Their hesitation vanished, and such slight loyalty as they felt towards Ercole was overruled by the prospect of his position and his pay, should his disgrace become accomplished.
They called upon him to come forth from his refuge, where he still stood, dumb and stricken at this sudden turn events had taken.

He sullenly refused to obey the call to yield, until Francesco--who now assumed command with a readiness that galled Gonzaga more and more--bade one of them go fetch an arquebuse and shoot the dog.

At that he cried out for mercy, and came wading to the edge of the tank swearing that if the immersion had not drowned him, it were a miracle but he was poisoned.
Thus closed an incident that had worn a mighty ugly look, and it served to open Valentina's eyes to the true quality of the men Gonzaga had hired her.

Maybe that it opened his own for that amiable lute-thrummer was green of experience in these matters.

She bade Gonzaga care for Francesco, and called one of the grinning pages from the gallery to be his esquire.