e was a tendency to luxuriousness in trifles and to a certain fastidious daintiness in the arrangement of everything which surprised Galli and Riccardo. They had expected to find a man who had

a dislike to her from the time of their first meeting, and in every way avoided her company. On two or three occasions he was actually rude to her, thus bringing upon himself Martini's most cordial detestation. There had b

matter; so there's no harm done. But I can't stand the way he behaves to you. If it weren't for the scandal it wou

of any consequence, and after a

s your

brutal thing to him when we first

thing? That's hard

bout people laughing at cripples, and he took it personally. It had never

left arm is pretty badly disabled, but he's neither hunchbacked n

horribly tactless of me, but it's odd he should be so sensitive.

. There's a sort of internal brutality about that man, und

ng him out worse than he is? His manner is a little affected and irritating-I expect he has been too much

verything. It fairly disgusted me the other day at Fabrizi's debate to hear the way he c

one well-meaning middle-aged gentleman happens to get elected Pope, everything else will come right of itself. He has only got to throw open the prison doors and give his blessing to everybody all round, and

The temporal po

bad principle is that any man should hold over another the power to bind

ith you, once you begin talking rank Antinomianism in that fashion. I'm sure your ancestors must ha

it out of

r new p

t in to yesterday's committee. I knew we shou

e, I think you are a little prejudiced. Riva

ever enough in its way; but you h

ging. Like all the Gadfly's writing, it was bitter and vindictive; but, notwithstanding her irr

icious," she said, laying down the manuscript. "B

em

t he's got the truth on his side. There is no use in our tryin

ggest that we s

nal attacks, I think it might be made into a really valuable piece of work. As political criticism it is very fine. I had no idea he could write so well. He says things which need saying and whi

ole thing! I hate that ill-natured y

made ourselves drunk with processions and embracing and shouting about love and reconciliation, and that the Jesuits and Sanfedists are the people w

you to go and talk it over with him a

and besides that, he detests me.

, you are more reasonable than the rest of us, and won't get

l, I will go if you like, though

m that the committee all admired the thing from a literary point of vi

on his knee. A shaggy collie dog, lying on a rug at his feet, raised its head and growled as Gemma knocked at the open do

ng manner. "If you had let me know that you wa

of the earth, Gemma hastened to state her busin

she began, "because there has been a certain

posite to her, drawing a large vase of chr

hey do not think that in its present form it is quite suitable for publication. They fear that the vehem

. As her eyes happened to catch the movement of the slim right hand dropping the petals, one by one

ly worthless, and could be admired only by persons who know nothing about lite

on is whether you may not succeed in

," he said. "The question is: For what purpose did your committee invite me to come here? I und

fence, and also that the town workmen may withdraw their moral support. You may have meant the pamphlet for an attack upon the Sanfedists: but many reade

upon the committee's own pet priests-'truth's a dog must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when the-Holy Father may stand by the fire and---' Yes, the fool was right; I'd rather be any kind o

I don't understand you. Do you

I have a letter about him here. Would you care to hear it? The

pal fro

er which had been in his hand when she entered, and

ng one of our w-w-worst enemies, C-cardinal Lorenzo M-mont

gan again, very slowly and drawling i

nly to the front. Really, of course, he is as much pulled by Jesuit wires as any Sanfedist in the country. This mission was suggested by some of the Jesuit fathers. He is one of the most brilliant preachers in the Church, and as mischievous in his way as Lambruschini himself. His business is to keep the popular enthusiasm over the Pope from subsiding, and to occupy the public attention until the Grand Duke has signed a project which the agents of the Jesuits are pre

king at her with half-shut eyes, wa

nformant is correct in his fac

lli's private life? No; but neither is he. As you will observe,

she interposed coldly, "but of

of my comrades of '43, and he is in a position which gives him

ickly. "So that's the kind of connections you ha

went on; "and you understand that the information is

may I tell the committee that you consent to make

ling the beauty of the 'literary composition,' signo

. What I have come here to express

letter into his pocket and was now leaning forward and looking at her with an eager,

h points. I do not at all admire the pamphlet from a literary point of view, and

t is

o have that openly and boldly said, even at the cost of offending or alienating some of our present supporters. But as a member of a body the large majority of which holds the opposite view, I can

ute while I look thr

own the pages. A dissatisfi

nt skit, not a political satire. But what's a man to do? If I write decently the

ness manages to be dull w

id glance at her, an

ess. What it comes to, then, is practically this: if I cut out the personalities and leave the essential part of the thing as it is, the committee will very much regret that they can't take the responsibility of printing it. If I cut out the political truth and make all the hard names apply to

though the majority would, of course, not agree with it; and I am convinced that it would be very useful. But you would have to lay aside the spitefulness. If

of my laugh now, I must have it out next time. When His Eminence, the irreproachable Cardinal, turns up

holding them up to watch the light through the translucent petals. "What an unsteady hand

bers of the committee," she said, rising. "I cannot f

was leaning against the table,

ly a canon at that time, and Director of the theological seminary in the province where I lived as a girl. I heard a great deal about him from-someone who knew him very intimately; and I never heard an

from the flowers, and looke

to me which he is-and to my friends across the frontier. A stone in the path may have the best intentions, but it must be kick

May I send for a vettura? No? Good-afternoo

the frontier"-who were they? And how was the stone to be kicked out of t