see!"The cardinal then rang for his body-servant, whom he ordered to dress him.
"Court toilet?" asked the servant, astonished at being called to this service at so unusual an hour.
"No, house toilet!" said the cardinal. "I shall soon receive visitors."The shrewd cardinal had not deceived himself! In a few minutes an equipage rolled into the court and the footman announced his highness the Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Grimaldi.
"He is a thousand times welcome!" cried the cardinal, and as the door now opened and the Spanish duke entered, the cardinal advanced to receive him with open arms and a friendly smile.
"My dear, much-beloved friend, what a delightful surprise is this!"said the cardinal.
But the duke observed neither the open arms nor the pleasant smile, nor yet the friendly welcome of the cardinal. He strode forward with a serious, majestic /grandezza/, and placing himself directly before the cardinal, he solemnly asked: "Know you of the outrage which a servant of your house has inflicted on mine!""Of an outrage?" asked the cardinal, without embarrassment. "I have been told that your cook had a dispute with mine, because mine had bought a fish that was too dear for yours. That is all I know.""Then they have not told you," thundered the duke, "that your servant, like an impudent street robber, has wrongfully seized my property. For that fish was mine, it belonged to the Spanish embassy, and therefore to Spain; and your servant has with outrageous insolence committed a trespass upon the property of a foreign power!""Did this fish, then, actually belong to the Spanish crown?" asked Bernis. "Was it already paid for, and legally yours?""It was not paid for, but was ordered, and my servant had gone home for the money.""As long as it was not paid for, no one could have any claim upon it.""You are, then, disposed to dispute the fish with me?" cried the duke.
"Should I dispute it," smilingly responded the cardinal, "that would be the equivalent to a recognition of your right to it, which I have no idea of making. Besides, my friend, what does this quarrel of our cooks concern us, and what has Spain and France to do with these disputes of our servants? They may fight out their own quarrels with each other; let us give them leave to do so, and if they give each other bloody heads, very well, we will bind them up, that is all!""You take the affair with your usual practical indifference," said the duke with bitterness, "and I can only regret being compelled to look at it in a different light. The question here is not of a difficulty between our servants, but of an insult which Spain has received from France in the face of all Rome. Yes, all Rome has witnessed this insult, and these miserable Romans have even dared to dishonor us with irony and satire, and to mock and deride Spain, while they overload you with their praises!""The good Romans, as you know, are like children. This contest of our cooks has delighted them, and they shouted a /viva/ to the conqueror.
But I beg you not to forget that I have nothing to do with the victories of my cook.""But I have something to do with the defeats of mine! Whoever insults my servants insults me; and whoever insults me, insults the kingdom Irepresent--insults Spain! It is therefore in the name of Spain that Idemand satisfaction. Spain has a right to this fish! I demand my right, I demand the surrender of the fish!""If you take this matter in earnest," said the cardinal, "then am Isorry to be compelled also to be serious! If Spain can find offence in the fact that France has bought a fish which is too dear for the Spanish cook, I cannot see how I can here make satisfaction, as we cannot be taxed with any fault.""You refuse me the fish, then?" exclaimed the duke, bursting with rage.
