r a few minutes. From time to time he would come in to ask for help with some difficult book; but on these occasions the subject of study was strictly adhered to. Montanelli, feel

so hard to stifle under a load of theology and ritual, had vanished into nothing at the touch of Young Italy. All the unhealthy fancies born of loneliness and sick-room watching had passed away, and the doubts against which he used to pray had gone without the need of exorcism. With the awakening of a new enthusiasm, a clearer, fresher religious ideal (for it was more in this light than in that of a political development that the students' movement had appeared to him), had come a sense of rest and completeness, of peace on earth and good will towards men; and

dy, placed the volume on its shelf, and was about to leave the room when the title of a book lying on the table caught his eyes. It was Dante's "De Monarchia." He be

cing at the title of the book. "I was just going to

ave an engagement for this eve

e you because I am going away on Tue

me? Fo

ld have let you know at once, but have been very busy settling up th

y you are not givi

shall probably come back to

re you giv

icially announced; but I

e! Wh

e. It is not yet decided whether I am to take a se

new Director

en nominated and arr

hat rathe

Vatican are sometimes not comm

ow the new

oken of. Monsignor Belloni, who writes, s

y will miss

am sure you will miss me, carino; perh

but I am very gla

t the table with a weary look on his face; not t

ou would stay with me for a while, as you can't come to-night. I am a little out

tay a bit. I

your m

Montanelli changed

urself," he said. "You will need

I may go on confessi

only of the three or four months that I shall be away

y we

atters for a little wh

the students will

came back to Mo

t charmed away my black

ll be sure to c

. Arthur, my dear boy, be careful while I am gone; don't be led into doing anything ras

verything is quite quiet. I

said abruptly, and sa

she had changed and developed greatly, and now looked a grown-up young woman, though the dense black plaits still hung down her back in school-girl fashion. She was dressed all in black, and had thrown a black scarf over her head, as the room was cold and draughty. At her breast was a spray of cypress, the emblem of Young Italy. The initiator was passionately describin

led to the other end of the room. "Jim" was a childish corruption of her c

her head wi

didn't know you

about you. Jim, sin

not a member. It is only that I have done one or two l

organizer of the Leghorn branch

t me go to a students' meeting. The other day he wrote to me to Florenc

ten hear fr

ows of hers who had moved to Florence.) "Then Bini wrote and told me to pass through

devout admiration. His mind at this period was curiously uncritical; when he accepted a moral ideal he swallowed it whole without stopping to think whether it was quite digestible

you, Jim. Where

Mari

er's old h

ves a good w

time in silence. Then

enteen, now,

venteen i

anting to go to balls and all that sort of thing. Jim, dear, I ha

have

hings for Bini; I didn't

Bini; it was fo

other

s talking to me

bject with him; there had been a rivalry between them about some work which the committee

d I like him very much. He

went there i

ld be safer than ours for that work? Nobody would suspect a rich

it was in your house the book

h! perhaps I oughtn'

ar, there is nothing in all the world that would make

dre! Sur

But I have sometimes fancied

hur! he's

od to lead the world to higher ideals and aims, and what else does the society try to do? It is, after all, more a religious a

s a muddle somewhere in your logic. A priest teaches religious doctrin

stianity, and the greatest of

about priests to father th

father is a

use she looked ro

subject alone. You are always intoler

I think Protestants are generally int

over this subject that it is not worth while to

e so strongly about the need of living the Republic, not dreaming

ch of the wonderful things we ought to think and feel and

plenty for us to do; but we must be patient

c woman you ever saw? And what use was all her goodness? She was a slave till the day she died-bullied and worried and insulted by your brother James and his wife. It would have been much better for h

aved Italy she would have been free long ago;

ad and died out again. Gemma did not see it; she was loo

pause; "but I am right, and you will grow to see

ate. Good-n

doorstep, clasping he

and the

she completed the

nd for

en the door had closed behind her he stooped and picked